Batik auction to help out bright but needy students<\/p>\n
By Pavan Kapoor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Many a woman has lovingly caressed the soft
\nfabric of her stole and proudly claimed it to be inherited from
\nher mother or grandmother. After all, an heirloom means more than
\nany price tag can.<\/p>\n
All mothers have that one special item carefully wrapped in
\nthe upper corner of the attic which awaits presentation to their
\nchildren on a special occasion.<\/p>\n
But Nunny Asmuni Said is a different kind of mother. She plans
\nto have her legacy reach further than her own children and touch
\nthe lives of hundreds of students.<\/p>\n
Nunny is auctioning 150 of her antique batik outfits at the
\nInternational Cultural Activity Center (ICAC) on May 26. The
\nauction will be opened by Minister of Settlement and Regional
\nDevelopment Erna Witoelar. The auction will be open to public on
\nMay 27.<\/p>\n
All the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the ICAC
\nLeadership Development and Scholarship Program to assist final
\nyear university students who have been forced to drop out or are
\nstruggling to survive due to the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the auction can be called the vision of one woman for
\nhelping the country deal with the crisis.<\/p>\n
Nunny has four daughters. At the auction she will be
\nrepresented by her youngest daughter Shinta, who sought the
\nassistance of a textile curator from a museum to value the pieces
\nthat are to be auctioned.<\/p>\n
"We could easily have kept some of her exquisite pieces for
\nourselves but we respect mother's wishes," said Shinta. "She
\nbelieves that if we kept the collection, it would only go as far
\nas the family. But if we auction the collection and use the money
\nto help educate needy university students it is an investment
\nthat will go much further. By letting go of her batik collection,
\nmother hopes to contribute to the recovery from the economic
\ncrisis in her own humble way."<\/p>\n
Shinta explained the history and the value of some of
\nthe exhibits to be auctioned. Some of the pieces were passed down
\nfrom Nunny's grandmother; there is even one designed by Iwan
\nTirta specially for her grandmother.<\/p>\n
Of the 150 up for auction, about 25 are very special antique
\nbatiks. There are a couple of pieces from East Kalimantan that
\nhave a unique shocking pink color and an exclusive pattern, which
\nmay well have been designed under the influence of artisans from
\nChina or Tibet.<\/p>\n
Individual philosophy<\/p>\n
Batik designs are something which bear significance to the
\noccasion they are worn for and so every design has its own
\nindividual philosophy. Batiks worn for weddings, funerals,
\nchildbirth and other occasions are each different. A batik
\ncollector or curator who has studied the art of batik understands
\nthe significance of antique batik textiles and garments. And
\nperhaps that is why invitees to the auction include guests such
\nas Iwan Tirta, Mrs. Ginandjar Kartasasmita from Yayasan Batik
\nIndonesia and established batik designers and retailers such as
\nDanar Hadi.<\/p>\n
Some of the pieces are traditional Pekalongan batiks, which
\nare about 75 years to 80 years old. An eye-opening exhibit, which
\nShinta hopes will fetch a good price, is a piece from Pekalongan,
\npainted in 25 karat gold.<\/p>\n
Another rare piece from Jambi in Sumatra features calligraphic
\nArabic letters. It shows a similarity to the traditional Indian
\nPatolla print and dates back more than half a century.<\/p>\n
Nunny's traditional and antique batik sarongs and selendang
\nstoles are worthy of an institution such as the ICAC, which
\ncarries out charity work in a unique manner.<\/p>\n
The executive director of the ICAC, Velvy Holden, said that
\nthe scholarship program is one with a difference. It not only
\nprovides financial assistance to needy students, but also works
\nwith them to help them become more productive members of society.<\/p>\n
The ICAC Leadership Development Scholarship Program, which is
\nheaded by Sri Lienau, has assisted about 47 university students
\nup till now.<\/p>\n
"Each student is selected by the social service committee of
\nthe center based on family income, good academic standing,
\nleadership potential and willingness to work part-time in the
\ncommunity," Sri said.<\/p>\n
The students are those who are excelling academically but due
\nto poverty are finding it difficult sustain themselves through
\nthe final year. They are often the children of pedicab drivers,
\nwarung food stall owners or noodle vendors.<\/p>\n
"They are the students who want to forge ahead and make
\nsomething of their lives and yet due to financial circumstances
\nare unable to. You cannot learn on an empty stomach," says Sri.<\/p>\n
Every student who is selected gets about Rp 3 million
\nannually, which only covers about 75 percent of their needs. The
\ncenter hopes to attract donations from people who see the honest
\nefforts made by each scholarship recipient.<\/p>",
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