Ties that bind
While most ikat cloths have subdued colours, the ones from Central Asia are known for vibrant shades and bold patterns.
Fans include Francisca Turner, who’s been using ikat from Uzbekistan since she started the accessories and home furnishing label Frankitas in 2014.
“Even though I’m Indonesian ― and Indonesia makes great ikat ― the ones from Uzbekistan stand out. They are super versatile and are still made using the ancient techniques that have nine to 12 steps,” says Turner, who is based in Kuala Lumpur.
In the olden days, weavers would dream of patterns and colours before tying and dying the threads accordingly. These days, patterns are marked from an existing design but the work remains laborious and time-consuming.
“Most modern ikat cloths are woven by machines and use chemical dyes. Not in Uzbekistan. It’s all done by hand with no heavy machinery while the colours come from natural, plant-based dyes.
“Ikat is a huge part of the Uzbek heritage and the industry is a source of livelihood for many people there. But this isn’t widely known or promoted.”
Meanwhile, the Uzbekistan ambassador to Malaysia, Ravshan Usmanov, visited the Frankitas gallery in Bukit Damansara a few months ago.
This led to a meeting with Turner, where he thanked her for using and promoting his country’s heritage product.
The relationship was further enhanced when Frankitas was invited to showcase its wares at an embassy event to celebrate the republic’s 28th year of independence and there are plans to continue working with Frankitas to promote Historically, ikat weaving helped bolster the economy of cities in Uzbekistan such as Bukhara, Samarqand and Khokand when the activity was at its peak in the 19th century.
“Ikat weavers lived in close-knit communities, some belonging to guilds owned