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The legacy of Ruhana Kudus ; embroidery and weaving in West Sumatra.The pen, which expresses the passion of the soul, weighs more than the sword. Because imagination can change the roots of human life.
Here, the pen becomes the needles that embroiders the fabric. It is writing a letter for a life of peace and freedom.
Here, the pen becomes the needles that embroiders the fabric. It is writing a letter for a life of peace and freedom.
Among the valleys shaped by time, to the one who awakened the lands of fire, life gathers in the reliefs. On the highlands of the world, Bukittinggi and all around stands as a cultural center in history. In the province of West Sumatra, Tandikat, Singgalang and Merapi volcanoes of Indonesia, surround this city on the Agam Plateau.
Upon arriving at the Amai Setia Crafts Museum, in the village of Koto Gadang, I am fortunately greeted by the women who carry on the footsteps of Ruhana Kudus (also spelled Rohana Koeddoes).
Founded in 1911, Kerajinan Amai Setia is a school that gave women the power to create with their hands. A center for learning crafts, culture, education, religion and economics ; it is now a museum that honors the story of the woman who holds, through her voice and her words, the promise of feminine emancipation. A journalist and activist, she helped women to achieve a more independent daily life despite a resistant and patrilineal system.
Ruhana Kudus established the Soenting Melajoe newspaper in 1912, paving the way for women to learn, understand and become free. Deeply rooted in her Minangkabau heritage, she was named a National Heroine of Indonesia in 2019. She is one of those beings who proves that words and gestures are powerful tools to transform the world.
In a space of archives, relics and photographs, the memory of Ruhana Kudus comes alive.
Fitri Haryanti, who now cares for this sacred place, welcomed me and allowed me to visit this abundance of remembrances. Weaving looms, embroidery frames and trimming ribbons ; it is in this timeless place that I admire the delicate work of textiles. The women display their tapestries in a rich and colorful floral design.
The visit continues nearby, where Fitri Haryanti warmly invited me into her home. She is also joined by her husband, who works with silver to create authentic pieces and jewelry.
Sitting beside her : together, we embroider. In an atmosphere surrounded by a culture of quality craftsmanship, I am introduced to frame embroidery.
But here too, the pen is the weaving comb, aligned with the loom. This is the creation of songket.
Far from the bustling streets of Bukittinggi, the spirit of the wind carried us beyond the city.
Since 1975, the Sulaman Ambun Suri boutique has preserved the ancestral heritage of songket weaving.
It was inscribed in 2021 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Since 1975, the Sulaman Ambun Suri boutique has preserved the ancestral heritage of songket weaving.
It was inscribed in 2021 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
« Sarung » (a piece of fabric wrapped around the waist), « Selendang » (a long ceremonial shawl), « Kebaya » (a fitted blouse) and « Tingkuluak » (a traditional headpiece) are representative garments of the Minangkabau ethnic group, woven in songket.
Against a stormy sky, only the sound of the frames chases away the rain. Sitting in front of the loom, I am trying to work like them. To understand this particular technique, which requires discipline, finesse and patience.
The jungle, the mountains and the people of the island of Sumatra received me with immense generosity.
With reverence, I thank those who continue to create with care and respect, in the pulse of life.
Indonesia is a land where each island, each ethnic group, gathers within its heart,
a strength of humanity and craft.
These rare and shared moments are like seeds in spring,
blooming in a garden of community memory.
a strength of humanity and craft.
These rare and shared moments are like seeds in spring,
blooming in a garden of community memory.
Amai Setia Crafts Museum
Musée Ruhana Kudus
+62 752 7444 307
Koto Gadang - West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Sulaman Silverwork Cici
Fitri Haryanti
+62 813 7441 0620
Koto Gadang - West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Sulaman Ambun Suri
Making of Indonesian traditional textiles
ida.arleni@yahoo.com
+62 812 6697 001
Bukittinggi - West Sumatra, Indonesia.
earthorphann@gmail.com