Identification of Biomordant in Merbaun Village, West Amarasi District, Kupang Regency

Abstract

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is a province that has cultural diversity. One of the cultures that are the pride of the people of East Nusa Tenggara is ikat weaving. In the observation stage related to this research, a small group of weaving craftsmen (Runpah and Narwastu) was found still use plants as natural dyes. The color produced from these plants is very distinctive, and besides using plant dyes, other ingredients are also added to prevent natural color fading. This study aims to determine the types of mordant plants, the used organs, the processing method, and the produced color by the craftsmen in Merbaun Village, West Amarasi District, Kupang Regency. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The results of the research in Merbaun Village found 8 types of plants that were used as mordants, including Kepuh (Sterculia foetida L), Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L), kesambi (Schleichera oleosa L), candlenut (Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd, kapok randu alas (Bombax ceiba L)), pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), Loba (Symplocos sp.), and Utaruna, plant organs that are used, namely, fruit skins, leaves, bark, fruit and pulp. The processing process is burning, pounding, soaking, cooking and the resulting colors are yellow and red.