Museum Guide Books - A Common Thread: Ikat of the Islamic World

Author : Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Size : 6″ x 6″
Year : 2007
ISBN No : 978-983-43211-4-7
Illustration : 35 Colour / 3 BW
Pages : 80

Ikat is one of the main methods of resist dyeing, which has been practised for millennia in different parts of the world. It requires the separation, binding and dyeing of threads prior to weaving. The term ‘ikat’, commonly used to describe both the process and resulting cloth, has its roots in the Malay world. Although the source of the term ‘ikat’ is quite easily traced, the same cannot be said about the origins of the technique itself. It is, however, shared by many Muslim communities throughout the Islamic world, from the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia. In some cases, Islam has had a direct influence on the development of ikat-weaving traditions in other communities.