Pekalongan-Cirebon, Batik City in Western Central Java of Indonesia

Sources: Indonesia-Tourism.com

Batik is known as the art of drawing to decorate cloth with certain motifs. Batik is a skill that has high artistic value and has become part of the culture of the Indonesian nation. Initially, batik is only used by the nobility with a very strict rules, so not everyone may wear batik cloth, especially on certain motives set as a prohibition motif for ordinary people. However, along with the development of batik art, batik cloth can also be worn by people who are outside the royal environment. One of Batik Producing Town you can see in Western Central Java.

Batik Pekalongan, Batik City in Western Central Java

Original Batik Pekalongan supposedly has historical value associated with the upheaval in the Dutch colonial era. When “Panembahan Senopati” declared open war against the Dutch a split took place in the royal palace of Yogyakarta. The royal family had been divided. The nobles left the palace with their followers and settled in various areas including Pekalongan. In these new areas batik craft is still developed family palace with modifications inspired local conditions in the new residence.

Pekalongan is one of the main production areas of batik with north coast Java design. Although Pekalongan is not the oldest producer of coastal batik, but the most refined and until now the main producer of batik. Hindu-Javanese decoration is inherent but unlike Solo-Yogya which is bound by the rules of the palace. Batik santri in Pekalongan also apply decorative art from the nuances of Islam. The dominant influence came from China and the Netherlands, and as a result of exposure to different cultures, it was very different from batik in the interior of Java. The color is more diverse and the variety of decoration is naturalistic. Of the many types of Indonesian batik, Pekalongan batik is one of the typical Indonesian batik motifs favored by the people of dunia. Batik is a patterned fabric that has historical and philosophical value.

Batik Cirebon, Batik City in Western Central Java

Batik Cirebon is a variety of typical batik which is one of the batik industrial centers in West Java that still exist today. Nevertheless, Cirebon is the oldest batik center that gives influence to various patterns of batik in other batik industrial centers in West Java. Cirebon's most famous batik motif and become an icon of Cirebon is Megamendung motif. This motif symbolizes a rain-carrying cloud.

Cirebon's most famous batik motif and become an icon of Cirebon is Megamendung motif. This motif symbolizes the rain-carrying cloud as a symbol of fertility and the giver of life. The history of this motif relates to the history of the arrival of Chinese in Cirebon, namely Sunan Gunung Jati who married a Chinese woman named Ong Tie. This motif has a very nice color gradation with the coloring process done more than three times.

Batik in the area of Cirebon associated with the sultanates existing in this region, including the sultanate Kasepuhan and Kanoman Sultanate. The pattern of Batik Cirebon deployment is similar to the pattern of Yogya or Solo batik spread that first appeared in the environment in the palace then brought out the palace environment by the courtiers who reside outside the palace.

In the beginning, the art of batik was only learned by the princesses of the palace to fill their leisure time. Batik ornaments that developed at that time include ornaments such as “Paksi Naga Liman, Siti Inggil, Kanoman, Taman Kasepuhan, and Taman Sunyaragi.” Batik produced batik-style called “batik keratonan”. In the next, Cirebon people also learn the art of batik as merchandise. The resulting ornaments are called “pesisiran” and the resulting batik is called “batik pesisiran”.