'Lurik' cloth, an alternative to all that batik

JAKARTA (JP): Recently, a lady rushed into a batik shop at Jakarta's Sukarno-Hatta airport to buy a piece of lurik cloth as a gift for her friend.

The shop's attendant looked confused and was unable to find the cloth among heaps of batik and other local textiles.

"I'm sorry.. mam, I am afraid I've never heard that kind of cloth," she replied hesitantly.

The lady, Suwati Kartiwa, an expert on Indonesian textiles, was startled. "Many of our younger generation no longer recognize lurik cloth. It is really saddening," added Suwati during a recent lecture on lurik, the woven stripped cloth usually worn by people in Central and East Java.

The monthly lecture, organized by the Arts and Culture Development Foundation, was mainly aimed at informing people about the richness of lurik design and arousing awareness and understanding of local culture.

"We avoid discussing sophisticated cultural concepts and focus more on down-to-earth programs. We start from simple and everyday stuff like clothes, houses, house utensils, etc.," added Suwati, the founder of the foundation.

In the lecture, Wahyono Martowikrido, another textile expert, presented a topic on the development of lurik designs and its fate in the modern world.

Wahyono, former head of the archaeological department at the National Museum, said the stripe designs are found all over Indonesia, but with different names in different areas.

Lurik is a term for the stripe design in Central and East Java. In West Java, it is called poleng. In East Nusa Tenggara and other parts of Indonesia, the stripe design in textile is usually combined with other decorative techniques.

Compared to other decorating techniques, such as ikat songket, batik, embroidery, lurik's design is plain.

"The design of lurik remains static compared to batik designs," explained Wahyono.

The design of lurik is repetitive with the combination of two to three colors. The background is usually dark colors like brown, black, maroon or green.

The oldest inscription in which the lurik design is found originated from the Hindu Mataram period in the 8th century.

"Some of the lurik centers in Central Java like Yogyakarta and Ponorogo in East Java are still producing the design, but with limited markets," said Wahyono who has conducted meticulous research on lurik in several places in the area.

At present, only a small number of people, the older generation, wear lurik clothes.

There are four main types of lurik; kain; which wraps around the waist and legs; sarongs made of a smaller kain sewn into a tube-shape; selendang breast and shoulder cloths; and selimut, large wrap-around mantles or blankets.

"If you go to Yogyakarta, Surakarta or other places in Central Java, you'll see people wearing shirts, sarong, and kemben (breast wrapped cloth) made of lurik cloth," noted Wahyono.

Along the famous Malioboro shopping area in Yogyakarta, lurik clothes are sold for Rp 15,000 (for lurik shirt) and Rp 25,000 (for kain panjang, long waistcloth).

In Indonesia and other Asian countries, textiles have a ritual significance that far exceeds utilitarian need.

Many textiles have been woven for ritual purposes in addition to everyday clothing.

Up to the present, Indonesians still believe in the presence of ancestral spirits who can influence, for good and ill, he said.

"To ward off any evil influence and to ensure fertility, health and power, people hold various rituals," he explained.

In such rituals, textiles, including lurik, play very important roles.

At a ruwatan (purification ceremony), lurik cloth is used as part of the ritual offering.

Different lurik designs have different functions. For example, the lurik for a single child in a ruwatan ceremony is different from one for a surviving child whose older brother/sister and younger brother/sister have died.

It is believed the lurik cloth can expel bad omens or evil spirits and it can protect the child from trouble later in life.

During the ruwatan ceremony, the child is covered with lurik cloth. The cloth can be later used as clothing or a bedspread for the boy's bed.

Lurik with sulur ijo design or Jarik Pola Lasem is usually worn during mitoni, a ritual held for a woman when she reaches her seven month of pregnancy according to Javanese calendar.

Lurik is not only worn by commoners but also in royal circles, mostly for offerings.

Every year, Sunan Pakubuwono of the Surakarta Royal Family hold a ceremony of cooking rice in the palace. The dandang (traditional rice cooker) is wrapped around with a lurik cloth.

Such ceremonies still occur in the Javanese community today.

The lurik cloth also functions to determine the status, women in particular. Young girls are required to wear lurik mresik especially designed for unmarried maidens.

In Wonogiri area, Central Java, a specific design called lurik denking is often worn with lurik mrutu sewu kemben by young widows or lanjar in Javanese language.

In Bagelen area near Yogyakarta, there is also a certain lurik design for women belonging to a five-generation clan.

The name of lurik designs are similar to those of batik designs and gamelan (Javanese traditional orchestra) instruments such as lurik kinanti for young girls who are in love.

Suwati urged local designers to improve lurik design and the dyeing process.

"Some designers successfully promote ikat cloth, batik and other local textiles. They should try with lurik," said Suwati. (raw)