Yogyakarta palace seeks to preserve rare batik motifs

Yogyakarta palace seeks to preserve rare batik motifs

By Tiwi and Erry

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Batik is an art form inseparable from
Javanese Palaces, especially Yogyakarta and Solo (Surakarta).
Historically, batik was created by artists living in and around
the palace. Palace batiks come in several hundred motifs but many
of them have been lost.

Initially, batik making was done by princesses with help form
their dayang (female assistants). In olden times, the princesses
were kept and educated at the palace, so they had plenty of
leisure time. Batikmaking became their hobby.

The activity influenced their daily lives. And batik
eventually became the royal family's everyday attire. As a
result, demand for batik rose over time.

After Indonesia became independent, more and more people
turned to "modern" clothing. This development made batik clothing
outdated. Even worse, the disappearance of court batik motifs
eroded the role of the palace as the batik center.

This situation worried Queen GKR Hemas, wife of Sri Sultan HB
X of Yogyakarta. And she has come to realize that the court batik
should be preserved as an indigenous art form of priceless value.

Since December 1999, the Queen has called batikmakers to the
palace to copy batik motifs that have become rare and to train
young artists in batikmaking. The priority is to revive the
Yogyakarta Palace motifs.

"These motifs are very special, intricate and sometimes make
the artisans impatient," GKR Hemas once said.

The Yogyakarta palace has been cataloging rare batik motifs
and to do this, GKR Hemas is assisted by GBRAy Murdakusuma, a
relative of the Sultan.

Over the past eight months, they have rediscovered 15 rare
Yogyakarta Palace motifs called Baladewa, Peksi Raja, Picis
Cohung, Kladuk Manis, Peksi Kingkin, Sawunggaling, Semen Ngreni,
Sekar Asem, Lung Pete, Keteblem, Clekitit, Kuda Sarinjana and
Bledak Semen Ragas. All were created before 1920.

GBRAy Murdakusuma said palace artists also produce copies of
the old motifs. To promote the rare batik motifs, the palace has
opened its door to outside collectors. Murdakusuma said that a
piece of court motif costs at least Rp 600,000.

"Actually these motifs belong to the Yogyakarta Palace, but we
don't want to be possessive. If people want to own them, they
should buy from us. We hope these motives can also be made
outside the palace, so that they won't be lost," Murdakusuma
said.

According to batik artists, each motif is a reflection of the
maker's emotion at the time of creation and each has its own
history. Batik also mirrors one's social status in the palace.
There are special motifs which were specially designed for the
sultan and his relatives.

For instance, the barong motive was created specially for the
king. The commoners wore other motives, such as Kawung, Kawung
Picis, Parang Rusak, Parang Gurdo and Kesatrian. Truntum and Sido
Mukti are motifs worn by the brides and the grooms on their
wedding day.

Truntum is one of most the popular motifs. Truntum means
spring and its creation is attributed to Kanjeng Ratu Beruk, wife
of Sunan Pakoe Boewana VII, King of Surakarta ruling from 1830-
1858. Truntum was created when Kanjeng Ratu Beruk was in exile
after she was expelled from the palace. It was during her
languish that she made the truntum batik.

When the king visited her, she was working with canting, a
small pot used to apply wax to cloth. The king was fascinated by
the graceful way she applied the wax. He fell in love with the
truntum and forgave his wife and allowed her to return to the
palace.

From this story has come the tradition for couples to wear
truntum on their wedding day in hopes their love would last
forever.