T H E R E V I V AL O F E M B ROID E R E D S TOR Y C LOT H S I N N E G ARA , B ALI – TAASA Review December 2010

I Made Rai Artha I n Bali, the identity and technique of embroidered cloth, known as kain sulaman*, is especially interwoven with the cultural traditions of Negara in the west of the island, the only place in Bali where kain sulaman is practiced.

Embroidery on cloth was most likely introduced when Chinese immigrant communities arrived on the island in the 19th century.

It was very quickly adopted to become a unique medium of aesthetic expression of the local Balinese Hindu religion, and colourful embroidered hangings were once an essential part of temple decoration during festivals or auspicious lifecycle ceremonies. Ulon, ceremonial hanging with stories of the gods and godesses, by Ibu Ratih, Bali (Sangkar Agung village, Negara, Jembrana), 2008...