Tengku
Ismail bin Tengku Su
Tengku
Ismail is a well known Songket designer and conservator of traditional
Terengganu Malay timber houses. He also designs fine jewellery for
ladies and exclusive buttons for Malay gentlemen's costumes. In
1991 he received the Royal Warrant of Appointment from the Terengganu
Sultan in recognition of his supply of fine Songket to the Royal Court.
In
1998 he was greatly honored by H.R.H. Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin who
commissioned him to restore the 300-year old Terengganu Crown Jewels.
Tengku Ismail also created a new Songkok Crown in white gold encrusted
with diamonds used during the Istiadat Bersiram Tabal, the
Royal Bathing ceremony, at the coronation of H.R.H. Sultan of Terengganu
in March 1999. He
would watch avidly while the village weavers worked and together with
basic knowledge of textile weaving he pursued his studies at the Westminster
College in London. Self-taught in the art of fine Songket weaving,
he started to revive and revolutionise this cottage Songket textile
industry in 1979 by introducing new designs and colour schemes apart
from using traditional Songket motif derived from the family heirloom
collections. Traditional
designs are as interesting as they sound… such as Pucuk Rebung,
bamboo shoot; or Lawi Ayam, chicken feather; Bunga Tampuk
Buah Kesemak Teluk Berantai, corolla of persimmon motif; and various
floral motifs. These beautiful old-school designs serve as inspiration
for new creations. Apart from the "ikat" he also experimented and
incorporated Javanese Garuda and Cheribon, the "Mega Mendong" cloud-forming
batik motif into Songket. His Songket creations were even sought after
by the internationally acclaimed Japanese couturier Hanae Mori. For
the year 2005, Tengku Ismail is working on a collection inspired by
the geometric interlacing Arabeques patterns associated with tile
and stucco decoration in the Alhambra Palace, Granada 14th century
Islamic Spain and the 16th century Imperial Ottoman textile collection
at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. His
other specialty and passion is the reproduction of antique court jewellery
and decorative art of the ceremonial Kris, pendant or brooch, bracelet,
button, and the "Mitar" that is a rectangular embossed gold panel
for throne dais (gold and silver utensils for ceremonial use). Back to Main
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