Bangka Belitung Traditional Clothing – Hello Sinaumed’s friends, is there any Sinaumed’s here who know the traditional clothes of Bangka Belitung? Of course there are those who have and have not. Well, of course we will talk about the traditional clothes in Bangka Belitung. Sinaumed’s friends who have never been there must have not seen the beauty and characteristics of the art, right? Take it easy, on this occasion, we will discuss more about Bangka Belitung traditional clothing.
However, before discussing Bangka Belitung traditional clothing, it is better if we discuss traditional clothing first. So, keep reading this article to the end, Sinaumed’s.
Traditional clothes
Each region in Indonesia certainly has its own characteristics. Not only from culture, but also from traditional clothing. The traditional clothes of each region are arguably the official clothes of a region which are usually used for traditional ceremonies or important events such as weddings.
This is in line with the definition of traditional clothing based on the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI). In the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) traditional clothing is formal clothing typical of the region.
Traditional clothing itself is usually very complete. In other words, from head to toe, they certainly have their own characteristics. Each characteristic is in accordance with the characteristics of the people of a region. In addition, each traditional clothing accessory usually symbolizes something or has its own meaning.
After discussing traditional clothing, the next discussion will be about Bangka Belitung first and then we will discuss traditional Bangka Belitung clothing.
Overview of Bangka Belitung
The Bangka Belitung Archipelago is a province in Indonesia consisting of two main islands namely Bangka Island and Belitung Island as well as hundreds of small islands, a total of 470 named islands and only 50 of which are inhabited.
Bangka Belitung is located in the eastern part of Sumatra Island, close to South Sumatra Province. Bangka Belitung is known as a tin producing area, has beautiful beaches and inter-ethnic harmony. The provincial capital is Pangkalpinang. The provincial government was ratified on February 9, 2001. After the inauguration of Acting. The Governor, namely H. Amur Muchasim, SH (former Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs) marked the start of the activities of the provincial administration.
The Bangka Strait separates Sumatra Island and Bangka Island, while the Gaspar Strait separates Bangka Island and Belitung Island. In the northern part of this province is the Riau Archipelago provincial sea, in the south is the Java Sea and Kalimantan Island in the eastern part which is separated from Belitung Island by the Karimata Strait.
The Bangka Belitung Islands Province was previously part of South Sumatra, but became its own province along with Banten and Gorontalo in 2000. The Bangka Belitung Islands Province was established based on Law Number 27 of 2000 concerning the Establishment of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province on 21 November 2000 consisting of Regencies Bangka, Belitung Regency and Pangkalpinang City.
In 2003, based on Law Number 5 of 2003 dated January 23, 2003, regional expansion was carried out with the addition of 4 regencies, namely West Bangka, Central Bangka, South Bangka and East Belitung. The Bangka Belitung Archipelago Province is a regional division of the South Sumatra Province, quoted from Wikipedia.
However, the impact of the formation of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province and the division of regencies on Bangka and Belitung Islands did not only have an impact on the welfare of the people in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, but also opened up employment opportunities for sons and daughters on Bangka and Belitung Islands to compete with each other to become civil servants in the regional government, the central government in the regions, as well as the TNI and Polri. In fact, the private sector is also growing quite rapidly, both in the tourism sector, industry and other sectors.
Bangka Belitung, which was previously only known to people because of the existence of PT Timah (persero) which later changed to PT Timah Tbk, as development developed in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Belitung Island became famous for its Rainbow Troops.
Therefore, making Belitung Island a tourist destination in Indonesia. This is what makes the Bangka Belitung Islands Province a tourism area that is better known both at the national and international levels. Especially with the joining of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province into the KEK area and making Bangka Island a tourism destination. This really gives a very extraordinary effect.
Bangka Belitung is very famous for its tourist destinations. Therefore, there are already many people who want to go there to spend time on vacation. However, sometimes there are still some people who don’t know where to go on vacation or amazing places in Bangka Belitung. Through the book Amazing Bangka Belitung by Gagas Ulung, you will find out some recommended tourist destinations in Bangka Belitung.
Bangka Belitung Traditional Clothing
After we have explored the brief history of the Bangka Belitung Islands, there are interesting things that are the main theme of this article, stay tuned, friends. Got to the end.
The name of the Bangka Belitung traditional clothes is a set shirt and cual cloth. These traditional clothes are used for events of greatness and bridal wear. The following is an explanation of the setting clothes and cual cloth. Setting clothes and cual cloth are the names of Bangka Belitung traditional clothes. This traditional dress is a blend of Arabic and Chinese culture. Generally, setting clothes and cual cloth are worn for weddings.
Based on the Archipelago Clothing Encyclopedia: East Kalimantan to West Nusa Tenggara , according to the beliefs of the people of Bangka Belitung, these traditional clothes were originally brought by Arab merchants. Then the Arab merchant married a Chinese girl around Muntok City. This belief makes the indigenous people of Bangka Belitung make the same type of clothing. Therefore, the set clothes and cual cloth are acculturation from Arabic, Chinese and Malay cultures.
It would be nice to introduce Indonesian traditional clothes since they were children. At present, there are already many media that can be used to introduce traditional clothing, one of which is through posters. With traditional clothing posters, it will be easier for children to recognize Indonesian traditional clothing.
Bangka Belitung Traditional Clothing
1. Setting clothes
Set clothes are typical Bangka Belitung tops made of silk or velvet. This Seting shirt is in the form of a bracketed shirt decorated with golden yellow beads. In use, this setting dress is used as a bride’s dress in Bangka Belitung, friends.
This set dress is then combined with accessories, namely golden beads which are very numerous. In addition, the bride’s traditional dress is also equipped with a belt and shoulder ornaments and a necklace. If the bride wears the setting dress, then what kind of traditional clothes do the men wear?
Bangka Belitung men will wear dark red Arab robes. The robe will be combined with a shawl or sash that is draped over the right shoulder. Meanwhile, for their subordinates, they can use pants with colors that are combined.
The accessories used by the groom are only head coverings whose color matches the color of his shirt. Bangka Belitung men also use sandals or Arab sandals on their feet for footwear.
2. Bangka Belitung cual cloth
The next Bangka Belitung Traditional Clothing is Cual Cloth or it can also be called lasem cloth or besusur cloth. Cual cloth is made using the traditional woven method, so it takes a long time due to the high level of complexity.
Because of this, cual cloth has a high price and because it is made with special expertise from polyester, silk, cotton, wood fiber and 18 carat gold thread. There are 2 cual cloth motifs, namely the Penganten Bekecak motif (full pattern) and the Jande Bekecak motif (empty space motif). The meaning of the cual cloth motif, namely:
- floral motifs as a symbol of purity, the majesty of sustenance and all goodness
- duck motif as a symbol of unity and oneness
- dragon motif which symbolizes might
- motifs of flora or fauna that describe natural wealth
In addition, regarding the use of setting clothes and cual cloth, according to the history of the setting clothes and cual cloth which were originally worn for weddings, nowadays Belitung traditional clothes are also more often used as traditional wedding clothes. For the bride, the traditional dress worn consists of a red baju kuning made of velvet or silk.
Then, for the bottom it is combined with cual cloth which mostly consists of two motifs. The first motif is the bekecak bride motif or the full pattern. The second motif is called the jande bekecak motif or the empty space motif. The beauty of the cual cloth is reflected in the picture of the Bangka Belitung traditional clothes below.
Meanwhile, for Bangka Belitung men, the traditional wedding attire that is worn consists of a long robe with an Arabic pattern in dark red. The use of this robe is equipped with a scarf that is slung over the right shoulder to the left side.
At the bottom, the groom will wear trousers that match the color of his robe. Regarding the motifs worn by the men, they are also adjusted to the motifs of the bride’s clothes so that they will look more harmonious.
However, apart from being used for wedding ceremonies, Bangka Belitung traditional clothes, especially cual cloth, have been used for school uniforms for both elementary, middle and high schools. In fact, it is also used for uniforms in government offices on certain days.
3. Bridal Footwear
The footwear of the Bangka Belitung traditional clothing is called pending sandals or Arabic sandals. This footwear usually has a characteristic sharp-shaped end like a boat. Usually this footwear is used at bridal events. However, sometimes there are also those who wear it on traditional occasions.
4. Pakistani clothes
This Bangka Belitung traditional dress is known to be a blend of Arabic and Chinese culture. Reporting from the Wonderful Indonesia page , Paksian traditional clothing originated when Arab merchants traded in the Bangka Belitung area.
The merchant then married a Chinese woman and introduced traditional clothes for weddings with Arabic and Chinese patterns. Then, the local indigenous people started wearing the same clothes onwards because the clothes looked beautiful and attractive. However, of course the clothes were combined with the local Bangka Belitung cultural pattern so that Paksian traditional clothes appeared. In conclusion, Paksian traditional clothing is a form of acculturation of Arabic, Chinese and Malay cultures.
Some time ago, our president, Mr. Jokowi, wore the Bangka Belitung Traditional Dress at the 2022 Annual Session. The Bangka Belitung traditional dress is called the Paksian dress. Mr. President Jokowi is wearing a Paksian shirt which is a traditional dress from Bangka Belitung for men.
The clothes worn by Jokowi are predominantly green and have a “bamboo shoots” motif. The clothing consists of a calf-length robe, trousers, a sash and a typical Bangka woven cloth. As for the head cover, a sungkono is worn.
Apart from traditional clothes, Indonesia is also known for its regional songs. However, some people don’t know Indonesian folk songs. Through the book Collection of Indonesian and Regional Children’s Pop Songs , you can find out various kinds of Indonesian folk songs or even sing them.
Bangka Belitung Traditional Wedding Clothing Accessories
The Bangka Belitung traditional clothes that are worn by the groom usually have a shape like a long robe with red or sometimes dark blue colors. Then, the shirt is accompanied by a sash or shawl that is draped over the right shoulder. Another accessory that the groom uses is a turban ( sungkon ).
Meanwhile, on the lower part, this Bangka Belitung traditional dress wears pants of the same color. Starting from the robe and trousers, these are accompanied by several accessories and motifs that are the same as the Bangka Belitung traditional clothes specifically for the bride. Not only that, the groom will also wear typical Arabic sandals or what is called pending slippers.
Traditional clothing worn by both men and women will definitely look polite, elegant for women and dashing for men and also really reflects the cultural values of the archipelago. Additional accessories for the bride are added with a golden crown ( paksian ) which is equipped with special ornaments in the shape of a lotus flower.
Other accessories used are lotus or breast covering worn on clothes, cempaka songs, goyang songs, bamboo leaves. Then there are the cempaka buds, the tenggalung fence, the moon essence, the bun lid which is also called the hong flower as a headdress, the long necklace with earrings. There are also shrimp pincers used for decoration which are placed on the left and right ears, and Pending bracelets used for belts.
Closing
Traditional clothing that we know in Indonesia, of course, has a history. the long one. This also applies to clothes in other regions or other parts of the world.
However, this traditional attire may slowly start to fade or even the younger generation may not recognize the traditional attire of their area. Therefore, it should be for all local people to always try to preserve traditional clothes from their area. That way, there will be many young people who recognize Indonesian traditional clothing.
So, there’s nothing wrong with introducing traditional clothing since childhood or while still attending elementary school. Sinaumed’s, we have finished our discussion regarding the traditional clothes of West Sumatra. Hopefully all the discussion above can be useful as well as add to your insight.
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Author: Mochamad Aris Yusuf