Ada cerita menarik di balik proses pembuatan tenun.

Kain tenun tak sekadar kain untuk masyarakat Tiga Batu Tungku, yaitu suku Molo, Amanatun, dan Amanuban di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan, NTT. Bagi mereka, kain tenun punya cerita sejarah luar biasa, sekaligus jadi media ekonomi bagi perempuan membantu keluarga, serta menyuarakan kepentingan perempuan.

Aktivis lingkungan dan pelestari tenun dari Timor Tengah Selatan, NTT, Aleta Baun menjelaskan awal mula mama-mama (sapaan untuk para ibu di NTT) menenun karena ingin menjaga lingkungan setempat. Ketika alam rusak, maka alat tenun akan hilang. “Tenun itu adalah bagian kekayaan alam,” kata Aleta dalam acara Sharing Dialog 'Weaving For Life' yang bertemakan “Tenun untuk Kehidupan: Sebuah Perjalanan”.

Kegiatan menenun dalam masyarakat Indonesia. - (Dokumentasi Weaving for Life)
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Saat kekayaan alam dirusak, maka bagian dari aktivitas kaum peremuan itu akan hilang. Kondisi itu tentu berpotensi membuat masyarakat kesulitan mencari nafkah.

Aleta menjelaskan menenun adalah bagian dari kegiatan sehari-hari kaum perempuan di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan. Mama-mama juga meyakini tenun bukan hanya tentang menjual atau membungkus badan, tetapi tenun bagian dari sejarah kehidupan orang Timor. Kegiatan mempertemukan dan merajut benang itu bagai mempersatukan kesatuan yang harus diperjuangkan bersama.

Sayangnya, nilai jual tenun setempat masih rendah dan mutunya juga masih kurang baik. Lantaran itulah tercetus ide gerakan Weaving for Life yang dimulai dengan menggandeng tiga desainer muda asal Yogyakarta, yakni Lia Popperca, Lulu Lutfi Labibi, dan Dede Bastam.

Mereka secara khusus mendesain karya busana menggunakan bahan dasar kain khas Molo, Amanatun, dan Amanuban. Hasil keuntungan penjualan baju-baju itu digunakan meningkatkan mutu tenun di ketiga wilayah tersebut dengan pembelian benang dan pewarnaan yang tidak luntur, juga pembelian mesin jahit untuk membuat produk turunan tenun.

Salah satu penenun, Nyoman mengatakan masyarakat diajari bagaimana pengembangan pewarna alam, khususnya biru dan merah yang sulit. Penenun menggunakan daun indigofera tinctoria yang banyak ditemui di tepi pantai untuk membuat warna biru. Sementara warna merah didapat dari kulit akar mengkudu yang melalui proses perminyakan selama dua minggu untuk hasil maksimal.

Menenun kain (ilustrasi) (Wihdan Hidayat / Republika)
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Cerita tak kalah menarik datang dari Desa Bayan di Kabupaten Lombok Utara, NTB. Ini adalah desa adat yang erat menjaga budaya, terutama upacara agama, pernikahan, kelahiran, maupun kematian. Di setiap upacara itu, masyarakat Desa Bayan menggunakan kain tenun tradisional setempat untuk pakaian dan penutup kepala.

Dengan motif warna-warni, kain tenun Bayan itu menyimpan potensi dikembangkan lebih jauh menjadi produk turunan. Karena itu, kegiatan di Desa Bayan lebih menitikberatkan pada pengembangan produk turunan.

Penenun asal Desa Bayan, Lombok Utara, Efta Naif mengungkapkan kelompok tenun di daerahnya terbentuk bertujuan pembinaan untuk regenerasi. Di Bayan, Efta mengatakan tenun adalah barang berharga, karena kain itu digunakan penduduk setempat dari lahir sampai meninggal.

Salah satu pendamping, Fitria Werdiningsih mengatakan semangat orang-orang di Desa Bayan melestarikan tenun telah menyebar dengan cepat. Karena itu, proses regenerasi penenunnya juga terjadi cepat.

Kegiatan menenun dalam masyarakat Indonesia. - (Dokumentasi Weaving for Life)
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Motif khusus

Tidak hanya di NTT dan NTB, warga Kaledupa, Wakatobi, Sulawesi Tenggara juga memiliki aturan dalam pemakaian tenun. Kain tenun Wakatobi memiliki motif khusus atau aturan pemakaian yang masih dipatuhi sampai sekarang. Motif laki-laki dan perempuan dibedakan mulai dari akses tenunnya. Pun besaran pinggiran kain bisa membedakan strata sosial pemakainya.

Salah satu penenun asal Kaledupa, Wakatobi, Mursiati menjelaskan selama ratusan tahun tenun di Kaledupa  bertahan dengan pakem yang diwariskan dari nenek moyang sampai kini. Di Wakatobi sendiri, masyarakat tak pernah berpikir bahwa tenun itu bisa meningkatkan kehidupan perempuan dan ekonominya.

Karena itu, kegiatan Weaving for Life di Kaledupa fokus pada pengembangan motif tenun baru yang nantinya diproduksi menjadi produk turunan agar tidak menyalahi pemakaian tenun motif tradisional.

Ketika penenun memproduksi motif baru yang diperjualbelikan dan diproduksi lagi untuk tas, masyarakat setempat menikmati proses itu. Alasannya, tak ada nilai adat atau motif yang bertentangan untuk dijual dalam bentuk lain. Sebenarnya, Mursiati mengatakan penenun setempat tak pernah mencatat jumlah motif yang dihasilkan.

Tidak hanya itu, “Yang luar biasa itu menggali nilai. Bagi kami yang paling berkesan adalah selama ini kami tak pernah berpikir mendiskusikan ke penenun bagaimana orang tua menamakan motif itu,” ujar Mursiati.

Kemudian, dia menyadari catatan itu penting, salah satunya berhubungan dengan lingkungan, karena ada nama pohon, bunga, dan lain-lain. “Hal menarik yang sebenarnya menggali tenun bukan tentang seutas benang menjadi kain, tapi menggali nilai diri dan Kaledupa itu sendiri,” kata dia.

Hal menarik yang sebenarnya menggali tenun bukan tentang seutas benang menjadi kain, tapi menggali nilai diri dan Kaledupa itu sendiri.
Mursiati, penenun asal Kaledupa, Wakatobi.
 

Pandemi Covid 19 saat ini pun membawa hikmah bagi masyarakat setempat. Banyak anak sekolah dan kuliah yang belajar dari rumah malah kemudian tertarik mempelajari cara menenun. Berdasarkan catatan, kini ada 240 penenun di desa itu. Bahkan, saat ini pun anak-anak sudah tahu motif-motif setempat.

Tak pelak butuh dukungan antargenerasi untuk melestarikan warisan budaya tenun. Tanpa regenerasi pelestarinya, tenun dengan segala ceritanya hanya akan berujung pada kisah sejarah.

https://www.republika.id/posts/10692/cerita-kehidupan-dari-selembar-kain-tenun

There is an interesting story behind the weaving process.

Woven cloth is not just cloth for the Tiga Batu Tungku people, namely the Molo, Amanatun and Amanuban tribes in South Central Timor Regency, NTT. For them, woven cloth has an extraordinary historical story, as well as being an economic medium for women to help their families, as well as voicing women's interests.

Environmental activist and weaving conservationist from South Central Timor, NTT, Aleta Baun explained that mama-mama (a nickname for mothers in NTT) started weaving because they wanted to protect the local environment. When nature is damaged, the loom will disappear. "Weaving is part of nature's wealth," said Aleta in the Sharing Dialogue event 'Weaving For Life' with the theme "Weaving for Life: A Journey".

Weaving activities in Indonesian society. – (Weaving for Life Documentation)

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When natural resources are destroyed, part of women's activities will disappear. This condition certainly has the potential to make it difficult for people to earn a living.

Aleta explained that weaving is part of the daily activities of women in South Central Timor Regency. Mamas also believe that weaving is not just about selling or wrapping the body, but weaving is part of the history of Timorese life. The activity of bringing together and knitting threads is like uniting a unity that must be fought for together.

Unfortunately, the sales value of local weaving is still low and the quality is still not good. Because of this, the idea for the Weaving for Life movement emerged, which started by collaborating with three young designers from Yogyakarta, namely Lia Popperca, Lulu Lutfi Labibi, and Dede Bastam.

They specifically design fashion works using typical Molo, Amanatun and Amanuban fabrics. The profits from the sale of these clothes are used to improve the quality of weaving in the three regions by purchasing yarn and dyes that do not fade, as well as purchasing sewing machines to make woven derivative products.

One of the weavers, Nyoman, said that the community was taught how to develop natural dyes, especially blue and red which are difficult. Weavers use indigofera tinctoria leaves which are often found on the seashore to make the blue color. Meanwhile, the red color is obtained from noni root bark which goes through an oiling process for two weeks for maximum results.

Weaving cloth (illustration) (Wihdan Hidayat / Republika)

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An equally interesting story comes from Bayan Village in North Lombok Regency, NTB. This is a traditional village that closely maintains culture, especially religious ceremonies, weddings, births and deaths. At each ceremony, the people of Bayan Village use local traditional woven cloth for clothing and head coverings.

With colorful motifs, Bayan woven fabric has the potential to be further developed into derivative products. Because of this, activities in Bayan Village focus more on developing derivative products.

Weaver from Bayan Village, North Lombok, Efta Naif, said that the weaving group in her area was formed with the aim of fostering regeneration. In Bayan, Efta said weaving is a valuable item, because the cloth is used by local people from birth to death.

One of the companions, Fitria Werdiningsih, said that the enthusiasm of the people in Bayan Village to preserve weaving had spread quickly. Because of this, the regeneration process of the weavers also occurs quickly.

Weaving activities in Indonesian society. – (Weaving for Life Documentation)

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Special Motifs

Not only in NTT and NTB, residents of Kaledupa, Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi also have rules regarding the use of weaving. Wakatobi woven cloth has special motifs or usage rules that are still adhered to today. Men's and women's motifs are differentiated starting from the weaving access. Even the size of the edge of the cloth can differentiate the social strata of the wearer.

One of the weavers from Kaledupa, Wakatobi, Mursiati, explained that for hundreds of years weaving in Kaledupa has survived using standards passed down from ancestors until now. In Wakatobi itself, people never thought that weaving could improve women's lives and the economy.

Therefore, Weaving for Life activities in Kaledupa focus on developing new woven motifs which will later be produced into derivative products so as not to violate the use of traditional woven motifs.

When weavers produce new motifs that are bought and sold and produced again for bags, local people enjoy the process. The reason is, there are no conflicting traditional values or motifs to be sold in other forms. In fact, Mursiati said local weavers never recorded the number of motifs produced.

Not only that, “What is extraordinary is digging for value. "For us, the most impressive thing is that all this time we never thought about discussing with the weavers how their parents named the motifs," said Mursiati.

Then, he realized that the notes were important, one of which was related to the environment, because there were names of trees, flowers, and so on. "The real interesting thing about exploring weaving is not about a strand of thread becoming cloth, but exploring self-value and Kaledupa itself," he said.

The real interesting thing about exploring weaving is not about a strand of thread becoming cloth, but exploring the value of self and Kaledupa itself.

Mursiati, a weaver from Kaledupa, Wakatobi.

The current Covid 19 pandemic has also brought lessons to local communities. Many school and college students who study from home become interested in learning how to weave. Based on records, there are now 240 weavers in the village. In fact, even now children already know local motifs.

There is no doubt that intergenerational support is needed to preserve the cultural heritage of weaving. Without the regeneration of conservationists, weaving with all its stories will only end in historical stories.

https://www.republika.id/posts/10692/cerita-kehidupan-dari-selembar-kain-tenun