RRI.CO.ID, Mataram - Lombok’s rich textile heritage is gaining international prominence following a collaborative research project that bridges local Sasak scholars and international experts, culminating in a comprehensive publication on traditional weaving from Lombok and Bali.

The upcoming book, titled "Two Islands, One Thread: Textiles of Lombok & Bali", features contributions from eight Lombok-based researchers alongside international scholars from Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.

Head of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) State Museum, Ahmad Nuralam, highlighted the project's significance on Monday, July 27, 2026, noting that international literature specifically focusing on Lombok's traditional textiles (wastra) has historically been sparse.

"Indonesia and Australia are very close neighbors. One form of ongoing collaboration between us is building cultural communication," Nuralam said in Mataram on Monday, July 27, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Sponsored by Australian textile collector Michael Abbott, the 500-plus-page volume aims to serve as a definitive academic reference. The NTB Museum contributed eight historical artifact photographs to the documentation, ahead of the book's planned official launch in October 2026.

Nuralam expressed optimism that the publication would spur greater academic interest among younger generations in Lombok to document and publish their cultural heritage for a global audience.

"Hopefully, after this, more generations of Sasak people in Lombok will write about their culture and have it published, so that our rich cultural heritage becomes widely recognized," Nuralam added.

Curator Emeritus at the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) in Australia, James Bennett, explained that research for the book began three years ago through close coordination with the NTB Museum and local field researchers.

Bennett noted that centering local perspectives enriches the academic discourse around Sasak material culture, establishing Lombok's distinct identity within global textile literature.

"I hope this book serves as a stepping stone for local people to conduct deeper research into the history of textiles in Lombok," said Bennett, who first visited Indonesia in 1979. ***