Indonesian Batik Through the Ages

ndonesian Batik Through the Ages

What is Batik?

The word “Batik” is derived from an Indonesian-Malay word. Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia are the official languages of Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. Today, batik is a term which refers to the process of applying a dye-resistant substance to prevent the fabric from absorbing colours. One begins with a white fabric. Dye-resist wax is applied to this cloth and allowed to cool. Dye is then applied; after the dye has coloured the parts not covered by wax, the wax is removed and that’s it. The number of times this process is repeated is a measure of how intricate the patterns and designs are.

Though Batik is something that is familiar to most people in the Far East, each region has its own way of making batik and indeed, the styles, fabric and techniques differ. This technique is thought to be over a thousand years old. Although there is no sure explanation about the origins of batik, many observers believe that it was brought to Asia by travellers from the Indian subcontinent from as early as 1000 AD. Through the ancient trade routes, this process was carried to China and was equally popular there.

Today, there are about three thousand recorded batik fabric patterns and many are considered to be antique fabric designs. For the purposes of this article, only those that are most common and derived from Indonesia will be examined. One of the fascinating characteristics of Indonesian batik is the changes in style, motif and colour which have come about through exposure to various foreign cultures. Throughout Indonesian history, each time the rich batik tradition has come into contact with foreigner traders or colonial rulers, they have influenced the development of batik. Therefore, to have a better understanding the history of batik, it is necessary to have a brief understanding of the history of Indonesia, and in particular the island of Java.

Hindu and Buddhist Kingdoms

In the sixth and seventh centuries, many maritime kingdoms arose in Sumatra and Java, which controlled the waters in the Straits of Malacca. They flourished as a result of the sea-trade between China and India and beyond. During this time, scholars from India and China visited these kingdoms to translate literary and religious texts.

The most prominent of the Hindu kingdoms was the Majapahit Empire based in East Java, from where it held sway over a large part of what is now Indonesia. The remnants of the Majapahit's priests, royalties, and artisans, fled to Bali during the sixteenth century, as Muslim kingdoms in the coastal part of the island gained influence.

The evidence of these ancient kingdoms still lies in scores of exquisite religious monuments such as Borobudur. The last and most powerful of these early Hindu-Javanese kingdoms, the 14th century Majapahit Empire, once controlled and influenced much of what is now known as Indonesia, maintaining contacts with trading outposts as far away as the west coast of Papua New Guinea.

The two forms of batik which represent this era are Batik Kraton and Kawaung.

Batik Kratong is regarded as the basic batik of Java. It is rich in Hindu-influenced motifs that have influenced the courts of Java since the 5th century. The Hindus introduced the sacred bird - Garuda, the sacred flower - lotus, the dragon - Naga and the tree of life. These represented the three Hindu Gods Shiva (righteousness), Vishnu (wisdom) and Brahma (strength).

Kawung is a very old design which appeared to be carved into the walls of many temples throughout Java. For many years, this pattern was reserved for the royal court of the Sultan of Jogjakarta. The pattern consists of intersecting circles which are sometimes embellished inside with two or more small crosses or other ornaments such as intersecting lines or dots. It has been suggested that the ovals might represent flora such as the fruit of silk cotton tree or the sugar plum.

Muslim Kingdoms and the Dutch Colonisation

Indian Muslim traders began spreading Islam in Indonesia in the eighth and ninth centuries. By the time Marco Polo visited North Sumatra at the end of the 13th century, the first Islamic states were already established there. Soon afterwards, rulers on Java's north coast adopted the new creed and conquered the Hindu-based Majapahit Empire in the Javanese hinterland. The faith gradually spread throughout archipelago. Today Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic nation.

Indonesia's abundant spices first brought Portuguese merchants to the key trading port of Malacca in 1511. Prized for their flavour, spices such as cloves, nutmeg and mace were literally worth their weight in gold. The Dutch East India Company (known by initials VOC) established a spice monopoly which lasted well into the 18th century. During the 19th century, the Dutch began sugar and coffee cultivation on Java, which was soon providing three-fourths of the world supply of coffee.

In terms of the batik designs which appeared during this era, one of the first was Ceplok. Islam forbids the portrayal of animal and human forms in a realistic manner. To get around this prohibition, the batik workers chose not to express these things in a realistic form. A single element of the form is chosen and then that element is repeated again and again in the pattern. This design known as Ceplok was introduced. It is a general name for a whole series of geometric designs based on squares, circles, stars, etc. Although fundamentally geometric, Ceplok can also represent abstractions and stylization of flowers, buds, seeds and even animals. Variations in colour intensity can create illusions of depth and the overall effect.

Then, there is Parang, which was once used exclusively by the royal courts of Central Java. It has several suggested meanings such as 'rugged rock', 'knife pattern' or 'broken blade'. The Parang design consists of slanting rows of thick knife-like segments running in parallel diagonal bands. There are many variations of this basic striped pattern with its elegant sweeping lines, with over forty Parang designs recorded.

Batik Belanda, literally translated Dutch Batik, appeared as early as 1840. Records show that European settlers on the northern coast of Java started their batik producing activities in the mid-19th century. They pioneered a new era of international enrichment which is still visible in modern day Indonesian batik. Reaching its peak of creativity in 1890-1910, Batik Belanda is clearly recognized through various works of art named after the great designers such as Batik Van Zuylen, Batik Van Oosterom, Batik Prankemon, Batik Metz, Batik Yans, and Batik Coenrad.

An important genre in the development of batik, Batik Sudagaran emerged as early as the end of the 19th century in the principalities of Surakarta and Yogyakarta. The word ‘sudagar’ means merchant. Therefore, this design reflects the merchants in many ways.

Chinese-influenced batik, Batik Cina, emerged in Indonesia some decades after the Dutch-influenced batik. The Chinese motifs included beautiful dragons, the phoenix, snakes, lions and flowers. In contrast with Java’s deep blues and browns, Chinese batik uses brighter, pastel colours.

The designs of Batik Hokokai represent the period during which the Japanese occupied Indonesia (1942-1945). Batik Hokokai has designs which are based on fine intricate backgrounds.

Republican Era

By the turn of the 20th century, nationalist stirring began to challenge the Dutch presence in Indonesia. A four-year guerrilla war led by nationalists against the Dutch on Java after World War II, along with successful diplomatic manoeuvrings abroad, helped bring about independence. The Republic of Indonesia, officially proclaimed on August 17th, 1945, gained sovereignty four years later.

During the first two decades of independence, the republic was dominated by the charismatic figure of Sukarno until 1967. President Soekarno encouraged the creation of a new style of batik, popularly called Batik Indonesia. A symbiosis between various styles of batik, especially of the principalities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta and the north coast of Java, which still utilised brown as the basic colour, Batik Indonesia was developed utilizing bright colours. Some appeared in a totally new design while still using the traditional processing system. Batik Indonesia is also called Batik Modern.

The reason Batik is well-liked is because it is a form of artistic expression that is deeply integrated with many facets of Asian culture. It is an art form which allows the artist many possibilities for freedom of expression; the reason being that the designs are created, not by weaving of thread together, but by drawing and applying dye. It is precisely of this process of completely allowing the fabrics to be completely immersed in dye is what makes the colours therein not fade easily. Batik is, therefore, one of the most versatile of all fabrics.

This is adapted from the ebook, Batik For Beginners™, by Aneeta Sundararaj. To know more about the art of making batik of even obtain some beautiful Malaysian or Indonesian Batik for yourself, visit Batik For Beginners (http://www.batikforbeginners.com)