PEKALONGAN PAINTED BATIK

1. BACKGROUND
Batik is not something foreign to the Indonesian people. There are many regions which produce
batik. In Indonesia there are many regions of batik artisans. Every region has its own unique and distinct,
both in a decorative colors and layout. One of the regions is Pekalongan.
Pekalongan is a city and regency on the northern coast of Central Java, Indonesia. It consists of
four districts; they are West Pekalongan, North Pekalongan, East Pekalongan, and South Pekalongan.
Since the Dutch colonial days, Pekalongan has been famous as a “Kota Batik” or “Batik City” and
the famous batik in Pekalongan is “painted batik” or “hand drawing batik”. However, in recent years, there
are not many “painted batik” or ‘hand drawing’ producers, due to the growing competition from the
cheaper “printed batik” or “stamped batik” which can be produced quicker and cheaper. Batik began there
around 1850 and was influenced by the Chinese and Dutch.
As a Javanese, I am interested in raising the topic of batik because we know that batik now has become
an international cultural heritage and batik are also a trend in the international world as a unique motif so
admired by fans throughout the world of batik fashion.
The problems that will be discussed in this paper are as the following questions:
1. What is batik?
2. What is the equipment used to make batik?
3. What is the process to make batik?
4. What are the Pekalongan batik motifs?
5. What are the cultural values of batik?

To answer the questions above, the objectives of this paper are:

1. To explain the meaning of batik
2. To explain the equipment used to make batik
3. To explain the process to make batik
4. To explain the motifs of Pekalongan batik
5. To explain the cultural values of batik

2.1 The Meaning of Batik

The word ‘batik’ was taken from the Malay word ‘titik’ which means a little dot, ’a drop’ and
from Javanese, the word batik is taken from the word ‘ambatik’. The word ‘amba’ means to write and ‘tik’
means a dot. So the word ‘batik’ has the meaning ‘to write a dot or to paint a dot’. But essentially the word
‘batik’ means as a repeated process of creating and dyeing technique using wax on a fabric. The wax has
the function to main and prevent the colored area so that the color absorbed. The wax here also to maintain
the motifs so that the batik looks interesting.

2.2 The equipment to make Batik

Drawing batik may seem very intricate but the tools used to make them are still very simple. The most
important tool of the batik making process is the canting or better known as ‘tjanting’. The other equipment
used to make painted batik among others are:
1. a small frying pan ( used as a place to heat up the malam (candle or wax) to become liquid)
2. a brazier (to heat up the malam with burning coals from the charcoal)
3. a fan (to keeps the embers burning)
4. a gawangan (to strings or to hang up the batik to dry)
5. a canting (the pen-like instrument used to apply wax to the cloth)
6. a cloth (to cover the thighs batik droplets)
7. a bandhul (to hold the cloth in fix position when painting)
8. a ganden (wooden hammer to beat the cloth to be soften)
9. a malam or wax (consist of a mixture of beeswax, used for its malleability, and paraffin, used for
its friability. Resins can be added to increase adhesiveness and animal fats to create greater
liquidity)
10. The cloth to be painted batik from cotton or silk.
2.3 Process of making Batik
Batik Tulis (painted) batik is a special batik and more expensive comparing other types of batik, because
the process of this batik needs skills, experiences, precisions, patience and also takes a lot of time to finish
one of painted batik. It takes two weeks or more to finish one batik, and it also depends on the weather.
This period of time is suitable for common motifs and it is not very complicated.
Here are the steps to produce batik tulis or painted batik:
The first batik processing, is making a design or pattern of motif on a white fabric (silk or cotton fabric) by
drawing it with a pencil. Second is painting with molten wax by following the pattern from step one on
both sides (back and front) using canting. The next step is to covering each part with molten wax to keep
the background and then, is the first dying process of the fabric to give a certain color on the motifs
background of the fabric, after that the first dyed, fabric is hanged to dry. Next, the second batik processing,
is repeating the first process and applying different colors if any. The next process, to eliminating the wax
from the fabric by putting it in boiling water After the fabric is cleaned from wax and dried, the batik or
waxing process starts all over again (using canting) as the second processing applying different motifs or
colors. When all desired motif and color have been obtain, the fabric is wash and hang to dry and now it
ready for used directly for designing other dressing, shirts etc.

2.4 Kinds of Decoration Motif Batik Pekalongan

The Coastal batik tradition was more open to foreign influences in textile design, coloring, and motifs. Pre-
planning is important when considering the colors used in batik. It is often easier to use colors which are
related as the overlapping of each color affects the previous. The lightest color should be dyed first then the
rest according to shade as dark colors cannot be made lighter.
Coastal Batik more free and rich patterns and colors. They are more independent and not tied to the palace
and the rules that have little meaning philosophy. Many coastal batik motifs in the form of plants, animals,
and typical environment. The variety of color to be more consumer interest, in contrast to inland batik
which was relatively independent of outside influences. Some of the names of decoration or motif batik
Pekalongan, such as:
(1) Jlamprangan (has geometric motifs developed by batik Arab descent);
(2) Cement (motif shaped plant or animal and it reflects prosperity and fertility);
(3) Encim (the motives and color of batik that many influenced by the distinctive colors of China);
(4) Sam Pek Eng Tay (This motif consists of buketan pattern and arranged in two different parts of both
decoration and color);
(5) Nitik (This motif is believed to be influenced by Indian cloth named ‘Patola’, that brought to Indonesia
by Indian trader. This motive was developed from coast cities in the north of Java, like Cirebon and
Pekalongan before it arrived in Keraton. The pattern consists of square and rectangle form and dots as
ornaments. There’s a differences in the color used in every place, in Pekalongan the dominant colors are
red, green, blue and yellow as the consumer of this cloth are from India and China. Jogja’s Nitik are using
indigo, brown and white color)
(6) Batik Morning-Evening (is the Javanese version of reversible clothing. Batik morning-evening is
divided diagonally, each half with a distinctive design and color. It is a simple matter to arrange the same
cloth for two strikingly different effects.")

2.5 Cultural Values

Batik-written, produced by the craftsmen in Pekalongan, if we observed, there is contain the values that in
turn can be used as a reference in daily life for the community supporters. These values include:

1. beauty (art),
2. persistence,
3. meticulousness, and
4. patience.
The value of beauty is reflected in the variety of motives made such that radiates beauty. Meanwhile, the
value of persistence, meticulousness, and patience is reflected from the manufacturing process that requires
persistence, meticulousness, and patience because without it, it is impossible to generate a good batik.

III. CLOSURE

3.1 Conclusion
In this paper I have discussed about the meaning of batik, the equipment to make batik, the process of
making batik. I also try to explain about the motives of batik Pekalongan and the cultural values of batik
Pekalongan.Batik originated from the Javanese language "amba" is written and "point" of the State of
Indonesia. The equipment of making batik are 1) a small frying pan, (2) brazier, ( 3) fan, 4) gawangan, ( 5)
a cloth, (7) uthik, (8) canting, 10) Ganden (wooden hammer), 11) night or wax. The process to make batik
such as: The first batik processing, is making a design/pattern of motif on a white fabric (silk fabric) by
drawing with pencil Second, is drawing or writing with molten wax by following the pattern from step one
on doppel sides (back and forth) using canting. The next step is to cover each part with molten wax to keep
the white color than, is the first dye process of the fabric to give a certain color from non covering wax of
the fabric. After the first dyed, the fabric is hanged and dried. Next, the second batik processing, is to
redraw the molten wax using canting to cover each part and keep color from the first dyed and than,
followed by the second dye process to give the second color. The next process, to eliminate the wax from
fabric by putting it in a boiling water After the fabric is cleaned from wax and dried, the batik/waxing
process starts over again (using canting) to add another color and motifs and to keep the first and the
second colors. The process, to open and close the wax, is repeated until all desired color and the motif
complexity. The last process, is to wash the fabric and than hang it and dry it before it can use as a cloth.
The motives of batik Pekalongan such as jlamprangan, Cement, encim, Sam Pek Eng Tay, Nitik, Batik
Morning-Afternoon.

REFERENCES:

http//www.wikipedia.com accessed on April 9, 2010

http://hubpages.com/hub/History-of-Batik-Indonesia
http://www.scribd.com/doc/29727040/Batik-Industry-is-One-of-Pekalongan
http://www.kbool.co.cc/2009/10/pekalongan-batik.html