Indonesia is home to 1,340 ethnicities that make up over 300 ethnic groups. With such rich diversity, one can find a vast array of traditional costumes, even within the same ethnic group.
The Minangkabau people of West Sumatra—Minang for short—commonly wear multi-tiered gold head ornaments called a suntiang to complete their bridal attire, but those who live in the highlands prefer the simpler koto gadang traditional costume, adorned with a tingkuluk talakuang head ornament.
In the Minang language, tingkuluk means headcover, while talakuang refers to a mukena, the cloth covering a Moslem woman wears during prayers. The choice of gold embroidered velvet adorned with silver and copper accessories reflects how the bride is considered to be the jewel of her home.
The tingkuluk talakuang and koto gadang are traditionally red, a symbol of the couple’s courage in facing adversity, though in more recent times, the wedding costume also come in a variety of colors, such as golden yellow, blue, or black.
