Wastraprema and the Beginnings of the Collection Textile Museum, Kain Gringsing Wayang Kebo from Raja Gianyar, Bali

For those wishing to explore the richness of Indonesia’s traditional textiles, the Jakarta Textile Museum is one of the most important spaces for understanding the diversity of Nusantara wastra.

The museum houses a wide range of textile collections that represent historical journeys, aesthetic values, and bodies of knowledge related to Indonesia’s traditional fabrics.

The Jakarta Textile Museum was inaugurated by Mrs. Tien Soeharto on 28 June 1976. Its establishment was the result of a joint initiative between Ir. Safioen, Director General of Textiles at the Ministry of Industry, and the Governor of Jakarta at the time, Ali Sadikin.

According to the 2022 inventory records, the Jakarta Textile Museum holds approximately 3,000 collection objects, divided into several categories, including batik textiles, woven fabrics, mixed textiles, textile tools, and contemporary textiles.

One of the museum’s collections is the Gringsing Wayang Kebo patterned cloth. This textile entered the museum’s collection through a donation from Himpunan Wastraprema (HWP), a community that played a major role in the formation of the Jakarta Textile Museum’s early collections.

Who, then, is Himpunan Wastraprema (HWP), and how is it connected to the Textile Museum?

Donations from Himpunan Wastraprema (HWP)

Himpunan Wastraprema is a community of Indonesian traditional textile enthusiasts established in 1976, coinciding with the inauguration of the Textile Museum.

This community was formed by cultural figures, members of royal families, and textile collectors who shared a concern for the preservation of Nusantara wastra.

HWP is known as one of the pioneering contributors of traditional textiles that are now preserved at the Textile Museum. Around 500 pieces of cloth that formed the museum’s initial collection in 1976 came from members of this community.

Prior to the establishment of both the Textile Museum and HWP, there was growing concern about the declining use, understanding, and production of traditional Indonesian textiles due to the increasing dominance of the modern textile industry.

This situation raised fears that the diverse traditional wastra from various regions of Indonesia would disappear.

These concerns motivated the formation of Himpunan Wastraprema, which sought to safeguard, collect, research, and re-popularize Nusantara textiles.

The idea for Wastraprema originated from the members’ deep affection for traditional fabrics made by Indonesian artisans. The initiative was spearheaded by Mrs. Lasmidjah Hardi, former Deputy Minister/Head of the Department of Culture (1956), who was widely known as an observer and lover of Indonesian textiles.

Over time, the community’s activities expanded from merely collecting fabrics to tracing their origins, functions, and the meanings behind each textile. Members shared knowledge and experiences to deepen their understanding of their collections.

At the initiative of Ali Sadikin, Governor of Jakarta, the idea to establish the Jakarta Textile Museum emerged. This idea arose after his travels abroad, during which he felt concerned that many Indonesian traditional textiles were stored and displayed in overseas institutions, while Jakarta lacked a dedicated space to collect and care for this heritage.

To realize the establishment of the Textile Museum, Ali Sadikin asked Himpunan Wastraprema (HWP) to help assemble the museum’s initial collection.

From around 1973, HWP members began gathering their textile collections for collective inventorying. This process became the first step in forming the museum’s collection. The compiled textiles were then handed over to the Textile Museum in 1976 as its inaugural collection when the museum first opened.

The name Wastraprema comes from Sanskrit: wastra meaning (traditional) cloth, and prema meaning love. In line with its name, Wastraprema exists as a community with a mission to elevate the image, understanding, and appreciation of Indonesia’s traditional textile arts and culture.

Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung and the Gringsing Wayang Kebo Cloth

One HWP member who contributed his collection to the Textile Museum was Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung, one of the founding figures of HWP alongside other Jakarta community leaders such as Lasmidjah Hardi and Gusti Putri Mangkunegoro.

He donated his family’s personal collection in the form of a Gringsing Wayang Kebo patterned cloth, which is now part of the Jakarta Textile Museum’s collection.

Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung (24 July 1921–22 April 1999) was a historian and prominent Indonesian political figure. He served as a diplomat and as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. In addition to his national career, he was also the Raja of Gianyar in Bali, succeeding his father, Anak Agung Ngurah Agung.

Together with other members of Himpunan Wastraprema, Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung contributed his collection to the Textile Museum in 1976 as part of its founding collection.

The Story Behind the Gringsing Wayang Kebo Cloth

The Gringsing Wayang Kebo cloth is a ritual object associated with the human life cycle and is believed to possess protective powers to ward off misfortune. It functioned as a sacred heirloom within the palace environment of Puri Agung Gianyar.

This Gringsing cloth, originating from Tenganan Village, Bali, was owned and preserved by the Gianyar royal family, indicating spiritual connections and cultural exchanges among Balinese kingdoms in the past.

The Wayang Kebo motif represents the highest level of sacredness and is also the most complex motif within the hierarchy of Gringsing textiles.

As a double ikat cloth, its production demands extremely high precision, as both the weft and warp threads must align perfectly at predetermined points. The production process, which can take years, elevates this textile to a masterpiece of global weaving techniques.

The term kebo (meaning “large”) in the Wayang Kebo motif refers to the larger and more complete size of the wayang figures compared to other Gringsing motifs. The design depicts fragments of the Mahabharata epic with rigid proportions yet rich in sacred meaning, referring to the Kamasan wayang style.

In Balinese society, particularly in Tenganan and royal circles, this cloth serves a function far beyond that of ordinary attire. In accordance with its meaning, gring meaning sickness and sing meaning no, the Gringsing cloth is used as a ritual medium to protect the wearer from negative energies and illness.

The Wayang Kebo motif is specifically used in Manusa Yadnya ceremonies, such as tooth-filing (metatah), as well as Pitra Yadnya (cremation rites) for the nobility.

In certain contexts, this cloth is also used to cover pavilions or line the ceilings of sacred spaces, creating a boundary between the profane and the sacred realms.

The Gringsing Wayang Kebo cloth can be visited at the Jakarta Textile Museum.

This activity is supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), which is committed to supporting the preservation of historic buildings, archaeological and cultural sites, as well as museum objects and collections, including various forms of traditional cultural expression in partner countries.