Balinese Gringsing Weaving is highly respected by the Balinese because, as its name suggests, it wards off calamity. The words ‘gring’ and ‘sing’ combine to signify ‘sick’ and ‘not’ respectively; that ‘gringsing’ simply translates to “not sick.” The woven cloth is often used in wedding ceremonies or religious ceremonies to ward off disease and protect the wearer.
The ‘Gringsing’ woven fabric is particularly produced in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village, Bali, where the technique is unique since it uses double weaving. There are only two other fabrics woven this way; ‘patola’ in India and ‘kurume’ in Japan. Its defining feature is a twofold motif that creates a symmetrical design when expertly intertwined. Due to its complicated design, the production time can reach 2-5 years.
Prof. drg. Etty Indriati, PhD., a physical anthropometry professor, an environmental activist, and a philanthropist, reveals the profound philosophy underlying the patterns and weaving techniques of ‘gringsing’. The tradition is handed down through the years across generations by fusing anthropological, religious, and aesthetic viewpoints. She explores the strength and beauty of this unique fabric in her new book “Vitalitas Tenun Gringsing Bali” launched at the Postgraduate School of UGM earlier this month.
Gringsing, culture, and indigenous religion
Bali Aga community, the Balinese sub-tribe considered to be the indigenous people of Bali, consider themselves different from the Hindu Balinese and they worship ‘Dewa’ or Lord Indra. ‘Gringsing’ itself is strongly tied to Balinese beliefs for history has it that ‘Gringsing’ originated from Indra’s appreciation of the night sky’s beauty. He selected individuals in Tenganan to weave so the splendor of the sun, moon, stars, and night sky can be portrayed. Its woven fabric is mainly as dark and rich in color as the night sky. These days the fabric is worn during religious rituals in the woods as it is their religious sacred place of worship. The pattern of the cloth is also very much inspired by the life of woods, besides nature and the universe.
Prof. Indriati claims that ‘gringsing’ is a cultural material to express religiosity. Not only prayers, rituals, and practices, people have physical objects as religious and cultural materials. People are intertwined with other people and material objects in their daily encounters. Balinese people are entangled with ‘gringsing’ to build up religious experience. People could tell what religion a person belongs to by looking at the materials he or she wears, such as a rosary for a Catholic, tasbih for a Muslim, and in this regard ‘gringsing’ for Bali Aga indigenous community in Tenganan.
Fusion of nature and religion
G.R. Lono Lastoro from Pengkajian Seni Pertunjukan dan Seni Rupa (Center of Performing and Fine Arts Study) UGM as the responder at the launching describes the interdisciplinary factors discussed in the book. He highlights from the book that as important as humans, the materiality of ‘gringsing’ has a synergistic effect on the people with whom it interacts. The Gringsing weaving is also an entity that produces human’s religious experience.
As Prof. Indriati suggests, indigenous religion paradigm should not only cover reciprocity, ethics, and responsibility but also aestheticism. For the Tenganan indigenous community, ‘Gringsing’ as the art and aesthetic product, takes a major role in its continuity. In the development of the studies on indigenous religion where people see reciprocity, ethics, and responsibility as compulsory things, beauty, and self-satisfaction can also take form in aesthetic materials. It creates balance in the tasks that people should do and produces benefits that they could gain. Thousands of cultural and religious rituals have to be conducted in order and there is a need for particular respect to artistic nature and surroundings to ensure balance, and not to be in a rigid categorizing.
The question we should ask ourselves is how disciplined we are, as culture doers and creators, to take nature and spiritual matters into account. “Gringsing” has been a proactive agent in preserving the Balinese Tenganan community’s cultural identity, harmony, and balance of life. It is more than simply a piece of clothing; it is a cultural legacy that is incredibly vibrant in the contemporary period since it represents the fusion of spirituality and beauty.
