Minangkabau fabrics of rich gold- and silverbrocate play an important role during events like birth, circumstantion, marriage and funeral. These sparkling and difficultly designed fabrics form a materialistic expression of the Minangkabau adat. Like a traditional proverb tells: 'Fabrics are the skins of the adat'.
Women weaved these costly fabrics on a surface of silk or cotton, on which they made the relief of gold- and silver-threat, a technique of brocate which is called songket. The finest threats were made of paper with a layer of gold leave. More common were the threats made from gilded or silvered copper or bronze threat.

Image  Woman weaving Pandai Sikat

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Minang songket textile were made in four places: in Kota Badang, Padangpanjang, Payakumbuh and Silungkang. Since 1900 the ceremonial fabrics are only made in several villages, and the famous kain balapak only in Pandai Sikat, a small village south of Bukit Tinggi. Nowadays weaving is a good industry and traditional fabrics are loved by tourists and in Jakarta.
In the past, the finest gold-, silver- and silkthreats were imported from China; the texile paint which made from flowers. There were over one hundred traditional motived, with animals as well as flowers in them. Too bad the original cosmological meaning of most motives is lost after the conversion to the islam in the 15th century.
The most important part of the ceremonial clothing of the Minangkabau female is the two-pointed head-towl, the tanduk or tilakuang. The tanduk shows her wealth in a special way, and in the way it haas been faulded, the village of the women can be recognised. The head-towl can also mean certain social aspects. So reminds the big triangular fabric on the two-horned red, black and golden head-towls of the village Tanjung Sungayung to treat all peope equally.