Gold Cloths of Sumatra combines the interpretive approaches of textile scholarship and cultural anthropology to explore songket aesthetics, as this remarkable shining gold cloth moves beyond ceremonial contexts to become a "hot item" as a marketable commodity, for sale as heritage textile and collectible. Chapters focus on contemporary songket craft by Minangkabau, Palembang, and Jambi weavers, set against a background of nineteenth-century songket weaving excellence. As commodities, present-day Sumatran songkets show high levels of weaving creativity and technical brilliance, making songkets a resilient art.