Lasem and Madura, City of Handmade Batik in Eastern Central Java of Indonesia

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Lasem is a subdistrict in Rembang regency, Central Java known as “Kampung Batik Tulis” or handmade batik village. Lasem is a handmade batik from eastern central java of Indonesia or Batik Laseman which is famous for its character as beautiful coastal batik with bold coloring, which is the typical color of blood red chicken, 'green bottle' and dark blue, and yellow.

Lasem Batik is an acculturation of Chinese culture and local culture also called batik three countries, named “Batik Tiga Negeri” because this batik has a combination of three distinctive colors from three different places, that is the typical color of “Lasem Mandiri” that is red blood chicken, Typical Pekalongan Batik Color that is indigo blue, and Typical Batik Kraton Color (Solo / Yogyakarta) colored “Chocolate Soga”.

Lasem Batik, handmade batik from eastern central java of Indonesia

Lasem Batik is a batik art style pesisiran rich color and has multicultural characteristics, as a result of the acculturation of many cultures, especially Chinese culture and Javanese culture. In Lasem batik easily recognizable blend of colors and motifs of cross cultural results. For example, a typical Chinese fauna motif (hong or phoenix, kilin, liong or dragon, goldfish and so on) or floral motifs (floral, pomegranate, magnolia, peony, cherry and so on) combined with typical geometric motifs of inland batik such as machetes, kawung, jereng and so on. Cultural cross in the form of a combination of colors, for example in batik Tiga Negeri which is a combination of distinctive colors maroon (Chinese cultural influences), blue (Dutch / European cultural influences), and soga (influence of Javanese culture).

The uniqueness of Lasem Batik has got an important place in the world of commerce. Inter-island traders by ship then send Lasik Batik to all regions of the archipelago. Even in the early XIX century Lasem Batik was exported to Thailand and Suriname. Lasem Batik enters its heyday. Booming Lasem batik makes the crafters become more creative. New motives such as latohan, ringgit mountain, kricakan, or watu broke out. Syahdan craftsman creates the motive of kricakan because it inspired the suffering of the people when it must break the big boulders to be made a postal highway by Daendels.

Lasem Batik continues to carve gold records until the end of colonial colonialism. Lasem Batik entrepreneurs who come from the Tionghoa get a special place in the indigenous population because it opens up a lot of job opportunities. The heyday of batik that became an icon of assimilation of Javanese and Chinese culture that began to recede the 1950s. The main cause of the decline of Lasem Batik is due to urgent by the rise of batik cap in various regions. In addition, also due to political conditions that cornered the ethnic Chinese who is the master of Lasem Batik trade.

Batik Madura, handmade batik from eastern central java of Indonesia

Most people know Madura batik with a strong character, with bold colors (red, yellow, light green). But rarely know that batik Madura may have more than a thousand motifs and the most prominent in the batik market in Indonesia and abroad.

In Madura Island itself has long been known a number of batik craft centers. For example in Pamekasan District, since ancient times many craftsmen and batik entrepreneurs bermukin and develop business batiknya in the region. Until now, Pamekasan regency is known as one of the centers of batik craft industry in Madura Island because it is mostly occupied by craftsmen and batik entrepreneurs.