History Of Indonesian Batik

Traditional Batik historically derived from Indonesian ancestors, known since 17th century, first recorded batik was written and painted on palm leaves with main pattern and picture were dominated with the form of animals and plants. But in its development the painting patterns from animals and plants gradually turn to the more abstract patterns, that resembles clouds, temple engraving, or other javanese traditional art such as wayang beber. Furthermore, it continues to evolve to the batik as we know it today.

Derived from the Javanese Batik 'Amba' which means writing and 'titik' which means dots. The word 'amba' refers to fabrics with batik patterns generated by the wax materials are applied to the fabric, and dotting is the dominant painting technique in batik designs.

In the old Javanese kingdom, batik is identical with woman beauty and was used in measuring the beauty of the princess with her versatility in making batik using canting.

Canthing is one tool to write on batik cloth using wax. Until the discovery of 'batik stamping' style which allows the entry of men into the batik production, technically batik canthing only for kingdom princess.

In the beginning Batik only restricted for palace family and only wore for royal families. Because many of the royal servants lived outside the palace, the art of batik was brought out from the palace starting as an exclusive art of painting for rich family, and thus begins to spread to commoner which uses their own homespun fabric, and begins to be a hobby in the young Indonesian woman.

In the old tradition, batik painter should not be carelessly poured his inspiration on the fabric. Before batik painter handwritten the pattern to the paper, first the painter should do a little rituals like fasting and reading mantra, a special Hindu praying to worship God. And after batik sheet finished, the painter should do a closing ritual.

Yet the history of batik in fact contain a very high art value to Indonesian. Parang Rusak batik for example, actually was a sacred batik patterns used only in the palace environment. Similarly, the color and pattern of batik Parang Rusak may determine the origin of the palace the wearer, whether from the Palace of Solo or Palace of Jogja.

History Of Indonesian Culture

As early as the seventh century, powerful Buddhist and Hindu empires challenged each other for supremacy in Indonesia: the Buddhist Srivijaya were centered in Sumatra, while the Hindu Mataram located their capital on Java. The rich architectural and cultural legacy that remains from that time forms the basis for Indonesia's national identity. In the thirteenth century, the Hindu Majapahit of Java faced a strong challenge from Muslim forces, which spread south from the Malay peninsula. Slowly losing ground, the Hindus retreated to Bali, where they remain today. The rest of the islands became Muslim, and various sultanates were established.

The sixteenth century marked the arrival of the Portuguese, the first Europeans in Indonesia. Although the Portuguese broke the Islamic hold on Indonesia, they were eventually displaced in turn by the Dutch, who named the area the Dutch East Indies. Although a revolt led by Javanese Prince Diponegoro in 1825 briefly threatened Holland's empire, Dutch rule continued until W.W.II and invasion by the Japanese. The Indonesian revolutionary nationalist movement, led by Sukarno, welcomed the Japanese as a potential force of liberation, and at the war's end the movement embarked upon a bloody war of independence against the restored Dutch rule. Although the war dragged on for four long years, from 1945-1949, the independence movement was ultimately victorious.

Turmoil characterized the first decade of Indonesian independence, until in 1957 Sukarno unified power in his own person. An attempted coup against Sukarno in 1965 brought renewed turmoil; however, the army led by General Suharto restored order and initiated a purge of communists. Eventually Suharto eased Sukarno out of the presidency and assumed office himself. Suharto's rule ushered in a period of stability and economic development.

Indonesia's varied past has produced a remarkable array of vibrant cultures,making it one of the world's most diverse and fascinating travel destinations. Today, Indonesia is the fifth most populous nation on Earth, with over 180 million citizens comprising over 300 ethnicities. Most Indonesians are of Malay or Polynesian descent, though the country's history has produced minority populations from India, China, Arabia, and Persia, as well as from European colonial powers such as Portugal, Holland, Spain, and England.

Although primarily a Muslim nation, Indonesia is marked by wide religious tolerance. Hinduism thrives on Bali, and Christianity has a significant presence on Flores, Timor, and several other islands. Indonesians speak numerous languages and dialects, but the common language is Bahasa Indonesia. English and Dutch are also widely spoken.