Handicraft and textile fans should not miss Sumatera Loom near Simpang Bukit Batabuah 7km southeast of Bukittinggi. Dedicated to revitalising the traditional Minangkabau art of songket weaving, the studio has trained young weavers (aged 18 to 28) in the art of producing Sumatra’s finest. Replicas of heritage songkets based on antique cloths in museums and contemporary updates are both woven here. From the Aur Kuning bus terminal, catch a yellow opelet to Batu Taba (3500Rp), getting off at the SMKN1 (high school). Phone ahead.
This project was begun in 2005 by a Swiss architect who’d spent years studying songkets . The gold and silver thread used is the finest possible ordered from India rather than Singapore. You can visit the studio and watch weavers at work and purchase these extremely high-quality weavings.
