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Oct - Nov 2008, Vol. 2 No. 3
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Potpourri >>
Batik - The Wrap of Spirituality
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MANISHA RATHORE
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,Enwrought with golden and silver light,The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light,I would spread the cloths under your feet…
- W.B. Yeats
Yeats sums up the poetry and divinity inherent in the art form of batik - the soul of ancient Javanese culture. Woven in the warp and weft of Javanese culture, batik is the story of celebration of life and a link to the world where the mundane and divine unite in spiritual harmony. Although there are thousands of different batik designs, particular designs have been associated with traditional festivals and specific religious ceremonies. It was believed that certain cloths had mystical  powers to ward off ill fortune while other pieces could bring good luck.
In Indonesia, batik is a living tradition and is linked to spirituality. It is a manifestation of the Javanese Kejawen philosophy which stems back more than 1000 years before the advent of Islam. It is a belief that life is a metaphysical journey guided by supernatural powers, of which batik is the most profound visual expression. It is the spiritual creative process which results in the creation of the sacred motifs based on the philosophy – "work that has been created by a vibration from the soul."
The power of batik in modern times was apparent when Bin House, one of the leading houses of batik presented the tradition and legacy of Indonesia through batik at the United Nations Framework Climate Change conference in 2007.
How is batik connected with the environmental issues?
The owner and designer Josephine Komara lovingly called O’Bin says, "Indonesian batik is deeply rooted in culture, it expresses the closeness and inseparable existence of man and nature. All batik depicts the balance and harmonious equilibrium of nature and life, sometimes clearly and sometimes symbolically. Most of the motifs are drawn from nature like kalpataru (tree of life) stone formation, clouds, young bamboo shoot bird wings, tendrils and volcanic ridge. Even the natural colors used in batik signify the region the batik comes from."
However, Bin House prides itself as an experimental, creative and modern label using fine handmade, hand woven and hand dyed silk fabrics and unique batik designs which sometimes takes months or even a year to finish. O’Bin talking about batik and spirituality says "Spirituality is a holistic way of life – it is what we wear, what we think, what we eat and what surrounds us what we believe in and how we express ourselves. Batik is the path I have chosen to express my creativity and spirituality. Our creations are handmade, hand dyed and hand printed and carry spiritual vibrations. For me, batik is traditional yet modern, old yet new, spiritual yet practical, a matter of national pride yet very fashionable."
Origin of Batik
There are several theories about the origin of batik. Some experts believe that it came from India with the arrival of Indian merchants to Indonesia in the 4th and 5th centuries. It has its roots in the Majapahit Hindu kingdom, the culture which continues in Bali even today. A contrary observation is that batik can be seen in several regions that did not experience Hinduism influence, like Toraja, Flores and Papua.There areseveral thousands batik designs or motifs. Some of these are forbidden motifs. Not all people were allowed to use batik with forbidden motifs such as Parang, Sawat, Gurdo, Udan, Liris and so on. The reason was related to spirituality as these motifs were made by the princesses who followed a rigorous meditation process and fasting while making these batik patterns to infest it with special powers.
This art of textile is spread in the whole of South East Asia and India but Indonesia is certainly the heart of the batik. The technique of painting and coloring textile has reached its higher degree of excellence in the Island of Java, in cities like Solo, Yogyakarta, Pekalongan or Cirebon. During the past two or three centuries batik has become one of the principal means of expression of the spiritual and cultural values of Indonesia.
Motifs in Batik
There are special motifs for various occasions and traditional ceremonies and so on. They can be tracked from literature and  artifacts like statues and relics. On relics of Siva Temple near Dieng plateau and on Manjusri statue in Semarang from 9th century, motifs of lereng or liris can be found. Ceplok motifs can be found on Banon Temple near Borobudur Temple from 9th century, Siva statue from 13th century Singasari kingdom and Buddha statue at Jago temple in Malang East Java. Sidomukti motifs can be found on the Ganesha statue from 13th century Singosari kingdom.Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms as well as their families. Other designs are reserved for the Sultan and his family or their attendants. A person’s rank could be determined by the pattern of the batik he/she wore.
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