From the cradle to the grave, batik is part of Indonesian life. Today
the nation celebrates as batik is officially added to the Unesco list
of the world's intangible cultural heritage.
It is something of a human failing - not appreciating what we
have until it has almost slipped through our fingers, especially those
things that are intangible by nature.
For centuries, Indonesians have been blessed with a rich ethnic
diversity and a wealth of cultural heritage, but in the drive for
modernization, it has often been overlooked.
Not until this century have real efforts been made to protect and promote aspects of traditional culture.
For all those who dedicate their time and effort to safeguarding
intangible cultural heritage - and for all those who take pride, if
belatedly, in what is theirs - having something characteristically
Indonesian included on the Unesco world list is a major milestone.
Today, Indonesia receives what could be considered a gift to
celebrate its 64th anniversary of independence, with batik - a
traditional wax-resist dyeing technique used on textiles - being
officially added to the Representative List of Unesco's World Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
"Our nomination proposal ranked first among some 111 others
submitted last year," said Gaura Mancacaritadipura, who helped draft the
batik proposal.
The official announcement is part of Unesco's fourth session in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.
So does this mean that Indonesia is indeed the rightful owner of
the textile-making technique that a neighbor has recently laid claim to?
Not necessarily. And perhaps that's not the most important aspect of the ongoing effort to protect and promote batik.
"This is not about a patent war," said Tjetjep Suparman, the
Cultural Affairs Ministry's director general for cultural value, art and
films.
For
the future: The Surakarta administration, in Central Java, is planning
to include batik making on school curriculums. JP/Ken Mahesa
"It
[batik] has been in the public domain for so long, but efforts to put
it on the Unesco list could have a great impact on its development."
The inclusion of batik on the Unesco heritage list is a baby step
in the nation's ongoing task of striving to keep the tradition alive.
Indeed, it is only the latest step in the revival batik has
experienced just this century, with many crediting designer Edward "Edo"
Hutabarat with popularizing batik. His 2006 collection kicked off the
trend of expanding batik into more than just the de rigeur - and often
staid - formal wear, making it a must-have fashion item.
As noted by Adiati Arifin Siregar, chairwoman of traditional
textile enthusiasts group Himpunan Wastaprema, the addition to the list
is an official acknowledgement that hand-drawn batik is integral to
Indonesian culture.
Integral it may be, but the art of batik making - by whatever
name it is known - does not have its earliest origins here. Yet over
time the Indonesian variety has endured, developing its own distinctive
features.
"The technique of using the canting [a pen-like device to draw
the batik pattern in wax] and malam [beeswax] only exists in Indonesia,"
Gaura pointed out, adding that the motifs that developed in Java were
another strong individual point for Indonesian batik.
The use of the canting evolved from the need for a brush-like
device to produce finer lines on the finer cotton fabric brought by the
Dutch during the colonial era. Later, in the 19th century, the canting
technique developed into a larger printing device made of brass or
copper.
Those with only a cursory understanding of the technique might
believe it to be mostly about the painting process. Rather, it is a
long, detailed process involving soaking and boiling the cotton mori,
lightly drawing the pattern, retracing the pattern with melted wax and
then dyeing the cloth several times to achieve the desired shades.
All natural: Traditional batik uses natural fabrics, beeswax and natural materials for dyes. JP/Anissa S. Febrina
The
traditional practice of batik making has long been quite natural as it
uses either beeswax or wood sap from certain kinds of plants for the
dye-resistant ink and natural materials for dyes such as indigo.
But quite apart from the technical details, batik has been
recognized as an aspect of intangible cultural heritage, which is a
recognition of the part the textile plays in Indonesian cultural life.
As Adiati notes, batik has long been part of the Indonesian
people's life cycle, with motifs, particularly Javanese ones, embracing
"deep philosophical meanings of life".
"From before one's birth until death, batik is used in various
rituals," she said. "From the seventh-month ritual when the mother-to-be
is wrapped in seven layers of different batik cloths, each denoting a
particular meaning, during the delivery of a newborn, the tedak siten
ceremony when a child touches the earth for the first time, [to] batik
at weddings, batik as part of the labuhan ceremony when people throw
their problems away at sea, [and finally] to batik as a shroud."
And, she added, although Yogyakarta and Central Java are
considered the heartland of the traditional art form, it is
characteristic of the entire nation.
"Research has shown that hand-drawn batik is found in 19
provinces [in Indonesia], each with the region's own motifs and
meanings," she said.
In Javanese culture, noted Dipo Alam, one of the founders of the
Indonesian Batik Foundation, traditional batik "has special meanings
rooted in the Javanese conceptualization of the universe".
As he pointed out, no other country had requested anything like batik to be added to the Unesco list.
The importance of batik in people's everyday lives was a significant factor in the proposal for its inclusion on the list.
"One of the requirements to be listed as world heritage is not
only support from batik researchers and practitioners, but also from
various batik associations and communities around the country," Adiati
said.
Most important was the grassroots support, she added, "a strong fundamental source of ordinary people".
And "ordinary people" are among those celebrating the news.
Batik fever has swept many parts of the country this week,
particularly Yogyakarta and Central Java. President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono urged Indonesians "wherever they are" to wear batik on Friday,
and many started early, with employees at companies across Jakarta -
from restaurants to gyms - wearing batik instead of uniforms.
Civil servants of the Yogyakarta Provincial Office are wearing batik for three days, starting Thursday.
"Batik is literally part of our life," said Winarti Agustin, a
provincial employee. "From our birth we were carried using batik cloth,
and when we die, our body is covered by a piece of batik on top of us."
Technique: Indonesian batik developed its own distinctive features. JP/Anissa S. Febrina
The
Yogyakarta administration has also called on residents and
schoolchildren to wear batik for a whole week starting Friday. Buildings
in the city are also being decorated in batik.
Separately East Java Governor Soekarwo is issuing a decree that
all provincial employees wear batik on certain days of the week.
"It will create a certain sense of pride to wear something that
is internationally recognized," he said as quoted by Antara from
Surabaya.
He noted that East Java has its own styles: "Madura, Sidoarjo, Jombang all have unique potential."
In Surakarta, Central Java, the local administration plans to include batik in the school curriculum.
"From elementary school to high school, starting in 2010," said
Rakhmat Sutomo, the head of the Surakarta Education, Youth and Sports
Office, as quoted by Antara.
At elementary school, children will be taught basic patterns of
batik; high school students will learn about the production process.
All this could be what Iman Sucipto Umar from the Kadin
Foundation described as "something we do out of pure concern for the
preservation of culture."
Working with several batik observers, Iman initiated and helped
complete the 18-month-long effort to compile all the necessary
information for Unesco.
"It's only a way of making people more concerned," he added.
"What's more important is to build a community that will keep on
preserving the culture."
Or in the words of designer Edward Hutabarat, as quoted in The Jakarta Post WEEKENDER in January: "Let the batik talk."
"This is its era now. It's our hope," he said. "It's something that can help make Indonesia rise up."
source : Jakartapost
Ditulis Oleh Haryanto AgS : Unknown ~ Aneka Info, Software, Blogging, Kesehatan, Games, Driver Laptop, Mp3, Movie
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang Batik Day . Anda diperbolehkan mengcopy paste atau menyebar-luaskan artikel ini, namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link dibawah ini sebagai sumbernya. Saling menghargai kreatifitas Sesama Blogger. Ok
No comments:
Post a Comment