Clever Sikek

Woven fabrics are not only well known in Borneo or Java , but also in Sumatra . one of the famous songket cloth woven in Sumatra is clever Sikek that can be found in Minangkabau .
Weaving looms in the Minangkabau region called Clever Sikek or more familiar again called songket . Clever people do not actually call themselves Sikek songket , but only weaving , because the question is a cotton yarn and gold thread woven by hand , on a tool called panta so into cloth , fabric or cloth bacatua balapak used Baralek pie , which is at the wedding .
Clever Woven Sikek generally divided into two types , namely Balapak and Bacatua . Balapak fabric woven with gold thread skipping across the field of the cloth , while Cain Bacatua largely composed of woven warp with the weft , and in certain parts ornate gold thread .

There is no definitive history when woven songket was developed in Minangkabau Nagari particularly clever Sikek . However, expertise in weaving a legacy of our ancestors Austronesian peoples , or more popularly called the Malayo-Polynesian nation , When there is a massive population migration from mainland Asia to the south and east a few thousand years ago , along with all the intelligence that is essential for life , such as planting becocok intelligence , cleverness make and use the tools of agriculture , carpentry and weapons .

Motifs woven Clever Sikek always taken from the example of old fabrics that are still stored properly and is often used as clothing in traditional ceremonies and for other functions within the scope of the traditional ceremonies , such as " Tando , " and also displayed at a time batagak home .

Clever weaving motifs Sikek believed to be the original motifs on fabrics woven Sikek Clever women in ancient times , whose name is most remembered by some elderly people alive today . Among them are : Sari Bentan , however , Salamah in Baruah ; Fatma , Ipah , Passover , and Jalisah Nyiah in the Cape . 

There were about ten people in the weaving master Clever Sikek era or generation of the above names , about a hundred years ago . There are also some clever women Sikek ancient known nicknames associated with weaving equipment . For example , known Inyiak Macau in Tanjuang , Inyiak Suri in High Koto , Inyiak Banang , and Inyiak Karok .

Sikek clever woven fabric is so well-known due to the role of foreign tourists ( foreign countries ) who always buy the Smart Sikek songket craft to take home as souvenirs to their respective countries . It goes on and on , so Songket Clever Sikek increasingly known international community .