Textile embellishment
Common telepuk motifs
Complex pattern used along top of head-panel.
Traditionally, woven fabrics were often embellished. Cloth was polished using cowrie seashells to produce a lustre (kain gerus) or gilded with gold leaf or foil (kain telepuk). Rainbow cloth (kain pelangi) was tie-dyed using the dye resistant technique or other types of decoration were applied, including gems, mirrors, beads, sequins and appliqué work. However, until the early 20th century, gilt decoration was solely within the province of royalty and the aristocracy.
- Information in the full article includes
- Telepuk (gilded cloth)
- Kain gerus (polished cloth)
- Kain pelangi (rainbow cloth)
- Other forms of embellishment