Silk Songket Sarung and Selendang set from Palembang Sumatra

Some things are difficult to convey by the beauty of by the internet and this is certainly one of those pieces. It is a silk Sarong (skirt) and Selendang (sash) set with highly intricate supplemental weft construction called Songket. This is the traditional garment of Srivijayaian Noblity from the 7th-11th centuries, and the production of these cloths continues to this day around the town of Palembang in southern Sumatra. Currently used culturally as wedding gifts or parts of ceremonial dances these are truly unique textiles. What does not come across in the pictures is the subtle Rose orange colour and slightly reflective characteristic of the Songket silk threads which give this intricate piece a subtle richness.