The development of weaving techniques over time is fascinating to follow. From the backstrap loom, often locally called the oglek or gedogan, this craft has evolved into more modern forms, with traditional handlooms (ATBM or Alat Tenun Bukan Mesin) and the modern automatic looms we know today. However, did you know that despite varying production speeds, some people still maintain traditional loom techniques in this increasingly advanced era?
Karangrejo Village, located in Pandaan, East Java, has become a center for traditional loom weaving craftsmen, also known as ATBM. For decades, every household has had at least one traditional loom, where weaving skills have been passed down from generation to generation. In the past, weavers in Karangrejo Village produced mops, napkins, and other items. Over time, the world has become more dynamic. Demand for these goods has increased, and large manufacturers have chosen to switch to modern looms —allowing them to produce more at a lower cost in a shorter time. Traditional loom weaving has been pushed aside. Now, Karangrejo Village only has a few traditional loom weavers, because this art has been slowly substituted with a quicker, more affordable means of production which is modern looms.
But not Pak Udin, Pable’s leading weaver and responsible for the customer-favorite Dobby fabric. Pak Udin has maintained the family business for years, even though most of his neighbors no longer weave. This is because Pak Udin is determined to preserve the technique passed down to him: the embossed technique or teknik timbul. Pak Udin’s family lineage is the only remaining traditional loom weaver in Karangrejo Village.
According to Pak Udin, when we visited him one afternoon in his humble workshop, traditional loom weaving is an art besides being a means of earning a living. His desire and principles to preserve this art are unwavering. It is on Pak Udin’s four traditional looms that Pable pins our hopes through the rich shades of Dobby fabric. Our Dobby fabric feels luxurious, not because it was made in a sophisticated factory with the latest machinery. On the contrary, Dobby feels luxurious because it comes from the warm hands of the weavers in Karangrejo Village who operate their proud oglek. With them, their life stories are carried through every thread of our fabric, and finally to you.
