Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 123

Travel | Alor

121

5 Senses – Touch
MOKO
These intricately inscribed
ceremonial drums are a wonder
to look at. But don’t lay a finger
on the centuries-old specimens
at the Museum Seribu Moko!
Instead, connect with the locals
as most families own one, and
ask to hold one to get a tactile
appreciation for the beautifully
ornate carvings on these
fascinating instruments.

Various roots, plants and bark used in
the natural dyeing process of local textiles.
A local villager begins the natural
dyeing process.
The Alorese style of ikat textiles are
highly sought after for their rarity and
aesthetically pleasing simplicity.

Fascinated by the impressive
array of ikat textiles I’m
surprised to learn from
the locals of their rarity.

influence over the near-inaccessible interior,
where indigenous animist traditions endure among
tribes today. And fortunately, these days, a network
of new roads, though they are constantly under
repair, covers the main island and provides access
to the tribal highlands that I am eager to visit.
You’ll want to charter an experienced driver
to take you up these roads. Tight switchbacks,
some crumbling at the edges, and narrow clay
roads coil past thick forest, taking us to the interior
of the island. We arrive at Hula Village in West
Alor, an area of the island renowned around the
country for its talented community of traditional
ikat weavers. Here the weavers still use colouring
techniques derived from over 300 natural sources
– from yellow roots, squid and octopus ink, honey
dregs, almond tree bark, guava seeds, betel nut, nila

leaves, mango tree bark and more – to dye the
threads of wool, cotton or silk in a rainbow of
muted, earthy colours. The fabrics come in various
elaborate patterns inspired by nature for use
in local ceremonies.
Fascinated by the impressive array of ikat
textiles I’m surprised to learn from the locals
of their rarity. Ikat carries traditional and
ceremonial significance and varies tremendously
as patterns and motifs are handed down through
generations within a family, with old fabrics
of good quality commanding high prices
on the international market. The Alorese style
of ikat is highly sought after, not just for its
rarity but for its aesthetically pleasing simplicity
of design, giving the ikat an austere, introvert
appearance that appeals to the refined tastes
of collectors. After visiting Alor and its
surrounding islands from 1928 to 1929, German
anthropologist Ernst Vatter wrote of the local
ikat, “The ornamentation of these textiles is also
simple, but their simplicity is here an aesthetic
advantage. In the long term these have a more
lasting artistic effect.”
Indeed, the simple pervading patterns of
horizontal bands, mostly narrow, some mere
stripes, decorated with small geometric motifs

Nekara perunggu berukir ini
adalah keajaiban yang menarik
untuk dilihat. Akan tetapi,
jangan memegang nekara
perunggu yang berusia ratusan
tahun di Museum Seribu Moko!
Sebaliknya, Anda bisa berkenalan
dengan penduduk s etempat
karena kebanyakan keluarga
memiliki moko, dan meminta
izin untuk memegangnya agar
Anda dapat merasakan
keindahan ornamen yang
dipahatkan pada nekara
perunggu itu.