The Glory of Batik

thejakartapos. Batik is enjoying a new lease of life, resurrected in the country’s fashion industry.

Batik now comes with colorful and cutting-edge designs, perfect for all. Its past stigmas — formal attire for the older generation, boring motifs and colors — have disappeared into thin air.

Stories of a slow batik business, with factories declared bankrupt, were also out of the picture.

Batik Danar Hadi from the Central Java town of Surakarta is one of the country’s prominent batik producers that has survived the slow days and is shining, as shown in its latest fashion show, attended by Jakarta’s socialites and public figures, from former president Megawati Soekarnoputri to Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo.

For the new collection presented at the fashion show, the company — built by Santosa Doellah and his wife Danarsih Santosa in 1967 — challenged five designers to translate their fine fabric into dozens of premium and limited designs, called Danar.

The designers — Oscar Lawalata, Carmanita, Ghea Panggabean, Hutama Adhi and Sapto Djojokartiko — translated the challenge into stunning evening gowns, casual and elegant outfits.

Head of the marketing communication division at PT Batik Danar Hadi, Hoshi Mitchel Hutabarat, said the company had been working together with top designers for the past three years.

Any reproduction of the collection would differ in designs, colors and motifs, he added.

“Our challenge in batik development is to ensure the designs are perfect and fully applied in our fabrics because we don’t want to lose the heritage elements,” he says.

The hard work paid off.

Surakarta-born designer Sapto showcased his 16 signature evening gowns, with green, red and yellow dominating the tone. He also chose simple patterns, with sequins and drapery details to accentuate his designs.

One gown was a sparkling green short-sleeved batik shirt combined with a long yellow batik skirt cut open in the middle. Other designs had cheongsam styles, one-shoulder dresses, ruffle accents, sleeveless and short-sleeve cuts and various necklines.

Carmanita used casual and asymmetric cut approaches in her designs while Ghea’s chic and modern batik style are shown in the combination of black pants and long-sleeved batik tops, including a high-waisted tulip batik skirt combined with a black low-cut top and batik cardigan.

Hoshi applauded the designers for beautifully applying the company’s request to fully showcase batik in their designs.

“We have worked together with them several times. They understand what we want,” he says.

Danar Hadi is among a few business enterprises in Surakarta that survived the hard time between the 1980s and 2000 at the time Chinese batik, which used printing technology, swarmed the Indonesian market — affecting the handmade batik or batik tulis in other cities.

Batik Kudus, for example, almost stopped some years ago as the Central Java city only relied on Mikmah to produce the exquisite batik.

In a recent fashion show presented by NGO Rumah Pesona Kain at the Dharmawangsa Hotel, Kudus businesswoman Yuli Astuti promoted local motifs of batik from her city.

The organization collaborated with designer Barli Asmara and Inne S. Nurbani to present some 25 ready-to-wear collections that mostly used Yuli’s batik product.

In the collection, called Lady Look, Barli presented a mix and match of different fabric with batik, combining a batik classic dirndl skirt with a lace cardigan, which was inspired by the “New Look”, a design introduced by Christian Dior in 1947.

“Batik Kudus is rich in colors. Before designing the outfit, I would take a look at the colors of the batik cloth first,” Barli says.

He said he chose a certain color from the batik as the basis for the cardigan and top. After that, he used the batik’s basic color to choose the application color for the top and cardigan.

Barli said he treated the handwritten batik very carefully, knowing the intricate process to make the fabric.

“I didn’t cut the cloth for the skirt. It’s still authentic,” he said, adding that the skirt owner could just undo the seam if she wanted to try another style

Yuli said she was proud to introduce batik motifs from her town to a bigger audience in Jakarta.

She did not initially think to start a batik business. She was involved in a family embroidery business until she met Mikmah, an old woman that made her realize that handwritten batik was dying in her town and the young generation was unwilling to continue the cultural heritage.

She refused to sit back and watch. Instead she began learning about batik to preserve the heritage.

“In 2005, I decided to develop Batik Kudus because I realized there was only one artist who was already 80 years old,” Yuli said.

She started her quest by researching philosophy and knowledge on the classic motifs that had existed in her town a long time ago in the hope to popularize the motifs once again.

Some motifs, she says, have their own stories, including the one inspired by Jodhipati fruit, popular among Kudus residents.

“People in Kudus believe that if a seven-month pregnant mother eats the fruit, her baby will be good looking,” Yuli says.

Other classic motifs include beras utah (spread out rice), Chinese love story Sam Pek Eng Tay, the bitter melon flower, a stranded ship, calligraphy and a parijoto (showy Asian grapes) bouquet.

The stranded ship motif was based on an old story of a ship from China that was stranded near Kudus. The ship’s survivors later lived around Mount Muria or Kudus.

New motifs inspired by local icons in Kudus such as the Kudus tower and cigarette maker tool, have also been created.

A few numbers of batik entrepreneurs were born after the Kudus administration paid attention by providing workshop and soft loans.

Yuli said she hopes Batik Kudus gains more prominence once again, with those buying the fabrics curious to learn more about the motifs and stories behind them.

Kuda Lumping: Traditional Art of Indonesia nuance Magic

Dance kuda lumping, which is still thriving in many communities across the archipelago. Traditional dance that is played by "no pattern" by the common people have been born and liked the community, especially in Java, since the existence of the ancient kingdoms doeloe tempo. Initially, according to history, art lumping horse that was born as a symbol of the people also have the ability (kedigdayaan) in the face of the enemy or against the power elite who have the royal army. In addition, also as a medium of entertainment which brings cheap but the phenomenal to the masses.

Now, art kuda lumping still be enough to make a show that captivated the hearts of the audience..Although the existence of these cultural relics began to compete strictly by the entry of foreign art and culture to their homeland, the dance is still showing high attractiveness. Until now, we do not know who or where that sparked community groups (creating) kuda lumping the first time. In fact, lumping horse art found in many regions, and each recognizes the arts as one of their traditional culture. Including, presumably some time ago, was recognized also by the people of Johor in Malaysia as his own in addition to Reog Ponorogo. Kuda lumping outbreak phenomenon of art in various places, with various and s type, can be an indicator that the beauty of this magical full-back impressed "rising star" as a noteworthy cultural arts as an original Indonesian art.

Dipecut, glass and sprinkles of Fire Eating

I do not know what his players can make it like a man possessed. Judging from the way his playing, the dancers like lumping horse has tremendous power, even seem to have supernatural powers. Art of dance that uses fake horse made of woven bamboo and are accompanied by gamelan music such as gongs, kenong, drum and trumpet, the reality can make the audience was amazed by all attractions penunggan (dancer) kuda lumping. Remarkably, a dancer of traditional lumping of the original horse is generally played by kids who dressed him like a princess royal soldiers. Currently, players kuda lumping more dilakoni by a boy.

The sound of a prod (whip) which intentionally bears great players of this art, the beginning of the game and the entry of a mystical power that can anesthetize the-players. With woven bamboo horse, the horse penunggan given his ankles began to rattle this pranced, jumping up rolling on the ground. In addition to jumping, horse dancers did lumping other attractions, like eating glass and peeling coconut husk with his teeth. Glass (glass) that is eaten as an ordinary light bulb that lights our homes. He ate like a starving man glass, not grimacing in pain and no blood at the time he ate the glass-shard.

If viewed from the overall game kuda lumping, sound prod endless series of attractions that appear to dominate. Presumably, each prod by sipenunggang against itself, which is on foot or other body parts, will give a magical effect. That is, when the crack length wicker swing and on the legs and body, the dancer lumping horse will feel stronger, more powerful, more digdaya. Typically, under the circumstances, he's getting wild, and the power to do things abstruse, and not enter diakal normal healthy human.

Lively and festive games lumping horse becomes more complete with a display of attractions jet of flame. Bursts of fire coming out of the mouths of the other players, beginning with gasoline accommodate in their mouth and then sprayed on a fire that burns on a small iron spray tip is made in such a manner so that fire does not die before and after the gas was sprayed from his mouth. On lumping horse game, another meaning is contained in color. The colors are very dominant in this game, namely: red, white and black. A red color symbolizes the courage and spirit. White color symbolizes purity which also exist in the hearts of mind that can reflect all the senses so that it can serve as role models in black.

As a full-mystical and dangerous attraction, lumping horse dance is done under the supervision of a "supernatural leadership." Usually, this leader is a person who has a high unseen that can restore back to the consciousness of the dancer as usual. He is also responsible for the running of its attractions, as well as heal the pain experienced by lumping horse players in case something unwanted and cause illness or injury to the dancer. Therefore, although regarded as a folk game, lumping horse can not be played by anyone, but it must be under the guidance and supervision of the presidents.

It should be maintained and Developed

Broadly speaking, so much art and culture in Indonesia familial inherited from ancestors of the Indonesian nation to the current generation. Now, we as a nation is an heir to the heir of the traditional culture and art that has been properly keep and maintain it properly. Our job is to maintain and develop it, so from day to day not disappeared and the art treasures missing from our society.

One thing we must be aware that Indonesia is still colonized until now with the entry of foreign culture which tried to get rid of local cultures. Therefore, we as the next generation got together to restore the nation back from earlier cultures that exist and should not be swallowed extinct modern times. To that end, the Government and the community is expected to be constantly re-exploring the culture of what until recently was almost not heard from again, to then re-developed and preserved the values of Indonesian culture (Text & photos Yosef)

History of Wayang Kulit

Wayang is a generic term denoting traditional theatre in Indonesia. There is no evidence that wayang existed before Hinduism came to Southeast Asia sometime in the first century CE brought in by Indian traders. However, there very well may have been indigenous storytelling traditions that had a profound impact on the development of the traditional puppet theatre. The first record of a wayang performance is from an inscription dated 930 CE which says "si Galigi mawayang," or "Sir Galigi played wayang". From that time till today it seems certain features of traditional puppet theatre have remained. Galigi was an itinerant performer who was requested to perform for a special royal occasion. At that event he performed a story about the hero Bhima from the Mahabharata

Wayang Kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. The puppets are crafted from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen.

Wayang Kulit plays are invariably based on romantic tales, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, "The Mahabarata" and "The Ramayana". Some of the plays are also based on local happenings (current issues) or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor or "Tok Dalang" to decide his direction.

The Dalang is the genius behind the entire performance. It is he who sits behind the screen and narrates the story. With a traditional orchestra in the background to provide a resonant melody and its conventional rhythm, the Dalang modulates his voice to create suspense thus heightening the drama. Invariably, the play climaxes with the triumph of good over evil.

Hinduism arrived in Indonesia from India even before the Christian era, and was slowly adopted as the local belief system. Sanskrit became the literary and court language of Java and later of Bali. The Hindus changed the Wayang (as did the Muslims, later) to spread their religion, mostly by stories from the Mahabharata or the Ramayana. Later this mixture of religion and wayang play was praised as harmony between Hinduism and traditional Indonesian culture. On Java, the western part of Sumatra and some smaller islands traditionalists continued to play the old stories for some time, but the influence of Hinduism prevailed and the traditional stories either fell into oblivion or were integrated into the Hinduistic plays.

The figures of the wayang are also present in the paintings of that time, for example, the roof murals of the courtroom in Klungkung, Bali. They are still present in traditional Balinese painting today.

When Islam began spreading in Indonesia, the display of God or gods in human form was prohibited, and thus this style of painting and shadow play was suppressed. King Raden Patah of Demak, Java, wanted to see the wayang in its traditional form, but failed to obtain permission from the Muslim religious leaders. As an alternative, the religious leaders converted the wayang golek into wayang purwa made from leather, and displayed only the shadow instead of the figures itself. Instead of the forbidden figures only their shadow picture was displayed, the birth of the wayang kulit.

The figures are painted, flat woodcarvings (a maximum of 5 to 15 mm thick -- barely half an inch) with movable arms. The head is solidly attached to the body. Wayang klitik can be used to perform puppet plays either during the day or at night. This type of wayang is relatively rare.

Wayang today is both the most ancient and most popular form of puppet theatre in the world. Hundreds of people will stay up all night long to watch the superstar performers, dalang, who command extravagant fees and are international celebrities. Some of the most famous dalang in recent history are Ki Nartosabdho, Ki Anom Suroto, Ki Asep Sunarya, Ki Sugino, and Ki Manteb Sudarsono.