Tracing batik in Java

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In order to learn more about the history and the motifs of Indonesian batik, TFR reached out to Sobat Budaya, one of the contributors of iWareBatik, a web-based application that is dedicated to record the history of Indonesian batik.

The road to preserving the tradition of batik, one of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage, is long and rocky. So far, Sobat Budaya managed to compile 1,542 batik motifs from most areas of the archipelago on their website in collaboration with Bandung Fe Institute, budaya-indonesia.org.

From these motifs, they then constructed the evolution chart of Indonesian batik by combining fractal mathematics, colour palette and evolutionary biology. The research resulted in a map that shows that each area develops their own motifs. This conclusion is reached after seeing how the motifs from different areas don’t mix with each other. Instead, they group up with their own regional group. This research became the basis of the batik-recognition AI we can find in the iWareBatik application.

In this part of the series, we would explore some more of the batik history in Indonesia. This time, we would delve into the history of batik in Java.

Banten

Ever since the era of the Banten Sultanate in the 17th century, Banten’s very own batik tradition has been flourishing. However, the fall of the sultanate led to the decline of the batik tradition for more than 200 years. In 2002, archaeologists discovered 75 batik motifs among Banten’s historical relics and cultural heritage, and 12 of them were patented.

Banten batik usually combines soft, pastel colours which represent the character of Banten people: soft and gentle, but strong-willed with a strong resolve. However, the Baduy tribe combines dark blue and black in their batik motifs. Some of the notable motifs are srimanganti, singayaksa, tangerang herang and leuit sijimat.

Central Java

Batik tradition in Central Java has gone through different eras, from the Hindu-Buddhist Mataram Empire to the Islamic Demak Sultanate and the Dutch colonial period. The ancient inscription Gulung-Gulung that dated back to 929 AD already recorded the presence of the textile tradition. The motifs show cross-cultural influence from India, Persia, China and Western countries through contacts made during trades.

Back then, the use of batik was regulated by an intricate system of symbols, norms and rules, too. In this area, there are three known types of batiks: royal batik, village batik and coastal batik. Some of the notable motifs are sido mulyo, merak lasem, parang seling and gurdo solo.

East Java

The tradition of batik craftsmanship has been present in East Java since the Majapahit Kingdom period in the 13th-15th century. Batik became a commercial commodity during the transition from Hindu Majapahit to Islamic culture up to the early 20th century. Madura and Tuban are two of the areas that still maintain the ancient batik-making traditions.

Most of the motifs in East Java batik reflect the nature and daily lives of people in rural areas, but there are also motifs that embody the combination of local and foreign ideas which were obtained through trades. Some of the famous motifs are gedhog kembang waluh, samudra, gajah mungkur and sekar jati.

West Java

The development of West Javanese batik began to rise in the late 19th century as the technique was introduced by Central Javanese settlers. To this day, there are hundreds of artisans who developed their own style and learned the technique in this area.

Back in the Japanese occupation era, a certain motif heavily influenced by Japanese aesthetics was developed in the northern coastal area of Cirebon, West Java. Today, the motif became one of Pekalongan’s most reputable motifs called hokokai batik, which is typically adorned with floral and butterfly patterns. Some of the popular motifs are mega mendung, banji cirebon and sinaran.

DI Yogyakarta

In the past, Yogyakarta batik was used mostly by the royal family, while the commoners used plain, dark-coloured fabrics. Batik in this area was related to the tale of Panembahan Senopati, the founder of the Mataram Sultanate. When he moved the sultanate’s capital from Pajang to Mataram, his silent meditation in Mount Sewu inspired him to create the parang batik.

His successors in Yogyakarta and Surakarta carried on the regulation of wearing batik exclusively for the royals. By the end of the Diponegoro War (1825-1830), the Javanese royals and soldiers began distributing batik outside the palace and the commoners began to wear simpler patterns.

The motifs of Yogyakarta batik are generally adopted from some main motifs, such as parang rusak, ceplok, sidomukti, truntum and kawung. Other popular motifs include abimanyu, wirasat and kawung mataram. Each motif has its own significance and philosophy.

DKI Jakarta

The batik tradition in Indonesia’s capital city was developed around the end of the 19th century. Today, the youth are actively organising batik workshops in popular spots to raise awareness and invite more people to contribute to batik preservation efforts. In Jakarta, we can find batik workshops near Tanah Abang, which includes Karet, Ilir Dam, Udik Dam, Kebayoran Lama, Mampang Prapatan and Tebet.

Budi Dharmawan, a batik assessor, in 2011 initiated Kampoeng Batik Pal Batu in Tebet, followed by the Jakarta Batik Carnival the following year. The batik tradition itself is considerably modern in Jakarta. Some of the notable motifs of Jakarta batik are ondel-ondel, rasamala and salakanagara.