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Malaysian art … from Songket to Batik

Terengganu is known for its beautiful marine parks, sun-drenched white sandy beaches and its ethnic culinary delights. Just as intriguing as its nature are Terengganu's unique traditional handicrafts. Fine craftmanship which has been passed down from generation to generation. From boat-building, Batik, Songket, wood carving to Brassware, these are all a true legacy of the State's rich and varied heritage.

Songket is the exquisite traditional fabric that is distinctively Malaysian. Songket, or cloth of gold, is originally from a mix of cotton and silk that is inter-woven with supplementary gold or silver thread, creating layers of colourful patterns transforming a single piece of cloth into a work of art and beauty. Once an exclusive symbol of wealth, pride and status, privileged by royalty and aristocrats, it has now become of interest to designer labels for contemporary fashion, scarves, handbags, furnishing and decoration purposes, with its original and creative  motifs, incorporating traditional designs with contemporary elements.

The artisans of Terengganu are also known for their fine and exclusive Batik. This coloured and patterned cloth is also becoming popular in the fashion scene. There are two types of Batik, the hand drawn and the stamped Batik. Hand drawn Batik uses a small copper pen filled with wax expressing the artists free flowing lines, whereas the stamped Batik produces a geometric pattern of repeated motifs. The succession of colour dyes in Batik produces beautiful and artistic textile for fashion, decoration and furnishing purposes.

TiDE
The people in Terengganu are well known for their creativeness. A simple item will turn into a most exquisite and delicate article by their hands. This is why the Terengganu Institute of Design and Excellence (TiDE) aims to preserve and enhance indigenous crafts and heritage with a strong ambition to bring Terengganu's arts and crafts, and in particular its textile products, to the global stage.