Batik - An Identity of Indonesia
Indonesia is a multicultural country which consists of thousand islands and
tribes. The differences of demography and geography cause cultural differences,
including the outfits worn by each tribe. Batik is one of the outfits that are
quite popular, and its popularity has been known worldwide.
If you watch TV and see the President of Indonesia talking in public or in
international conferences, you may see him wearing such an ethnic shirt with
unique motifs. That is what so called batik, the national clothes of Indonesia
citizens.
In some occasions, Indonesian may wear their traditional outfits, such as
kebaya, baju kurung, ulos, etc. But when they come to national events, batik
talks much. This outfit is a symbol of unity. It is a uniform which is
considered as a must. This is a way to show how proud they are to be Indonesia
citizens.
Indonesian Batik has been claimed as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity for all the techniques, technology, motif development, and
the cultural values needed to make a piece of it. It is because the process
includes two factors: coloring techniques and the choice of the motifs. This
step is not easy since every motif should have a characteristic.
Indonesian believe that the existence of Batik started in Majapahit era, and
increasingly popular in the end of 18th century or he beginning of 19th
century. Batik was actually purely handmade, but later on, as the technology
has developed, it is mostly printed. What supports this change the most is the
amount of orders. The handmade ones do need long time of painting, but the
printed ones need shorter time.
Years ago, batik was only worn in formal occasions. At that time, Indonesian
tend to choose batik instead of tuxedo or other formal outfits. But today,
batik is even worn by students and employees as their uniform in certain days,
such as every Friday.
In some families, Batik is even considered as a
tradition. It makes them have their own motifs which are different from other
families. It is like their identity, since the motifs can even show their
economical status. Until now, the traditional motifs are still used by the
family of Yogyakarta and Surakarta residence. Batik is probably the most unique
outfit you have ever known.
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