Batik Info

8/10/2019 Batik Info

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Batik, Traditional Fabric of Indonesia

It would be impossible to visit or live in Indonesia and not be exposed to one of the country's most

highly developed art forms, batik. On your first visit to a batik store or factory you will undoubtedlyexperience an overwhelming stimulation of the senses - due to the many colors, patterns and the actual

smell of batik. Only through repeated visits and a bit of study will the types of designs and their origins

become apparent.

The word batik is thought to be derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with

little dots'. The suffix 'tik' means little dot, drop, point or to make dots. atik may also originate from the

!avanese word 'tritik' which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the

textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie dye techni"ues. #nother !avanese phase

for the mystical experience of making batik is $mbatik manah% which means $drawing a batik design on

the heart%.

A Brief History

#lthough experts disagree as to the precise origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth

can be traced back &,(( years ago to )gypt and the *iddle )ast. +amples have also been found in

Turkey, India, hina, !apan and est #frica from past centuries. #lthough in these countries people

were using the techni"ue of dye resisting decoration, within the textile realm, none have developed batik

to its present day art form as the highly developed intricate batik found on the island of !ava in

Indonesia.

#lthough there is mention of 'fabrics highly decorated' in utch transcripts

from the &/th century, most scholars believe that the intricate !avanese batikdesigns would only have been possible after the importation of finely woven

imported cloth, which was first imported to Indonesia from India around the

&0((s and afterwards from )urope beginning in &0&. Textile patterns can be

seen on stone statues that are carved on the walls of ancient !avanese temples

such as 1rambanan 2# 0((3, however there is no conclusive evidence that

the cloth is batik. It could possibly be a pattern that was produced with

weaving techni"ues and not dying. hat is clear is that in the &4th century

batik became highly developed and was well ingrained in !avanese cultural

life.

+ome experts feel that batik was originally reserved as an art form for

!avanese royalty. ertainly it's royal nature was clear as certain patterns were

reserved to be worn only by royalty from the +ultan's palace. 1rincesses and

noble women may have provided the inspiration for the highly refined design

sense evident in traditional patterns. It is highly unlikely though that they

would be involved in any more than the first wax application. *ost likely, the messy work of dyeing and

subse"uent waxings was left to court artisans who would work under their supervision.

!avanese royalty were known to be great patrons of the arts and provided the support necessary to

develop many art forms, such as silver ornamentation, wayang kulit 2leather puppets3 and gamelan

orchestras. In some cases the art forms overlap. The !avanese dalang 2puppeteer3 not only was

responsible for the wayang puppets but was also an important source of

batik patterns. ayang puppets are usually made of goat skin, which is

then perforated and painted to create the illusion of clothing on the

puppet. 5sed puppets were often sold to eager ladies who used the

puppets as guides for their batik patterns. They would blow charcoal

through the holes that define the patterns of clothing on the puppets, in

order to copy the intricate designs onto the cloth.

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Other scholars disagree that batik was only reserved as an art form for royalty, as they also feel its use

was prevalent with the rakyat, the people. It was regarded an important part of a young ladies

accomplishment that she be capable of handling a canting 2the pen-like instrument used to apply wax to

the cloth3 with a reasonable amount of skill, certainly as important as cookery and other housewifery

arts to entral !avanese women.

Selection and Preparation of the Cloth for Batik6atural materials such as cotton or silk are used for the cloth, so that it can absorb the wax that is

applied in the dye resisting process. The fabrics must be of a high thread count 2densely woven3. It is

important that cloth of high "uality have this high thread count so that the intricate design "ualities of

batik can be maintained.

The cloth that is used for batik is washed and boiled in water many times

prior to the application of wax so that all traces of starches, lime, chalk and

other si7ing materials are removed. 1rior to the implementation of modern

day techni"ues, the cloth would have been pounded with a wooden mallet or

ironed to make it smooth and supple so it could best receive the wax design.ith the finer machine-made cotton available today, the pounding or ironing

processes can be omitted. 6ormally men did this step in the batik process.

+trict industry standards differentiate the different "ualities of the cloth used

today, which include 1rimissima 2the best3 and 1rima. The cloth "uality is

often written on the edge of the design. # lesser "uality cloth which is often used in laco.

Batik Design Tools

#lthough the art form of batik is very intricate, the tools that are used are still very simple. The canting,

believed to be a purely !avanese invention, is a small thin wall spouted copper container 2sometimescalled a wax pen3 that is connected to a short bamboo handle. 6ormally it is approximately && cm. in

length. The copper container is filled with melted wax and the artisan then uses the canting to draw the

design on the cloth.

Canting have different si7es of spouts 2numbered to correspond to the si7e3 to achieve varied design

effects. The spout can vary from & mm in diameter for very fine detailed work to wider spouts used to

fill in large design areas. ots and parallel lines may be drawn with canting that have up to 4 spouts.

+ometimes a wad of cotton is fastened over the mouth of the canting or attached to a stick that acts as a

brush to fill in very large areas.

8or close-up pictures of canting.

Wajan

The wajan is the container that holds the melted wax. It looks like a small

wok. 6ormally it is made of iron or earthenware. The wajan is placed on a

small brick charcoal stove or a spirit burner called an 'anglo'. The wax is

kept in a melted state while the artisan is applying the wax to the cloth.

Wa

ifferent kinds and "ualities of wax are used in batik. ommon waxes used

for batik consist of a mixture of beeswax, used for its malleability, and

paraffin, used for its friability. 9esins can be added to increase adhesiveness

and animal fats create greater li"uidity.

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The best waxes are from the Indonesian islands of Timor, +umbawa and +umatra: three types of

petroleum-based paraffin 2white, yellow and black3 are used. The amounts mixed are measured in grams

and vary according to the design. ax recipes can be very closely guarded secrets. ;arying colors of

wax make it possible to disguise different parts of the pattern through the various dying stages.


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The final hue depended on how long the cloth was soaked in the dye bath and how often it was dipped.

+killed artisans can create many variations of these traditional colors. #side from blue, green would be

achieved by mixing blue with yellow: purple was obtained by mixing blue and red. The soga brown

color mixed with indigo would produce a dark blue-black color.

Design Process

The outline of the pattern is blocked out onto the cloth, traditionally with charcoal or graphite.

Traditional batik designs utili7e patterns handed down over the generations. It is very seldom that an

artisan is so skilled that he can work from memory and would not need to draw an outline of the pattern

before applying the wax. Often designs are traced from stencils or patterns called pola. #nother method

of tracing a pattern onto a cloth is by laying the cloth on a glass table that is illuminated from below

which casts a shadow of the pattern onto the cloth. The shadow is then traced with a pencil. In large

batik factories today, men usually are in charge of drawing the patterns onto the cloth. lick here to see

the step-by-step process of making batik.

Waing

Once the design is drawn out onto the cloth it is then ready to be waxed.

ax is applied to the cloth over the areas of the design that the artisan

wishes to remain the original color of the cloth. 6ormally this is white

or cream.

8emale workers sit on a low stool or on a mat to apply the wax with a

canting. The fabric that they are working on is draped over light bamboo

frames called gawangan to allow the freshly applied wax to cool and

harden. The wax is heated in the wajan until it is of the desired

consistency. The artisan then dips her canting into the wax to fill the

bowl of the canting.

#rtisans use the wax to retrace the pencil outline on the fabric. # small

drop cloth is kept on the woman. s lap to protect her from hot dripping

wax. The stem of the cantingis held with the right hand in a hori7ontal

position to prevent any accidental spillage, which greatly reduces the

value of the final cloth. The left hand is placed behind the fabric for support. The spout does not touch

the fabric, but it held ?ust above the area the artisan is working on. To ensure the pattern is well defined,

batik is waxed on both sides. True tulisbatik is reversible, as the pattern should be identical on both

sides.

The most experienced artisans normally do first waxings. 8illing in of large areas may be entrusted toless experienced artisans. *istakes are very difficult to correct. If wax is accidentally spilt on the cloth,

the artisan will try to remove the unwanted wax by sponging it with hot water. Then a heated iron rod

with a curved end is used to try and lift off the remaining wax. +pilled wax can never be completely

removed so it is imperative that the artisans are very careful.

If the cap method is utili7ed, this procedure is normally done by men.

The cap are dipped into melted wax. !ust under the surface of the melted

wax is a folded cloth approximately @( centimeters s"uare. hen this

cloth is saturated with wax it acts like a stamp pad. The cap is pressed

into the fabric until the design side of the cap is coated with wax. The

saturated cap is then stamped onto the fabric, leaving the design of the

cap. This process is repeated until the entire cloth is covered. Often cap

and canting methods are combined on the same piece of cloth.

etter "uality batik may be waxed utili7ing canting in one part of

Indonesia and then sent to another part of Indonesia where the cappart of

the process is completed. On better "uality cap fabric great care is taken

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to match the pattern exactly.


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ertain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms as well as their families. Other designs are

reserved for the +ultan and his family or their attendants. # person's rank could be determined by the

pattern of the batik heBshe wore.

In general, there are two categories of batik designC geometric motifs 2which tend to be the earlier

designs3 and free form designs, which are based on styli7ed patterns of natural forms or imitations of a

woven texture.Nitik is the most famous design illustrating this effect.

ertain areas are known for a predominance of certain designs. entral !avanese designs are influenced

by traditional patterns and colors. atik from the north coast of !ava, near 1ekalongan and irebon, have

been greatly influenced by hinese culture and effect brighter colors and more intricate flower and cloud

designs.

Digh fashion designs drawn on silk are very popular with wealthy Indonesians. These exceptionally

high-"uality pieces can take months to create and costs hundreds of dollars.

Kawung

Kawung is another very old design consisting of intersecting circles, known

in !ava since at least the thirteenth century. This design has appeared carved

into the walls of many temples throughout !ava such as 1rambanan near

!og?akarta and Eediri in )ast !ava. 8or many years, this pattern was

reserved for the royal court of the +ultan of !og?akarta. The circles are

sometimes embellished inside with two or more small crosses or other

ornaments such as intersecting lines or dots. It has been suggested that the

ovals might represent flora such as the fruit of the kapok 2silk cotton3 tree

or the aren (sugar palm3.

Ceplok

Ceplok is a general name for a whole series of geometric designs based

on s"uares, rhombs, circles, stars, etc. #lthough fundamentally

geometric, ceplok can also represent abstractions and styli7ation of

flowers, buds, seeds and even animals. ;ariations in color intensity can

create illusions of depth and the overall effect is not unlike medallion

patterns seen on Turkish tribal rugs. The Indonesian population is

largely *uslim, a religion that forbids the portrayal of animal and

human forms in a realistic manner. To get around this prohibition, the

batik worker does not attempt to express this matter in a realistic form.

# single element of the form is chosen and then that element is repeated

again and again in the pattern.

Parang

arang was once used exclusively by the royal courts of entral !ava.

It has several suggested meanings such as 'rugged rock', 'knife pattern'

or 'broken blade'. The 1arang design consists of slanting rows of thick

knife-like segments running in parallel diagonal bands. 1arang usually

alternated with narrower bands in a darker contrasting color. These

darker bands contain another design element, a line of lo7enge-shaped

motifs call mlin?on. There are many variations of this basic striped

pattern with its elegant sweeping lines, with over forty parang designs

recorded. The most famous is the 'arang !usak' which in its most

classical form consisting of rows of softly folded parang. This motif

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also appears in media other than batik, including woodcarving and as ornamentation on gamelan musical

instruments.

Washing Batik

Darsh chemical detergents, dryers and drying of fabrics in the sun may fade the colors in batik.

Traditionally dyed batiks should be washed in soap for sensitive fabrics, such as oolite, +ilky or Dalus.8ine batik in Indonesia is washed with the lerak fruit which can be purchased at most traditional

markets. # bottled version of this detergent is also available at batik stores. e sure to line dry batik in a

shady area and not in direct sunlight.

#odern Batik

*odern batik, although having strong ties to traditional batik, utili7es linear treatment of leaves, flowers

and birds. These batiks tend to be more dependent on the dictates of the designer rather than the stiff

guidelines that have guided traditional craftsmen. This is also apparent in the use of color that modern

designers use. #rtisans are no longer dependent on traditional 2natural3 dyes, as chemical dyes can

produce any color that they wish to achieve. *odern batik still utili7es canting and cap to create intricate

designs.

8ashion designers such as Iwan Tirta have aggressively introduced

batik into the world fashion scene. They have done much to promote

the Indonesian art of batik dress, in its traditional and modern forms.

The hori7on of batik is continuing to widen. hile the design process

has remained basically the same over the last century, the process

shows great progress in recent decades. Traditionally, batik was sold in

= &B> meter lengths used for kain panjang or sarong in traditional

dress. 6ow, not only is batik used as a material to clothe the humanbody, its uses also include furnishing fabrics, heavy canvas wall

hangings, tablecloths and household accessories. atik techni"ues are

used by famous artists to create batik paintings which grace many

homes and offices.

8ine "uality handmade batik is very expensive and the production of

such works is very limited. Dowever, in a world that is dominated by

machines there is an increasing interest in materials that have been

handmade. atik is one of these materials.

uring your stay in Indonesia, take advantage of your time here to learn more about the fascinatingworld of batik. Dave a batik dress or men's business shirt made for you by a seamstress or tailor. ;isit

batik factories in !og?akarta, +urakarta or 1ekalongan to see for yourself how the intricate process is

conducted or ask "uestions of batik artisans giving demonstrations in stores such as +arinah or 1asaraya

in !akarta. Fou will come away with sense of wonder over the time, effort and patience put into the

creation of each batik cloth. Fou too may soon grow to love the distinctive waxy smell of batik and your

batik ac"uisitions will provide many memories of your stay in Indonesia. Four support of the batik

industry will also ensure that this art form grows to even greater peaks.

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Canting Batik $ traditional hand batiking tool fro!

Indonesia

In response to a re"uest from a visitor to this site .. we've put together this page on the anting atik ...the traditional Indonesian tool that is used to apply wax in fine dots and lines on a cloth. herever the

wax is applied, the cloth resists the next dye bath that it is put in .. leaving the white dotBline 2or another

color if the cloth has already been dyed3.

Though the si7e of most canting are similar ..

the difference is in the GtipG that allows the wax

to flow from the GbowlG. igger holes in the tipallow wider lines and bigger dots.


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)ach wax dot is applied one by one by thecanting.

The canting points to the curvy lines which it

created in this finished piece of batik.

The canting points to the small dots it created

in this finished piece.

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The Process of #aking Batik $ Step by Step

Step %

The first wax is applied over the

penciled-in outline of the pattern.

#lmost always the original cloth is

white or beige.

Step &

The cloth is dyed in the first dye

bath. In this case the first dyebath is

indigo blue. The area of the cloth

where the wax was applied in +tep &

will remain white.

Step '

+econd application of wax is

applied. In this case it is a darkbrown color. # poorer "uality of wax

is used to cover larger areas of cloth.

The darker color helps to

differentiate it from the first wax

applied. #ny parts that are covered

with this wax application will

remain the indigo color.

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Step (

The cloth is dyed in the second dye

bath. In this case it is a navy blue.

#ny areas that are not covered by

wax will become dark blue.

Step )

#ll the wax that has been applied

thus far is removed. This is done byheating the wax and scraping it off

and also by applying hot water and

sponging off the remaining wax.

Step *

ax is applied to the area of the

fabric that the artist wishes to

remain the indigo blue color.

Step +

ax is applied to the area of the

fabric that the artist wishes to

remain white.

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Step

The fabric is submerged in the final

dye bath. In this case it is brown.

#ny areas of the cloth that have not

been covered with wax will become

brown.

Step -

The finished cloth after all of the

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Batik Designs. A C/lt/ral De0elop!ent

Infl/enced by Changes in Ti!e 1

2n0iron!entOne of the fascinating characteristics of Indonesian batik is the changes in style, motif and color which

have come about through exposure to various foreign cultures. Throughout Indonesian history, each time

the rich batik tradition has come into contact with foreigner traders or colonial rulers, they have

influenced the development of batik. +ome of the more famous results are described belowC

Batik 3raton

atik Eraton is regarded as the basic batik of !ava. It is rich in Dindu-influenced motifs that have

influenced the courts of !ava since the th century, and later on influenced by the culture of Islam. TheDindus introduced the sacred bird - Aaruda, the sacred flower - lotus, the dragon - 6aga and the tree of

life. Islam, since it forbids the depiction of humans or animals, brought styli7ed and modified ornaments

as symbols, i.e., flowers and geometric designs.

#s a specific attire in the dress code of the courts of !ava, atik Eraton is easily recogni7ed through its

sub-divisions, atik Easunanan +urakarta, atik Easultanan Fogyakarta, atik 1ura *angkunegaran

and atik 1ura 1akualaman. Over time, changes and modifications distinguished atik *angkunegaran

from atik Easunanan, even though both originated from the same source. atik 1akualaman, from the

city of Fogyakarta, originated from both Easunan and Easultanan design traditions and is more uni"ue

because the whole process was completed in +urakarta.

Batik Belanda

)ven though hinese traders arrived earlier in !ava than the )uropeans, their influence on batik was

evident in a later period. atik elanda, literally utch atik, appeared as early as &0>(, decades before

the appearance of atik ina, hinese atik. 9ecords show that )uropean settlers on the northern coast

of !ava started their batik producing activities in the mid-&4th century. They pioneered a new era of

international enrichment which is still visible in modern day Indonesian batik. 9eaching its peak of

creativity in &04(-&4&(, atik elanda is clearly recogni7ed through various works of arts named after

the great designers. #mongst the most famous of these are atik ;an Huylen from )li7e harlotte van

Huylen, atik ;an Oosterom from atharina arolina van Oosterom, atik 1rankemon from arolina

!osephina von 8ran"uemont, atik *et7 from


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Batik Indonesia

8reedom from utch colonial rule introduced new designs to Indonesian batik. In the early (s,

1resident +oekarno encouraged the creation of a new style of batik, popularly called atik Indonesia. #

symbiosis between various styles of batik, especially of the principalities of Fogyakarta and +urakarta

and the north coast of !ava, which still utili7ed soga brown as the basic color, atik Indonesia was

developed utili7ing bright colors. +ome appeared in a totally new design, i.e., endrawasih, +runi,+andang 1angan, 5dang, while still using the traditional processing system. atik Indonesia is also

called atik *odern.

Batik S/dagaran

#n important genre in the development of batik, atik +udagaran emerged as early as the end of the

&4th century in the principalities of +urakarta and Fogyakarta. 1roduced by sudagar or batik merchants,

it is easily recogni7ed through the modified classic ornaments styled to the taste of the merchants. +ome

of the popular creations are the patchwork style Tambal, 1arang with the insertion of snail-like motifs,


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Origins of Indonesian Batik

Indonesian atik has a worldwide recognition.

The word GbatikG is Indonesian in origin, even if the concept was known by )gyptians and Indians. It is

known to be more than a millenium old, and there are evidences that cloth decorated through some form

of resist techni"ue was in use in the early centuries # in several est #frican, *iddle-)astern and

#sian communities.

The word atik is originally an Indonesian-*alay word and derives propbably from 'titik' which means

to dot .This art of textile is well spread in the hindu and malay world, but Indonesia is certainly the heart

of the atik.This way of painting and coloring on textile cloth has reached its higher degree of

excellence in the Island of !ava , in cities like +olo, Fogyakarta, 1ekalongan or irebon. 8rom !ava this

'batik' cloth was exported to other islands of the archipelago and to the *alay peninsula.

Young Indonesian woman wearing traditional batik clothes

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On the &/th century, the !avanese sultanate of *ataram accorded

important ceremonial functions to the atik clothes. +ultan #gung of

*ataram is known to have dressed in white cotton decorated with

Indigo blue, and his court dancers wore kain kembangan colored with a

red organic dye. De could be considered as a pioneer in the usage of the

the batik clothes in the !avanese ourts.

uring the past two or three centuries batik has become one of the

principal means of expression of the spiritual and cultural values of

Indonesia, but also this was spread around the +outheast #sia region.

Batik techniques: painting on cloth

The art of GbatikingG is similar to the one of drawing or painting on a piece of cloth.

The main tool, the canting 2'tjanting'3, is used in stead of a pencil or a brush, and li"uid wax 2see

paragraph here below3in stead of paint.

Indonesian woman drawings batik motifs with li"uide wax.

8inely detailed designs are first drawn freehand with a pencil on the textile. Then hot li"uid wax is

applied.Dere above, a !avanese woman applying wax in the intricately involved patterns with a canting

2t?anting3, a small copper container with a long slender spout.

8rom time to time she blows on the tip of the canting to secure an easy flow of the wax. #reas not slated

for coloring are filed with the wax.

The cloth is then passed through a vat of dye.

The wax is removed with hot water, scraped from the portions of the dried material still to be dyed. The

parts that were covered by the wax did not absorb the dye and thus remain white 2or whatever color the

original cloth was previously dyied3. +ince the wax behave as a resisting medium, this process is called

resist-dye process.

6ext, other areas are waxed over. this is repeated during each phase of the coloring process, up to four or

more times, until the overall pattern and effect are achieved.

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A canting 4ith !ore than a spo/t 5it can be /p to

se0en6 is /sed for patterns 4ith dot for!s7

Basically, as an art, batiking is painting7 The

canting is /sed to prod/ce the pict/re8 its si9e

depending on the type and degree of fineness of the

lines or points desired

!i"erent models and si#e o$ cantings used

$or drawing moti$ on batik

TH2 WA:

# traditional recipe for batik wax is a mix of beeswax and paraffin, about (JB>(J. eeswax is soft,

pliable, and blocks completelyC no cracking. 1araffin is more brittle, and lets dye penetrate wherever

cracks form. rackle is a characteristic batik effect, a scatter of thin dark wavy lines, a batik hallmark.

+ome dyers seek crackle, free7ing and crumpling the cloth to make more. Others avoid, if they can, any

effect that seems uncontrolled. 8or more crackle, more paraffin. #ny clean, low-oil paraffin, melting

from &@( - &(K 8 will work. eeswax should be light yellow or tan and clear of debris. ut most batik

today is done with synthetic micro-crystalline waxes. TheyLre more consistent, more often reusable,

penetrate better, can be heated 2safely3 to higher temperatures. They usually fall between beeswax and

paraffin in price and in working properties. They can be blended with other waxes for intermediate

effects.

Foreign Inuences

On the eastern routesC%ecause o$ Indonesia&s location on the trade route between 'orth and (outh as well as

$rom )est to *ast+ the 'orth coast o$ ,a-a was o$ten -isited b. $oreign -essels

utch entrepreneurs settled in Indonesia, wearing batik clothes.

It results in a lively exchange of a variety of goods including ceramics and silks from hina and the

cinde or silk with the patola motif from the west of India.The foreign art and culture were absorbed and

fused with the existing ?avanese one, resulting in new works of art with their uni"ue beauty. *erchants

from all over the world came to the Indonesian archipelagoC hinese, Indians, 1ortuguese, #rabs, utch,

and ritish.

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Painting of an ArabMerchants vessel.

The growing importance of

the region as a centre of

trade between China in

the East and India and

Arabia in the West saw the

emergence of a greatSoutheast Asian empire

the Srivi!a"a.

Te#tiles were alread"

among the ma!or items of

trade li$e sil$ brocade

and damas$ brought from

China and cotton from

India. Chinese traders had

been settling on the

islands long before the

arrival of the European

powers %&ritish 'utch in

particular(. Each of them

have in)uenced b" their

own taste the design of

bati$.

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Indonesian Batik: The kinds of designs#lthought entral !ava is the centre of !avanese atik, the design evolves according to the part of the

region where it is manufactured. e are introducing the different kind of designs which are related to the

usage in the day-to-day life as well as in the celebrations and finaly their characteristics by location as

Fogyakarta, +urakarta or +olo, 1ekalongan and Indrama?u 2or Indramayu3.

There is two main kind of batik designsC geometric and non-geometric.

lassified under the geometric designs are iagonal or 1arang motif

Man?i

M +"uares, rectangles crosses or eplok

M and Eawung eaving or


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and the non-geometricC

M +emen

M


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Yogyakarta Designs

At the heart of the Indonesian Batik

Fogyakarta the capital city of the most powerful and respected Eingdom of !ava, is also at the heart ofthe atik art. #ll the old Traditions and customs are observed, as well as in +olo, and one can still find

many symbols that are related to Dindu-!avanese culture.

The combination of motifs in Fogya batik is uni"ue, and there is a tendency to combine a number of

large geometric motifs.

Traditional motifs and colors used in the Fogyakarta design.

TheGrompolmotif is a distinctively Fogya design customarily used for wedding ceremonies. Arompol,

which means Ggather togetherG symboli7es the coming together of all goods things, such as luck,

happiness, children, and harmonious married life.

Arompol design from Fogyakarta

TheNitikmotif is found in great numbers in this area. uring a colonial annual fair 2!aarbeurs3 during

the utch period, a batik producer gave the name 6itik !aarbeurs to a motif which received an award.

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'itik (ekar enung moti$ 'itik %rendi moti$

Solo, the second s/ltanat7

+olo 2 now named +urakarta3 was one of the two sultanates, with all the traditions and customs of their

courts, and the center of Dindu-!avanese culture.

The Eraton 2or court3 was not only the residence of the kings, but also the center of government, religion

and culture.this was reflected in the art of the region, especially in its batiksC in the motifs as well as in

the colors, and its special rules governing the wearing of batik. In solo there were special rules about

wearing batik. These had to do with- the social position of the wearer

- the occasion on which the batik was worn or used, in connection with the meaning and hope or wish

symboli7ed by the motif.

The cloth on the left is a detail of a kain pan;ang 4hich 4as !ade in the

4orkshop of Hard;onagoro in S/rakarta in the early


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Satrio Manah

Some of the traditional motifs worn on certain occasions:

When making a proposal of marriage, the wali (male relative of the girl), wears a batik with theSatria Manah motif, denoting that when a satria or knight, took aim with his bow and arrow, the

arrow would be sure to hit the target, meaning, of course that the proposal will be accepted. thefamily of the girl receiving the proposal wears batik with Semen ante motif.

ante, meaning chain symboli!es a close and binding relationship in conformity with the belief of"sians that breaking#off a relationship would damage the good name of the woman.

Semen Rante

Documents

Batik Info