Delegates take home Batik Garutan

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The heads of the delegations attending the commemorative summit in Bandung went home with more than just a stack of documents on Sunday, as they each received a special package containing batik from Garut, West Java.

A total of 106 special gifts containing batik cloth and shirts were presented by West Java Governor Danny Setiawan to the delegates during lunch at the Governor's Mansion.

Popularly known as "Batik Garutan", the batik industry and its handmade designs are a source of pride in West Java, which is only starting to pull out of recession after being severely effected by the 1997 economic crisis.

Memet Hamdan, chairman of the West Java Investment Board, said the commemorative summit would help promote West Java batik on the international market.

The popularity of Batik Garutan reached its peak between the 1960s and the mid-1980s, with about 126 companies operating in the small town of Garut, located about 110 kilometers southeast of Bandung.

The local batik industry all but collapsed in the wake of the economic crisis, reportedly leaving just three companies still in business by 2000.

One of the survivors is Uba Sri Musaodah Muharam, whose batik factory in Garut began producing in 1976. The 54-year-old businesswoman received orders to produce batik for the commemorative summit some three months ago.

Uba refused to reveal the price of the batik saying only that price was not the issue given the promotional value involved.

Nevertheless, the average price of good quality handmade Batik Garutan ranges from Rp 1.8 million to Rp 8.5 million per item.

Unlike other traditional batiks from other parts of Java island, Batik Garutan does not have specific motifs. Many of its designs are considered quite contemporary. Its distinctiveness lies in its light colors and the incorporation of motifs from other regions.

The basic cloth used can consist of various types of material, including cotton and Thai silk.