Batik's pattern and length have a special meaning
Batik's pattern and length have a special meaning
JAKARTA (JP): Batik is worn on various occasions, but few
people understand that each batik pattern and length of cloth
carries a certain meaning and is created for a certain occasion.
According to batik expert Rahmaniar Soeriatna Djoemena, more
popularly known as Nian Djoemena, the traditions of using and
wearing batik are many and varied and differ from region to
region.
Batik has been used as kain panjang (long cloth), sarongs,
headgear, kemben, selendang and dodot, says Nian, an ardent batik
collector and expert.
In her book Batik dan Mitra (Batik and Other Textiles), Nian
explains the customs and traditions of wearing batik.
In Central Java, particularly in Surakarta and Yogyakarta,
women wear kain panjang without wiron (pleats).
In the past, members of the Surakarta and Yogyakarta royal
families never wore pleated kain panjang. But fashions change,
and more and more Javanese noble women now wear pleated kain
panjang on formal occasions and unpleated kain panjang at
informal events.
The use of kain panjang in these two regions is closely
related to various religious and traditional customs. The form
and style of batik one wears are in accordance with one's social
status, age and also dependant on the particular occasion.
The Sabukwolo style is for young, virginal girls who wear kain
panjang or cinde combined with gold lace kebaya (a Javanese
blouse).
The Sabukwolo style is also used by young boys who have not
been circumcised. The style is also known as cothan.
The Sereddan style of unpleated kain panjang is worn by female
members of Javanese royal families. In the royal families, this
style is only used by the female members closest to the king,
including the monarch's queen, daughters, granddaughters and
daughters-in-law.
The Kembaran style is usually worn on special occasions such
as a wedding ceremony. The bride and groom wear kain panjang of
similar motif and color. The style can also be worn by the entire
family at a special event. Such style symbolizes unity.
Another style is kemben or semekkan. This style is usually
worn by noble women in the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta.
When wearing this style, a woman should wrap her kain panjang
around her body from the left to the right side. The kemben is
combined with silk or other textiles which function as breast
covers. The style is usually worn by noble princesses or noble
girls and brides-to-be.
A bride-to-be often wears the semekkan sindur style for the
midodarenan ceremony, which takes place on the night before the
wedding. The sindur cloth used as kemben symbolizes fertility and
prosperity. The sindur cloth is worn with kain panjang with the
truntum motif, which symbolizes eternal love.
Female servants of the courts also wear kemben but with
different motifs. They wear folded kain panjang as kemben which
is called ubet-ubet.
Batik is also worn in the dodot, dodotan and basahan styles.
Dodot is the formal attire of both the Yogyakarta and Surakarta
royal families and is worn at important ceremonies such as
jumenengan (the coronation of the king).
Dodot is divided into two types -- dodot ageng (large sized
dodot) and dodot alit (smaller size dodot). Wearing a dodot
requires a lot of effort and certain skills. It takes about two
hours to put on the dodot. The way of wearing a dodot ageng is
related to one's status.
Men wear dodot over cinde lancingan or trousers, while women
wear it over the cinde or kain panjang. Dodot is worn with a belt
called selepe. For men, the buckle or ceplok is square, while
women wear oval ceplok. Noble men must wear dodot ageng
accompanied by a kris (dagger) fixed to the back of the waist,
and noble women wear an udhet (sash) at the front.
A dodot is a long kain panjang folded in accordance with a
required style. The left end of the dodot is gathered in the
front and tied at the waist. The remaining part of the dodot is
swept around (samparan) to the back to form layers (cincingan)
and trails (konca). If the wearer is a king or a prince, the
layers of the dodot should be placed in a high position between
the knees and waist. The trails of his dodot should be long
enough so to sweep the floor. During a royal ceremony, a number
of courtiers should walk behind the king to hold the trail of his
dodot.
Lower-ranking royal officials are only allowed to wear dodot
without a trail. The cincingan (layers) should be placed in a low
position, between the ankles and knees.
Other styles of wearing dodot, ini addition to the batik's
motif, also indicate a person's rank in society. The style of
dodot ngumbar konco is only worn by kings, princes and married
princesses, and noble couples at their wedding ceremonies. Sri
Sultan Hamengkubowono, the current sultan of Yogyakarta, was
dressed in dodot ngumbar konco at his wedding ceremony. He wore
dodot with a parang rusak barong motif combined with a pelangi
motif in the middle. Such a motif is sacred and is only worn by
Javanese kings. Dodot ngumbar konco is longer than dodot worn by
low-rank society so that it can sweep the floor.
Another style of dodot ageng is dodot sampir konco. It is worn
by regents and other court officials. The motif of batik worn in
dodot sampir konco can be varied as long as it doesn't use any
forbidden patterns such as parang rusak. This kind of dodot is
shorter and it is worn without it touching the floor.
Aside from the different styles, people should also pay
attention to the colors and motifs of each batik. Each color and
motif carries deep philosophical significance.
Just how seriously batiks were regarded as signs of the
wearer's social standing was demonstrated by the fact that in the
second half of the century, the sultans in Surakarta and
Yogyakarta issued a law that prohibited the general use of
certain batik patterns, permitting their use only by people of a
certain rank.
In Surakarta, the patterns included parang rusak, cemukiran,
and the sawat. The latter depicts a pair of wings with an open
tail in the middle and symbolizes the Garuda, the mythical bird,
and the holy riding bird of the Hindu God Wisnu. The mythical
Garuda is now the symbol of the nation.
Although these patterns are now available on the market, many
Javanese people still regard it impolite to wear these forbidden
patterns.
Many of the batik patterns from Central Java show elements of
Hindu-Javanese beliefs such as the Garuda bird, the holy mountain
meru and the mythical dragon naga. According to these beliefs the
naga is a female symbol identified as fertility, rain and the
ocean. It also symbolizes the underworld. The mountain meru is
related to both pre and post-Hindu Java. Javanese believe that
the higher, wooded mountain regions are not only the realm of the
gods, but also the souls of their ancestors.
There are several motifs which are thought to have special
meanings. Kain panjang with sidomukti motifs are often worn by a
bride and a groom. The motif sido (always) and mukti (happiness
and prosperity) symbolize happiness. It is expected that the
couple can build a happy family life.
Kain panjang with the truntum motif is usually worn by parents
of the bride and groom. During the wedding ceremony, the parents
wear kain kembaran truntum sawat which symbolizes their
willingness to lead the couple into a new life.
Colors
In addition to the motifs and patterns, colors also play an
important role. The light-green called Mayang Mekar is worn by
young virgins. Green-white or Godong melati, the color of jasmine
leaves, is regarded as the color of Nyi Roro Kidul, the legendary
queen of the South Seas. In the past, Javanese people would not
dare wear the color when visiting the coastal areas in southern
parts of Java. They believed that the queen reigned in these
areas. Many people wearing green clothes drowned in the sea and
were believed to have been sacrificed as offerings for the queen.
Times have changed. People now wear batik for various
purposes, thanks to the efforts of famous batik designers like
Iwan Tirta and Prayudi, who helped popularize batik nationwide.
Batik is tailored as a daily wear or elegant night attire. It is
also used for interior decoration.
Djoemena, however, feels concerned about the change, saying,
"People may wear batik in any kind of style, but they still have
to understand the philosophy behind each motif, otherwise we will
lose our valuable heritage. Batik is our pride." (raw)