[1] According to textile expert John Guy, "the ancestry of Balinese geringsing is far from clear, although some cloths display the unmistakable influence of patola",[2] the silk double ikats produced in Gujarat during the height of the Spice Trade (16-17C).

Geringsing are regarded as sacred cloths, "ascribed supernatural properties, especially to assist in forms of healing, including exorcism.

Geringsing is mentioned in the poem Rangga Lawe which tells of the first Majapahit king, Raden Wijaya giving his warriors gerinsing sashes to protect them in Battle.

A later mention is in the poem Nagarakrtagama by the Buddhist sage Prapancana, composed in 1365 who describes curtains of the king Hayam Wuruk's carriage as being made of Geringsing.

Before dying the threads are soaked in a bath of kemiri, candle nut oil, and wood ash to aid the take-up of the red dye, then hung up to dry in the sun.

[8] Once dyed indigo, the threads are put back on the frames and some of the ties are undone to allow the red component of the pattern to be developed.

The pattern can be made of vertically orientated geometric and abstract floral motif repeating across the central field (gerinsing paparé, geingsing enjékan, geringsing battun tuung).

Central field patterns are formed in a different way in that the design has large four pointed stars dividing the cloth into semicircular segments.

During the period of the soaking of the un-dyed thread bundles in the candlenut and wood ash water, they are kept in an earthenware jar for 42 days covered with a black and white cloth (gotia) to protect from spirits.

[13] There are many other strict rituals related to the dying and weaving of gerinsing mentioned in the Western literature, but none of the older inhabitants seem to remember them.

[14] By virtue of their magical qualities geringsing are not only capable of keeping impurities and danger out of the village, but also shield and protect humans from baleful influences during rites of passage as they transition from one phase of life to the next.

In the purification of the soul ceremony (muhun) the dead person's presence, which is symbolizes by an inscribed palm leaf, is also arrayed in a geringsing.