A dyeing technique that creates distinctive blurred patterns by binding and dyeing threads before weaving them into fabric.
From the Malay-Indonesian word 'mengikat' meaning 'to tie' or 'to bind,' referring to the resist-dyeing process. This ancient technique spread along trade routes from Southeast Asia to Central Asia, India, and eventually South America, carried by merchants and conquered peoples. The Spanish conquistadors encountered ikat in the Americas and mistakenly thought it was a New World invention, not realizing it had traveled there via the Philippines.
Ikat is one of humanity's most traveled art forms—the same tie-dye technique appears in Indonesian sarongs, Uzbek silk robes, and Guatemalan textiles because ancient traders carried this 'binding' method across three continents over centuries.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.