Old batik items to highlight festival

Old batik items to highlight festival

PEKALONGAN, Central Java: An exhibition of batik items made in 18th century will highlight the Pekalongan Batik Festival held in the coastal city between Sept. 15 and Sept. 18, an exhibition committee member said on Wednesday.

Afif Syakur, a member of the festival's organizing committee, said that the committee would exhibit at least 100 batik collections from the 18th century.

The chairman of the festival's organizing committee, Romi Oktabirawa, said that besides organizing a batik exhibition, the festival's committee would also hold a seminar on batik. Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, is expected to attend the two-day seminar set to begin on September 17.

Also as part of the festival's preparations, the committee is currently building 27 stands to allow local batik makers to display their collections during the festival, said Romi.

The committee will also exhibit a giant women's batik blouse 880 centimeters high, 540 centimeters in diameter and 1,500 centimeters long. The blouse, 100 times bigger than a normal blouse, which weighs 42 kilograms. -- Antara