another Minangkabau Article
May 2005 - Buying Trip
to Padang and Bukattingi
notes and photographs by Lesley Martin
I flew into Padang on Garuda Airlines to find crowns, textiles and jewelry from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra.
Padang's main shopping street has several stores advertising Crafts,
Antiques and textiles. However, most of them are now textile only shops,
catering to the local bridal
industry. The Ache separatist and 9/11 have
heavily affected the tourist path to West Sumatra. Other than the group of
surfers bound for Mentawai Islands, a couple of NGO inspectors, I was the only
foreigner in town. I had the most fun in a bridal shop where
the owner dressed up in several of the rental crowns and gowns to show me how
they were worn.
I did paw my way through an extremely dusty storeroom and found a few old crowns, some Nias Island coconut necklaces and some old jewelry.
My friend Norma arrived from Jakarta on Friday and we took a car up to Bukattingi. We stayed at a very nice Novatel Hotel as the rates were so cheap.
In the 1970's, when I was on the Asian overland trail, Bukattingi
was a popular destination on the traveller's route.
Highland climate, very interesting culture and festivals and warm people. In a week in Bukattingi I saw only a couple of foreigners.
The artifact shops were there and had some very nice bits and pieces, however we
were told many had closed. We found our crowns in the hill side markets.
We visited about 6 bridal shops selling all the components for a wedding; the
outfits and crowns, the jewelry, the bridal throne and many layered, glittery
bower.
On Saturday, while out shopping we came across the preparation for a large wedding in a large home in a pleasant neighborhood. We asked our driver if he could ask if we could photograph the wedding. Permission was granted and a time of 9am Sunday morning was nominated as the start of the ceremony. We were the only people to show up at 9 am other than the fruit delivery van and the band.
At 11.30 the bride arrived and was taken into the
bridal showplace for photographs by the professional photographer and we
amateurs. Her mother joined her for some gold braclet giving and
pictures, followed by her husband. The couple had been married in a civil
ceremony earlier in the month and were very comfortable together. The
bride tucked and fussed over her husband's cummerbund and dagger position,
whispering something that made him smile and relax. The groom was the
youngest of 8 and the last to be married and obviously treasured by his older
sisters who were busy feeding guests and relatives. Two of the older
sisters spoke English and were able to explain the day's activities and whose
relatives were whose...
The most spectacular shopping we did was at the home of one of the artifact store owners. We were priviliged to see and photograph several spectacular pieces of gold jewelry inlaid with ruby cabichons. $5000 for a huge gold and ruby bracelet. Gold belt buckles 8 inches across.