Pekalongan Batik conforms to demand<\/p>\n
By Ahmad Solikhan<\/p>\n
PEKALONGAN, Central Java (JP): Batik has been known for
\nseveral centuries as a reflection of Indonesia culture. It was
\ndeveloped through interisland trade, nurturing the creation of
\nvarious decorative designs and colors adapted to the culture of
\nthe respective areas.<\/p>\n
As masterpieces of skilled hands, batik was only worn by
\nmembers of royal families. However, batik had gradually been
\npopularized in the society as the royal families wanted to spread
\nthe culture.<\/p>\n
Javanese men and women use batik as part of their traditional
\nattire. Previously batik's motifs and colors indicated the social
\nstatus of the users. Certain batik designs, like the parangrusak
\nmotif, are still considered sacred as they were specially
\ndesigned for sultans, their consorts and crown princes.<\/p>\n
As time went by, handprinting batik became less popular.
\nHandmade batik was mostly created by the women folk in villages,
\nbut today even they are abandoning the activity.<\/p>\n
The emergence of batik printing companies absorbed hundreds of
\nmale and female batik workers. This disadvantaged handmade batik
\nproducers. Ironically, some of handmade batik experts had to
\nleave their family business and start working at these companies
\nas in seen in Cirebon, Pekalongan, Yogyakarta and Surakarta,
\nwhich have been known as centers for handmade batik.<\/p>\n
Batik printing companies prefer to fulfill market demands
\ninstead of maintaining the classical and traditional handmade
\nbatik motifs, which usually takes longer to complete and is more
\nexpensive. Machine printed batik can be produced faster and at
\nlower prices, and thus have been in greater demand both locally
\nand internationally.<\/p>\n
Combination<\/p>\n
The current demand for machine-printed batik prompted 40-year-
\nold Ahmad Ilyas, owner of Seni Motif Batik company at Pringlangu
\nvillage in Pekalongan, Central Java, to change his business
\nstrategy.<\/p>\n
He has managed his company, previously run by his parents, for
\n12 years. The company previously only produced handmade batik
\nwith the support of 20 workers. Like other companies, it used to
\nonly produce batik with traditional motifs such as flowers,
\nparang (knife design) and jlamprang (eight-rayed rosette motif
\nset in squares, circles or lozenges).<\/p>\n
Due to its decreasing demand since 1990, Ilyas began to
\ncombine machine-printed and handmade batik patterns with modern
\nmotifs, including abstract, polosan (plain background) and cuwiri
\n(wings) designs. The mixture of bright and dull colors attracted
\nmany customers.<\/p>\n
\"I was hardly able to fulfill the overwhelming orders from
\nlocal and foreign customers,\" said Ilyas.<\/p>\n
So Ilyas recruited more workers, mass produced batik and
\nexported them to Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and Japan. Modern
\nbatik motifs are produced in lengths of three meters to four
\nmeters per piece. A three-in-one piece (for a skirt, blouse and
\nshawl) is sold at Rp 800,000 (US$84) per score in the
\ninternational market. The commodity is distributed abroad through
\nPT Cahaya Gumilang in Bandung and PT Jaya Makmur in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
To meet demands in Jakarta, Surabaya, Ujungpandang and Bali,
\nthe products are sent directly to the market in the cities.<\/p>\n
Batik pieces for the domestic market are smaller in size,
\nmeasuring two meters to three meters in length but it can cost up
\nto Rp 1 million per score due to the better quality material.<\/p>\n
\"Local customers generally look for better quality material
\nrather than the motif,\" Ilyas said.<\/p>\n
Ilyas's company produces at least 1,000 scores per month to
\nmeet the demands of the international market and between 500
\nscores and 600 scores per month for the domestic supply. To
\nproduce 1,600 scores of batik, the company needs about 500,000
\nyards of plain cloth, worth Rp 5,000 to Rp 8,000 per yard, per
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Plain cloth and batik wax are available in the local market,
\nbut batik dyes must be imported from India, China and Germany,
\nthus pushes up the prices.<\/p>\n
The combined machine and handprinted process comprises three
\nstages. The first stage sees the plain cloth cut in the required
\nsize and stamped with the printing color stamps.<\/p>\n
Colors in the printed material are protected with batik wax
\nscooped out with a canting (small, thin-walled, spouted, copper
\ncup). The material is then dipped in boiling dye for a moment and
\nthen dried in the sun.<\/p>\n
Batik makers<\/p>\n
All workers involved in the batik production in Ilyas' company
\nwork under contract with wages between Rp 20,000 and Rp 50,000
\nper score, depending on their job and skill.<\/p>\n
Ilyas admitted his company once faced sluggish sales,
\nespecially at the beginning of the economic turmoil, which hit
\nthe country in 1997. There was hardly any batik printing
\nactivity in Pringlangu village at the time. However, a year
\nlater, the batik home industry began to recover.<\/p>\n
\"Almost all villages in Pekalongan produce batik today. Though
\nthe sales volume is small, it is sufficient to meet the daily
\nexpenses of the villagers,\" said Ilyas.<\/p>\n
Teguh Susetyo, 26, one of Ilyas' workers, said he earned
\nbetween Rp 10,000 and Rp 20,000 per day, depending on his
\nproductivity.<\/p>\n
\"We'll automatically speed up our work when we need more
\nmoney,\" Teguh laughed and was quickly joined by his colleagues.<\/p>\n
Globalization and new trends have caused people to forget
\ntheir culture and the protracted economic crisis in Indonesia has
\ninspired small-scale businesses in villages to modernize.<\/p>\n
But will the changes cause the younger generation to forget
\ntheir culture?<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pekalongan-batik-conforms-to-demand-1447893297",
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