What does double ikat mean for geringsing?
In geringsing, both sets of threads carry the design. Each set is tied and dyed before the loom is used, so the design already exists in the yarn when the weaving begins. A buyer looking at the finished cloth is seeing the result of work done long before the weaving itself.
Where in Bali is Tenganan?
Tenganan is a Bali Aga village in east Bali, and it is the village where geringsing is woven. If you want the wider picture of the Bali Aga villages before you go, our guide to the Bali Aga villages sets them out, and the craft villages guide places cloth making alongside the other crafts of the island.
Why does the pattern take so long to line up?
The threads of both sets have to be placed on the loom with care, and the weaver must match them so the motifs meet correctly. That matching is the hard part of the process. Both sets are prepared well before the loom is used, so the match depends on careful placement of threads that are already dyed.
How are the colours made?
Geringsing is dyed with natural plant dyes, and the dyeing takes place on the tied threads before any weaving begins.
How long does one cloth take to make?
A finished cloth takes years, from the first tie to the finished cloth. The preparation takes the better part of a year before dyeing begins, and the weaving comes after all of that. When you ask a maker how long a cloth took, expect the answer to start with the preparation rather than the loom.
What should a visitor ask before going to Tenganan?
Visiting arrangements in the village can change, so check them at the time rather than relying on anything written earlier, including this page. The questions below are useful whether you are buying cloth or simply watching the work.
Ask how long the cloth on display took to prepare, whether the threads were tied and dyed in the village, and which parts of the process the maker does personally. A clear answer tells you more about a piece than the pattern alone, because the pattern is the end of the work rather than the start of it.
How should you judge a piece once you have seen the work?
Once you understand the stages, judge a cloth by its preparation as well as its appearance. Ask the seller how the threads were prepared, and look at how cleanly the pattern meets across the cloth. The textiles guide sets out the other cloths you will see in Bali, so you can compare geringsing with them before you choose. If you are buying at a market, the markets guide explains how to compare several stalls before you pay.