BATIK : A SMALL TALK

Batik is one of Java's famous and highly developed art traditions, together with wayang (shadow puppets), gamelan (Javanese orchestra) and keris (the dagger - heirloom). Anywhere, batik designed materials are clearly seen as women traditional dresses, shirts, uniforms, sarongs, bags, hats, table-cloths, napkins, painting and decorative items, etc, with traditional color of brown, indigo and blue or more colorful ones. Nowadays, batik is an important industry in many production centers in Java. It is a proof that the people of Java do love the products, long time ago created by their ancestors.

Yogyakarta and Solo are the centers of traditional of batiks, as the north coastal town of Pekalongan is the center of more modern batiks, using more floral and birds motifs. There are some well-known artists of batik design in Yogya and Solo, as well as some big batik manufacturers with famous trademarks. The growing production of batik makes way to the establishment of mori (woven cotton fabrics) factories in Yogya and Central Java. The Batik research Institute was founded in Yogya.

The word 'batik' is Javanese and has been translated as "good points or dots." This refers to the tiny dots in Indonesian patterns that give them a lively quality and that show a mastery of technique. A standard definition of the medium of batik is that it is a way of coloring fabric with successive dyebaths, producing a design by using wax to resist dyes on cloth.

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. Batik motifs recall characters from the Hindu epics, plants, animals, sea creatures and 'gamelan' (javanese traditional musical instruments) melodies. In Surakarta rich creams and browns are juxtaposed with tinges of yellowish gold. Therefore batik could be perceived as the art of juxtaposition.

The patterns to be dyed into the clothe are drawn with a canting, a wooden 'pen' fitted with a reservoir for hot, liquid wax. In batik workshops, circles of women sit working at clothes draped over frames, and periodically replenish their supply of wax by dipping their canting into a central vat. Some draw directly on the cloth from memory; others wax over faint charcoal lines. This method of drawing patterns in wax on fine machine-woven cotton was practiced as a form of meditation by the female courtiers of Central Java; traditionally, batik tulis ('tulis' in Bahasa Indonesia means 'to write') is produced by women.

The tracing of the desired design on to the prepared cloth is the first stage of making followed by the technique of applying wax and dye substances. At the final stage of the process, all the wax scraped off and the cloth boiled to remove all traces of the wax. This process of repeatedly waxing and dyeing is the batik process, used until nowadays in Java and other parts of Indonesia. So, this kind art of batik is an indigenous to the country. The wax used in batik process is a combined product of paraffin, bees-wax, plant resins called gondorukem and mata kucing.

In the 19th century, the application of waxed patterns with a large copper stamp or cap saved the batik industry from competition with cheap printed European cloth. The semi-industrial nature of cap work allows it to be performed by men. The bolder, freer designs and bright palette of the north coast were influenced by lively maritime trade and the textile traditions of the Chinese and Arab mercantile communities living in port and coastal towns.

Now modern designers and artists around the world use this method rather deliberately compared with the traditional methods. However, traditional methods of producing batik textiles, namely stamping/printing method (for mass production) and the expensive painting method (using 'canting') are still used these days particularly in Central Java.

Some pieces of modern batik art by designer Janice Cline and Anne Simmons were given here.

Today 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 undoubtedly experience an overwhelming stimulation of the senses - bacause of 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.

More rigorously, 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. Batik may also originate from the Javanese 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 techniques.

When batik is worn

a. Informal Dresses: It is a free choice, usually for daily casual wear.

b. Formal Occasions: In some parties, as a state banquets, receptions, etc, the invitees are requested to wear batik. Long sleeves shirts for the men and 'kain batik' (long batik to cover the lower body, which is usually combined with 'kebaya' for the upper side) for the women.

c. Traditional Occasions: It is worn to present the traditional wedding ceremonies, special ceremonies for the Royal families, etc.

In a wedding ceremony the bride and the bridegroom wear the same motif of batik Sidomukti, symbolizing a happiness and prosperous life. Using the same motif symbolizing the togetherness. The parents of the bride and the bridegroom wear batik with motif of Truntum, symbolizing the advice of the parents to the newly weds to enter the new life with full of love and confidence.

Women's Traditional Dress

Women's traditional dress, especially in Yogya and Solo court families, consisting of :

a. Jarit or Tapih or Sinjang: A 'kain panjang' (long cloth of batik) measuring around 2 m x 1 m to cover the lower body, tightened with stagen (large waist band used as belt.)

b. Kebaya: It is a traditional long sleeved shirt (the material used is not from batik, usually from silk and other fine materials).

c. Selendang: It is used as attractive piece of clothing to compliment the traditional dress. The 2 m x 0,5 m selendang cloth hung over one shoulder.

d. Kemben or Semekan: It is special for ceremonies in Karaton (palace) or Royal family ceremonies. Instead of wearing Kebaya, to cover the upper body, a kemben is worn.

Men's Traditional Dresses

a. Jarit or Bebed: Men kain panjang, tightened with stagen as belt.

b. Surjan: Men traditional long sleeved shirt (only for Yogya style) and the material is not batik.

c. Beskap: Instead of wearing surjan, the men wear a coat (beskap of Solo style or Atila of Yogya style), the materials is not batik.

d. Blangkon: It is a headgear made from batik.

e. Keris: The dagger is worn at backside of the waist, as a compliment to the dress.

Dodot

Is a very long jarit to cover the lower body. It is worn only on a very special occasion such as the king coronation by the king himself. The wearing of dodot or kampuhan is very complicated. It may take two hours to wear a dodot with the help of specialist-dressers! (Suryo S. Negoro)

Historical Notes

Batik is a very ancient craft dating back at least two thousand years. Batik has been continuously practice in Java for centuries. It was around 16th century that travelers first brought back tales of highly artistic batik fabric on which people worked for months on end. At the close of the last century the technique was introduced to European arts and crafts. Batik has even more enthusiasts today because it produces excellent effects.

Although experts disagree as to the precise origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries. Although in these countries people were using the technique 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 Java in Indonesia.

Through the centuries Javanese craftsmen have perfected the art, reflecting the culture and religion of their country in the richness of colors and the detail of the designs on their fabrics. These traditional designs have been passed on from one generation to another and are mainly based on the flora and fauna of their surroundings and this form of expression adapts to society now as easily as it did many years ago. Clothes worked in batik are represented frequently in classical literature of Java. Any mention of magnificent dress always signified batik work. Batik apparel was formerly the clothing of aristocracy. The peasant woman wove the cloth but the lady did the batik. She had time to spare and hers was the gentle hand needed for the work, while the servants attended to the household duties.

Although there is mention of “fabrics highly decorated” in Dutch transcripts from the 17th century, most scholars believe that the intricate Javanese batik designs would only have been possible after the importation of finely woven imported cloth, which was first imported to Indonesia from India around the 19th century and afterwards from Europe beginning in 1815. Textile patterns can be seen on stone statues that are carved on the walls of ancient Javanese temples such as Prambanan (9th century), however there is no conclusive evidence that the cloth is batik. It could possibly be a pattern that was produced with weaving techniques and not dying.

Some experts feel that batik was originally reserved as an art form for Javanese royalty. Princesses 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. Most likely, the messy work of dyeing and subsequent waxings was left to court artisans who would work under their supervision.

Javanese 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 (leather puppets) and gamelan orchestras. In some cases the art forms overlap. The Javanese dalang (puppeteer) not only was responsible for the wayang puppets but was also an important source of batik patterns. Wayang puppets are usually made of goat skin, which is then perforated and painted to create the illusion of clothing on the puppet. Used 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.

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 lady accomplishment that she be capable of handling a “canting” (the instrument used to apply wax to the cloth) with a reasonable amount of skill, certainly as important as cookery and other housewifery arts to Central Javanese women.

Just as the Japanese lady concocts artistic floral arrangements so, even today, the educated Javanese does batik on fabrics, and in this she develops a highly artistic sense. The stylized designs include the native flora, butterflies and birds of paradise. Moreover, these ladies are able to work their individual designs harmoniously into an extensive piece of work.

A traditional Bali dancer

in special clothing

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Last updated: Oct. 5th, 2000.