History of Batik

Batik in Indonesia is made by decorating woven cloth with designs using a wax compound to cover those parts of the cloth which are to resist a particular colour during the dyeing process. The roots of batik are ancient, everywhere, and difficult to trace. No one knows exactly where and when people first began to make batik. Batik is known to have existed in China, Japan, India, Thailand, EastTurkestan, Europe, and Africa, and it may have developed simultaneously in several of these areas. Some scholars believe that the batik process originated from India and was later brought to Egypt. Whatever the case, in 70 A.D., in his ‘Natural History’, Pliny the Elder told of Egyptian applying designs to cloth in a manner similar to the batik process. The method was known seven hundred years later in China. Scholars have ascertained that batik found in Japan was Chinese batik, made during the Tang Dynasty [1].

Whatever its origin, batik was most highly developed by the Javanese of Indonesia, beginning in the thirteenth century, and it continues to flourish there today. The art of Indonesian batik was first explored by the princesses and the noblewomen, who had time to spend six or eight weeks designing and waxing one sarong. Gradually, however, the popularity of this technique spread and workers or servants became involved, especially when the trade markets for batiks began to develop in the seventeenth century. Until the late nineteenth century, dyes established by tradition were still natural dyes. The first color used was indigo blue, followed by red and yellow; and these three colors, dyed in combination, became the traditional colors in Javanese batik for centuries. Usually, a Javanese batik is dyed twice, each color having its own meaning, often indicating its regional or family origin. With the introduction of a copper handstamp tool called ‘cap’ in the nineteenth century, batik designs could be reproduced much more quickly. In the late nineteenth century, chemical dyes were also introduced, so that by the twentieth century Indonesians were able to produce imitation batik fabrics in great quantities [2].

The word ‘batik’ does not belong to the old Javanese language, however. In fact its origin is not at all clear. Most likely the word ‘batik’ was derived from the word ‘ambatik’ meaning ‘a cloth with little dots.’ The suffix ‘tik’ means ‘little dot’, ‘drop’, or ‘point’ but it can also denote a ticking or tapping sound. This root meaning may also be seen in words such as ‘tritik’ (a Javanese word which describes a resist process by which designs are reserved on textiles by sewing and gathering before dyeing), ‘nitik’ (batik designs which imitate weaving patterns), and ‘klitik’ (the name of a wellknown batik design). In a wider context, ‘tik’ can be interpreted to refer to drawing, painting, and writing [3].

Batik Designs
It has been estimated that there are over 3,000 batik designs in existence. Many of these reflect indigenous motifs rooted in neolithic culture; however, over the years, designs from Indian cottons, Chinese textiles, ceramics, carvings, and European floral patterns have been
added to the Indonesian batik repertoire.

The simplest batik designs are called ‘isen’ patterns which consist of ‘gringsing’ (fish scale motif), ‘upan’ (rice grain), ‘mata dara’ (pigeon’s eyes), ‘uter’ (buttonholes), ’sisik’ (shining scales), ‘cecek pitu’ (the seven dots design), ‘poleng’ (the chequer-board), ‘ceceksawat’ (petal veins), ‘uceng’ (river fish), ’sirapan’ (roof-tile), ‘mlinjon’ (lozenge shapes), ‘ada ada’ (rice stalks), ‘blarak sahirit’ (coconut fronds), ‘cantel’ (tendril of plants), ‘ukel’ (hooks), and ‘banji’ (swastika) which is also called an emblem of good fortune.

The next batik designs are ‘ceplokan’ and consist of symmetrical motifs such as ‘grompol’ (a cluster), ’surketan’ (a grass design), ’swelogiri’ (a floral design), ’supit urang’ (pinchers of the lobster), a geometric desogn and a ‘gangong’ motif within a woven pattern. Also, one of the oldest and most famost of the ‘ceplokan’ designs is the ‘kawung’ which consists of parallel rows of ellipses. The ‘kawung’ designs have several patterns such as ‘kawung sari’, ‘kawung sawo’, ‘kawung dudo nggamblok’, ‘kawung kembang’, ‘kawung picis’, and ‘kawung ageng’.

The other most visually striking of the Javanese batiks is of ‘garis miring’ design. There are several patterns from this design, such as ‘parang’ design (which has the famous design called ‘parang rusak’, also ‘parang baris’, ‘parang kembang’, ‘parang godosuli’, ‘parang
ular’, ‘parang curigo’, ‘parang seling’, and ‘parang kurung’, ‘udan liris’ design, ‘tambal miring’ design, and ‘tumpal’ or triangular design.

Some of the most imaginative and splendidly ornamented batik designs are the ’semen’ designs. ‘Semi’ means ’small buds and young leaves’ which are shown as curling tendril providing an interlocking background for stylized flora, fauna, and symbolic scenes. Motifs show a wide range of Hindu, Buddhist, and Javanese inspired designs and may include elements from both European and Chinese sources.

To distinguish the differences in rank between various members of the sultans’ families and high officials, ordinances were passed periodically at the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta listing batik patterns which could be worn only by members of certain status and relationship to the sultan. Commoners were expressly FORBIDDEN to wear these designs. By decrees of 1769, 1784, and 1790, the Sultan of Surakarta reserved for himself and his close relatives the following designs:

• ‘parang rusak’
• ’sawat garuda’ wings
• ‘udan liris’

‘cemukiran’ leaf pattern bordering the plain centre field of a head or breast cloth
The Sultan of Yogyakarta also had certain patterns reserved for the exclusive use of the court. The ‘parang rusak’ design, the ’sembagen’ pattern, and ‘large garuda’ motifs were the exclusive property of the ruler, the Crown Prince, and their respective consorts. The other offspring of the ruler and members of the royal family bearing the title ‘pangeran’ were allowed to wear ’semen’ patterns with ‘garuda’ wings. More distant relatives bearing the title of ‘raden’ were permitted to wear all ’semen’ designs without the wing motif. ‘Kawung’ patterns and the ‘rujak senti’ pattern were also permitted [3].

Centers of Batik Production
Yogyakarta and Surakarta in Central Java are generally regarded as the twin capital of classical batik, which used only three colors – blue, brown, and white – to produce the motifs previosly described. These cities which were important during the Indianized period of Indonesia’s history (600-1500 AD) lie at the cultural heart of Java. Surakarta is the home of a flourishing batik industry which is generally regarded as more progressive and responsive to changing conditions that Yogyakarta’s. The batik industry of Surakarta is organized on a larger scale that that of Yogyakarta’s. Some of the biggest batik companies in Indonesia which have their headquarters in Surakarta are:

1. Danarhadi
2. Batik Semar
3. Batik Keris

Batik Keris is probably the biggest among the three and employes 8,000 workers. A sister company, ‘Dan Liris’, produces the fabric used for batik. While this factory caters mainly to the domestic market, 10% of its production is for export to other ASEAN countries, Japan, Europe, and Australia. The main motifs of batiks in Surakarta are ‘parang’, ‘kawung’, and ‘garuda wing’ designs with the famous natural soft brown soga dyes against a mellow yellowish background.
Concluding remarks

1. Batik in Indonesia was most highly developed by the Javanese, notably the princesses and the noblewomen of the Javanese kingdoms;
2. The BIGGEST production of batik in Indonesia is in the hands of batik businessmen in Surakarta and Yogyakarta (in Central JAVA).

References
[1] Elliot, Inger McCabe, “Batik: Fabled Cloth of Java,” Clarkson
N. Potter, Inc. (1984)
[2] Adasko, Laura; Huberman, Alice, “Batik in Many Forms,” William
Morrow & Company (1975)
[3] Fraser-Lu, Sylvia, “Indonesian Batik: Processes, Patterns and
Places,” Oxford University Press (1986)

Message from the author: IMHO, it is very important for the young generation of Indonesia to understand BATIK (especially about its history). So, this article is merely dedicated to the Indonesian youths who care for Indonesian culture.

Salam dari Calgary, Canada

Paul H. Salim

Link http://solois.me/2009/10/history-of-batik

By SodroneZz