Some of people thinks batik is old fashioned dress and it is figure out like mommy and daddy's dress. I dont know it is thought of most of people or not. I am just assuming. Hope my opinion are wrong. Any reason why I am thinking like that? This morning some of my friends asked me to go shopping on Saturday on famous mall in my city but I refused as I had appointment with another friend to visit batik exihibition. Did you know what my friend comment? "Hey, you are so heroic!!So Indonesia. Love that kind of batik. You like my mommy! Or you plan to do trading? " OMG! oh my God! Why she said like that? She doesnt like batik? She doesnt like Indonesian culture? Wondering why? She is Indonesian, how come? Or maybe she likes staying in the city of Indonesia but no need to love Indonesian culture. I dont mean to be rasis. Oops! I don’t want to judge them. People have their own style and appetite. But at that moment when they say that I feel hurt so much and suddenly hate their word and hate them. Hyperbolic! Please forgive me to have such a feeling.
BAtik is our culture. Lets keep and take care. Don’t let our culture lost and grab by another country, like Malaysia, you know…Eventhough batik is come from Java but it is now become a national outfit for Indonesian people, not only in big events or party but also as uniform in school and stated owned company. And lately, it is used as outfit for informal session, hang out (hmm… Thanks God for the pride of Indonesians to wear batik till the present day has preserve this art of textile ) and the accessories like table cloth, bedsheet, pillow cover, coaster for glasses and plates, and so on.
Eventhough I seldom buy batik outfit due the price is quite expensive especially for hand made writing batik ( another way to make batik is print it out, more cheaper as batik maker make in big quantity of fabric) but I am proud of it. Likes batik doesn’t always mean we have a lot collection of that, at least we admit, know, and care of it. Right??
Brief story about batik (Javanese language means writing) is given to you, just to memorize you again, especially everybody who has not been familiar with batik, especially Javanese batik like Solo, Yogya and Pekalongan batiks.
Discover Indonesia on their web said that although the process of decorating cloth through the process of batik is found in several regions in Africa or India and even in some South East Asian countries, the batik of Indonesia is unique and unequaled. Indonesian Batik is made in several regions, but the center of the art is Central Java, in cities like Yogyakarta, Solo, Cirebon, Pekalongan and Indramayu, west Java.
The beauty of Batik is a tribute to the patience, creativity of the woman of Java, the main island of Indonesia. Credit should be also given to men who prepare the cloth and handle the dyeing and finishing process. Batik is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile. Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic association and variety; there are about three thousand recorded batik patterns.
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the most powerful and respected Kingdom of Java, is also at the heart of the Batik art. All the old Traditions and customs are observed and still find many symbols that are related to Hindu-Javanese culture. The combination of motifs in Yogya batik is unique, and there is a tendency to combine a number of large geometric motifs and mostly in dark brown color.
Solo, as one of capital city of powerful and respected Kingdom of Java, besides Yogyakarta, also has design are related to the Hindu-Javanese culture: the Sawat symbol of the crown or highest power, the Meru (mountain) symbol of mountain or earth, the Naga (dragon) symbol of the water, the Burung (bird) symbol of the wind or upper world and the Lidah Api (Fire tongue) symbol of the fire. In Solo there were special rules about wearing of batik. 1) the social position of the wearer, 2) the occasion on which the batik was worn or used. This was in connection with the meaning and hope or wish symbolized by the motif. (http://discover-indo.tierranet.com/batikpag9.htm
Different with Pekalongan, a small city and regency on the northern coast of Central Java. It lies arround 100 kilometres west-ward from Semarang, Central Java's Capital, most of these batiks were sarongs, perhaps because Dutch settlers found them easier to to wear. In this group of batiks we find the buketan motifs, depicting flowers and fruits that grew in Holland, like chrysanthemums and grapes, and flowers arrangements in European style. Next influenced is by Moslem (like scattered flower on hexagonal background..) and Chinese (for hong bird, dragon motifs, red color..).
So, can it change your mind a bit?
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