I believe it would be best to have a piece of batik cloth that is made with an all-natural dye-without any synthetic materials like hydro-sulphite or caustic soda-especially because there are some plant-based natural reducing agents we can work with,” said Zahir. “Since the indigo solution in itself is already a natural dye, I think it would be unfortunate to mix it with chemicals as reduction agents. Zahir created his Indigo-dyed batik with natural malam (wax), made of the sap from a pine tree, a resin from dammar gum, and beeswax coconut sugar reducing agent, and tapioca starch solution. Zahir Widadi believes that indigo solution is best to be kept 100% natural, containing only all-natural ingredients. However, since indigo is not a native plant from Java, some political reasons might cause the kingdom of Solo and Yogyakarta to hide the blue underneath with ‘native colours’ like yellow and brown,” added Zahir, who likes to call himself a “batikologist”. “This process was known to our ancestors way before we could see molecules through a microscope. It is no wonder, then, that the first step of batik making in the kingdom of Solo and Yogya was called mbironi-or blue-ing (literally translated into “making it blue”). Indigo and its tiny molecules can penetrate fabrics with the tightest fibres and binds other colors that follow.” “This process enables other secondary or tertiary colors to be absorbed better by the fibre. “Thus, it was possible that before dyeing/colouring a batik cloth, our ancestors dyed the fabric blue with indigo first,” Zahir said. However, Zahir explained that recent findings have shown that Indigo is the most subtle solution that can reach and penetrate even the smallest fibre of yarns. Many people are curious about the blue of indigo in Javanese batik, which is mostly tinted with a brownish and yellow hue from the bark of the soga tree. In the seventeenth century, the world wanted more of indigo-the plant that gives a deep and vibrant colour of blue.Īs a result, the price of indigo went up to be an equivalent of gold hence, the plant was once dubbed “The Blue Gold”.

Indigofera plant was originally brought by a trading company, VOC ( Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie), to Java, as an export commodity. Find an Indigofera plant that is blossoming with pink flowers-usually around 3-4 months since it is planted. Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia).As the quality of your Indigo paste is largely determined by the state of the Indigofera plant when it is harvested, you need to find the perfect time for harvesting. Chinese Architecture in the Straits Settlements and Western Malaya: Temples, Kongsis, and Houses. Arsitektur Tradisional Tionghoa dan Perkembangan Kota. Tuttle Publishing (Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.). Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery. Butterflies and Phoenixes: Chinese Inspirations in Indonesian Textile Arts. The University of Tasmania Library.ĭamais, J. Practice Theory: Ancestor Worship, and Ritual: An Alternative Approach to A Cross-Cultural Understanding of Chinese Culture. London, United Kingdom: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya (BPNB). Akulturasi Lintas Zaman di Lasem Perspektif Sejarah & Budaya (Kurun Niaga - Sekarang). Auspicious Design: Batik for Peranakan Altars. Setyoningrum, Interviewer) Lasem, Central Java, Indonesia. The images were still represented the same symbolic Chinese ideology as the old tradition, however there were additional values found on the visual language of the image depiction, caused by the essence and characteristics of batik making.Ĭhristine Claudia Lukman, Maranatha Christian University This research found that the images of qilin in the Lasem tok wiclothes were obviously depicted differently in some ways as qilin images on tok wicloths from main land China. Whilst qilin was appointed as the main content image, this research analysed the way of image shown and the inner grammar of the tokwi composition. This article explores various image representation of qilin on tok wiclothes through Primadi Tabrani theory of visual language.

Images of ‘qilin’ (auspicious mythological animal with horse-like body, scaled skin, and dragon-like head) were often found in the design of tok wiclothes. Tok wi cloths were made to replace the original silk-embroidered version from China by Indonesian Chinese diasporas in Java. One of its famous batik product is tok wi, a known term of table cloth used to cover the facade of a Chinese ancestor altar table during offering rituals. Lasem batik industry has been widely known as a coastal Java region batik (batik pesisir) producer with strong Chinese influence. Batik, tok wi cloth, ancestor altar, qilin, Lasem, Chinese diasporas Abstract

Kelir batik