What Batik is made of

Canting and Cap store Amat Rochim Barokah in Pekalongan

After the big Hari Batik celebration, I spend Thursday 3 October collecting materials for a new temporary work. Last time, in 2016, I made a temporary carpet from materials used as natural dyes for Batik. Mas Dewa asked me to make one again. I suggested to make it from natural & synthetic dyes address this subject.

We first went to visit a Canting & Cap maker who invited me the day before. I was wearing my canting earrings and he said, “These are not Pekalongan canting, I have them and even smaller then yours”. Of course I needed to see them! The small shop Amat Rochim Barokah is filled with rows of Caps, the copper stamps used to make Batik Cap. In front is a little porch were the caps are being made. Mas Mustakim welcomed us with much pride. He explained he took over the shop of his parents and that he is the third generations selling Cap & Canting. He was so happy I came and also surprised, but for me this was the first time I could actually go to a Canting & Cap maker, so happy he invited me He showed us many things, the work he prepared for the Batik Week exhibition & many kinds of canting. I bought a selection with different sprouts, I hope to use them when I am back home. He also showed the tiny canting, they are so cute!! And he gave them to me as a present! So sweet, I can’t wait to turn them into earrings. I also bought 3 copper bowl for melting the wax. Normally they made from other metals and these looked so pretty. Perfect for displaying the natural dyes during the making of my temporary work.Last but not least, I asked if he could make a Cap after a design. He explained that a small Cap takes about two weeks to make. The special order is currently in the making! Can’t wait to see the final result.


Store for Natural dyes

Next stop on Thursday was getting natural dyes. I was accompanied by Mas Lani and Miss Lutfi. Mas Lani knows all the spots when it comes to making Batik. The store was from the street till inside filled with bags, big and small, with materials for natural dye, traditional medicine and tea. Within minutes they had all the things I was looking for. The Indigo they only had as a paste. They only sell it per kilo and I didn’t want to waste it. But good to know this is easily available here.

Groupphoto at store for natural dye

Selecting dyes at Jerman

We continued to Jerman. I first laughed at the name; it was from Germany the first synthetic dyes were introduced on the Indonesian market in the 19th century. So the name Jerman for a synthetic dye store is very appropriate. After Miss Lutfi explained my plan, they discussed for several minutes; was the rice not eaten, was it laying lose on the table, and more of these questions. It made me worry about how dangerous this ‘warna’ actually is. They took forever to return with four bags of dye; blue, yellow and two types of green. The yellow was orange and the greens very similar. So we asked to switch one of the greens for red. Waiting several more minutes, we got the red and I also bought a pair of professional bright orange gloves. After lunch under a beautiful tree, we went for the last materials, rice & turmeric. The rice on the pasar and the turmeric at a special spice store. With full bags I returned to the Museum. I bought much more then needed for the work, but figured all that is left will be well used at the museum.


Dr. Maria Wronska-Friend and Kucing Frederica

On Friday 4 October was time to give a talk at Museum Batik. As part of a panel we discussed European, Chinese and Indian influence on Javanese Batik. I was honored that Dr. Maria Wronska-Friend was there for it and Kucing Frederica, the museum cat, sat next to her front row. So funny, only in Indonesia I guess. My talk went well and in the days following I had nice conversations about my research. Many agreed how the history and current Pekalongan Batik is of much importance in this research. I hope I can continue these conversations and visit in the near future all of the batikworkshops of everyone I met.

Making of ‘Natural dye vs. Synthetic dye’ at the Museum Batik booth at Batik Week

In evening I made my ‘Natural dye vs. Synthetic dye’ work. The work really turned into a performance. It was so busy and so warm. I made the natural dye part pretty fast and after a short break I put the gloves on and started the other half. The big orange gloves are of thick rubber and reached to my elbows. I was sweating so much, crowded with people filming and making photos. I think it was pretty clear the natural dye was much nicer to work with then the synthetic dyes. When I removed the gloves my hands were bright red and blue spots covered my arms. I rushed to wash them, but after several attempts my fingers were still red. It took a few more days and my nails still has some traces of it...Imagine working with this daily...


The Batikmakers from Batang

Groupphoto with everyone

Saturday it was time to launch my project in Batang. Pak William Kwan of IPI and Miss Miriam and Miss Tika of Redaya Batik organized a 10 years celebration of Batik as Unesco Heritage from the Batang Batikmakers. It was so great seeing the makers I met in 2016 and it was extra great two of my movie-stars, Ibu Rasminah and Miss Nurul, were there. My film was first on the program and to my surprise it was so quiet. It was the first time I really could return the film to the makers. And it was so great to it was looked at with so much attention. My film doesn’t show them something new, I try to show daily life of Batikmakers in it & they got that right away from the feedback I got.


The always smiling Ibu Rasminah, also in my film

Presenting Batiks from the audience

After a coffee-break Pak William gave a presentation on Batik designs found in the Batang region. It was my turned after him. I gave the same presentation as in Jakarta & Pekalongan, but most of my audience was now Batikmaker, not collector, researcher, fan or teacher. So I choose to emphasize on the Javanese batikmaker part of the story, of this re-telling. The reaction to the fact that all makers of Indo-European workshops are Javanese batikmakers was strong and they found it so great that this story is their story. A question from the audience was how many Indo-European batik entrepreneurs there actually were. I think it is about 30 or more and I am still finding new signatures. I explained still much need to be figured out about these ladies. There are here now considered as ‘Dutch’ or ‘European’, and seen as outsiders; but these ladies were either of mixed descent or married with a Dutch or European man, so they would have had a mother who taught them about Batik and other parts from Javanese culture. So this Indo-European influenced that is now seen as something very far removed from Indonesian culture, is less separate as is thought {and sometimes wished to be}. For me this re-telling is a way of addressing this shared history, but also showing that the focus is now maybe too much on the European part of it and not on the very important contribution of Javanese batikmakers who actually made all these Batiks we admire in collections worldwide. They are the ones still making this patterns today, carrying on this history within textiles and they are the ones we should return this heritage to.

Two Batikmakers showing off their Tambal Batik design

Showing my film ‘Tari Batik’

Happy Hari Batik in Pekalongan

Hari Batik, Batikworkshop in the former ‘Heerenstraat’

In the train

On Monday I headed towards Pekalongan. Every year they celebrate Hari Batik big and make a longer event with the name ‘Batik Weeks’. During this event all Batik communities join in, showing their products, new inventions and make a program with talks, music and much more. I was here in 2016 and joined in with making an Artwork at the Museum Batik. Because I was so busy with this, I couldn’t see much of the other activities. This year I was again invited and they made a full program for me which allows me to see much more of the program.
I arrived on Monday by train and was greeting by my friend Cornellius, here better known as Mas Dewa. That evening was already the first of many celebrations, so I got dressed up and headed to the Museum. They organized a celebration specifically and especially for the Batikmakers, they are the ones we should thank for this beautiful Heritage and Museum does so by making an evening like this.
The evening started at the monument Tugu Nol kilometer. The ‘KM. 0 Pekalongan’ marking is placed next to an old ‘Mijlpaal’, a milestone that is a left over marking from the Dutch. A Kris was carried from there to the museum with certain rituals along the way.
At the museum they had a band and two entertainers giving a show with songs & jokes. I was sitting at a table with important Batik entrepreneurs from the region, who explained everything to me, including all the snacks on the table. The evening continued with a quiz, presents donated by many companies could be won by answering questions about Hari Batik & Batik Weeks. I heard they were talking about me and got asked on stage. They had to guess me name and later I was asked on stage again and had to come up with some questions. This was received with a lot of jokes and laughs, mainly because I am a foreigner, but I was happy to oblige haha.

Exhibition at Museum Batik in Pekalongan

The ‘Mijlpaal’, Milestone

Flashmob by the batikmakers at Museum Batik

The next day Dewa asked me to join him to pick up Batikresearcher Maria Wronska-Friend. She would arrive in Semarang and it was wonderful chatting with her all the way back to Pekalongan. Her latest books is one of my favorites, ‘Javanese Batik to the world - Batik jawa bagi dunia’, in which she shows how Javanese batik inspired many other countries & textile traditions globally.
Back in Pekalongan, I went to check out the ‘Bol-Bolan Sarungan Batik’, a soccer match in sarong. Teams representing different companies competed wearing all sarongs. In this fun game they show that Batik can function in a sportive, relax way. It was so great to see all the football players like this.
After the match I met up with Ibu Asih, a teacher at the school in Batang which Batikmaker Nurul attends. Nurul asked me if I wanted to come to her school and tell a little of what I do. Her school teaches practical education, so how to make fashion including making Batik. Of course I want that, so it was great the meet the teachers already. We went for dinner at an old Dutch house which is turned into a restaurant. I invited Miss Nurul and her sister Miss Siti to join us. So great to see them again. I feel so happy I know these creative ladies that create such wonderful batiks. Thank you for coming!

Soccer in sarong

Dinner with Miss Siti, Miss Nurul and teacher Asih

The next day m, 2 October, was The Day, Hari Batik! And my birthday! To be here on the 10 year anniversary while turning 35 is a dream come true.
I got up early to attend the flag ceremony. I thought I would just be watching with most of the other museum-employee, but got placed between the people in formation. With commands being yelled we marched, saluted and try to stand in nice rows. It took about an hour before the actual ceremony started and we standing that whole time facing the Sun. I wanted to tough it out, but half way through the actual ceremony I started to get dizzy. Afraid I would pass out, I asked the man next to me how long it would last. He urged me to move to the back and sit down. Everyone was so worried and went like ‘its okay, its okay’. I watched the ceremony sitting on the sidewalk and was amazed to see that everyone after the ceremony joined in for aerobics! Wauw!

Flag ceremony

I took a minute to cool down inside before going to the next part of the program. When discussion my project with Mas Dewa before, I told him about my idea of returning Batik making to the famous ‘Heerenstraat’. This street was at the end of the 19th century the place were all important Batik entrepreneurs had their workshops, among them people like Indo-European Batik entrepreneur Elize van Zuylen & J. Jans. The idea was a little pop-up batikworkshop were people could join in. Mas Dewa realized the idea perfectly. The former ‘Heerenstraat’ starts at the ‘Mijlpaal’ I mentioned before. In front they put little stoves & stools.
To my surprise the Mayor and his wife joined in & many followed after. All was documented of course by many reporters of different local media and a huge audience. The Batik teacher of Museum Batik was sitting next to me, while I was tracing way to fast and impatiently a buketan motif, he actually made a portrait of me! He made it so beautiful and I feel so honored by this amazing gift!

Nitik competition at Museum Batik

After the batikworkshop I went to the University of Pekalongan. A Seminar including a talk by Maria Wronska-Friend was taking place. I made it on time and it was interesting to hear the response to her talk & what was further presented.
After lunch I returned to the Museum. A competition for professional Batikmakers was taking place. They were invited to make their own version of ‘Nitik’. The ‘Nitik’ motif is probably one of the oldest in Javanese Batik, but it is hardly being made any more. The technique is extremely time consuming. It is made by creating square dots as a motif similar to woven textiles. Believed is it originated from India and was based on imported textiles. The story also goes Batik entrepreneur, and neighbor of Von Franquemont, Catherina Carolina van Oosterom was a specialist in ‘Nitik’ and in different collection pieces are attributed to her.
The makers at the museum had 5 hours to complete their designs. A jury picked in the afternoon from all the pieces 3 winners who will get a cash- price. It was nice to see that also students joined in, I happily posed with them afterward for a group-photo.
Unfortunately I missed other parts of the program, but was happy I could celebrate my birthday in such a special way!
Thank you Cornellius & Museum Batik!

Posing with the new generation of Batikmakers, thank you for making Batik!

Jury choosing the winners

10 Tahun Hari Batik

Hieperdepiep hoera! Today we celebrate Batik is 10 years the official Unesco Intangible Heritage of Indonesia. I already started celebrating early this year, but now here on Java the celebrations have started. I already had a great opening & event at Museum Tekstil and now I will be part of the celebrations at Museum Batik in Pekalongan. You will definitely see some pictures on Social Media later!

Since 2009 Hari Batik, Batik Day, is being celebrated on Java. When I arrived last time, it was just a few days after the first time. So my ‘journey to Batik’ & my blog are also 10 years old today. 

And that’s not all, today is my 35 birthday. I feel so happy that I can celebrate my birthday surrounded by people wearing, sharing & enjoying Batik! 

To stay with my traditions, I prepared some Batik Statements in the Netherlands before I left. I took this in the bicycle parking-lot at the Central Station in my hometown Utrecht. It is the biggest bicycle parking-lot in the world. Since I started my Research Associate position at RCMC I take me bike to the station and go by train to Leiden. Often I have to park on the third floor, but I do not mind because the green floors match my green bike very well. For the photoshoot I am wearing Batik Cap I bought in 2016 in Jember at Batik Rolla. It is with classic Dutch bikes & tobacco  leaves. The entrepreneur of Batik Rolla wanted to put her own family history within the Batik, her father worked in Tobacco and her Dutch grandfather would ride a classic bike (we call ‘grandma bike’ in the Netherlands actually). The cloth I wear as a cape is a limited edition Vlisco Super Wax Print, so from Helmond in The Netherlands. It was actually a gift. The design is newly made and shows mountain-bikes going over a hilly underground. Pretty funny considering how flat the Netherlands is.  I wanted to make a statement with these two pieces for a long time. I think this statement is maybe more about addressing how we can move to a more sustainable way of living, by supporting local & handmade products and by riding a bike - I see the traffic here in Jakarta and I just fantasize how it would be if the city center was car-free, just like in my hometown Utrecht. You would be able to ride your bike safely and in fresher air. The public transport can bring you much faster to your work or home - Wouldn’t it be amazing! And of course in this dream of mine everyone is wearing real Batik, Cap or Tulis, no Fast Fashion printed textiles ‘Batik Print’!  

Have a wonderful Hari Batik! And don’t forget to share photos with me & use #batikstatement 

Launch of my project, Challenges & Homework

Batik signed ‘E. v. Zuylen’ with an early buketan motif & birds on wooden bamboo-frame & behind framed a Batik Nitik, weaving style with ‘prada’, gold-leaf. It was attributed to Von Franquemont by the owner, but a similar piece I saw at Wereldmuseum is attributed to Van Oosterom, so which of these Batik entrepreneurs is it...?

My film ‘Tari Batik’ in the exhibition in Museum Tekstil

On Friday, me 4th Day in Jakarta, I had the opportunity to talk in more depth with textile conservator Pak Benny Gratha and museum-director Ibu Ari. 
I met Pak Benny at the Museum Tekstil. He was teaching a new generation, all girls, the Art of Textile conservation. It is of much importance we preserve these beautiful collection for future generations and great to see it seems to be popular to learn. 
Pak Benny took the time to talk with me on ‘Tiga Negeri’ on which he did research. He published the book ‘Batik 3 Negeri Solo - Sebuah Legenda’ which actually debats one of the Batik myths that Batik Tiga Negeri was made on three locations; one city for red, one city for brown and one city for blue. According to his fieldwork ‘Tiga Negeri’ in the region Solo was not made before 1910, or was made famous by a certain batikworkshop at that time in Solo. In my research I found imitations Batiks for export to the former Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, that are earlier then 1910. What I mentioned before and had again at Museum Tekstil, the historical data available on Java is very limited, yet their knowlegde on the development of Batik goes back about 3 generations in mostly oral history. The data stored in Europe combined with the knowledge here will give a much more precise recollection of the history of Batik. Connecting collections globally will definitely help us to tell these stories better and for a wider audience. I shared with Pak Benny my intensions and some of the finds I made, got some homework again for when I get back. Things to look up and compare with pieces in their collection. Also the myths & truths on ‘Tiga Negeri’ still needs some more exploring, Pak Benny book will be very useful, thank you for the copy! I will also explore this topic with a shared Batik project, together with other batikmakers globally I will re-create ‘Tiga Negeri’, so hope to present this in the near future.

Pak Benny Gratha posing with his favorite piece in the current exhibition, the Batik is attributed to Go Tik Swan

Pak Benny gave me a tour through the exhibition giving much insight on the displayed pieces. He is a big fan of the Batiks by Go Tik Swan K.R.T. Hardjonagoro and gave me some nice tips on how to recognize and date. 
There are many beautiful Batiks on display and will share some highlights in this post. The exhibition will be help until 25 October, so if you’re in Jakarta make sure to visit.

Batik by Kaya Batik Deaf Palbatu - Rumah Batik Palbatu, during the event on Saturday makers of this same workshop showed two batiks also. The workshop is a unique concept providing work for people with hearing loss. They make their own modern designs inspired by todays society

Kain Buketan Prada

Batik made probably in Pekalongan for Palembang market, possibly the gold-leaf was applies in Bali

Hokokai Pagi-sore by Iwan Tirta

Buketan, 1930’s, signed ‘Bewiedet’, which translates to “proves” actually. So it proofs what, I wonder! If you know, please comment

Display of shipwreck treasures at Maritime Heritage Gallery

In the afternoon, I joined Ibu Ari to a meeting held for all museums in Jakarta. They gather regularly with different themed program every time. This time it was on how to present objects, so from graphic design on text signs, audio-tours, to technical improvements to the space to protect object better but also elevate an exhibition. The program was held at the Maritime Heritage Gallery in Jakarta. They have all kind of ceramics found in shipwrecks from the seas around Indonesia.  An interesting collection in which give nice insights in South-East Asian trade, culture exchange and with little pattern details that reminded me of early Batik Simbut and ‘Buketan’ motifs.
It was nice to attend an afternoon similar to my programs in the Netherlands and to meet people for different museums. Some I met before at the opening and other came the next day to my talk.

Opening by Ibu Ari at Museum Tekstil

Day 5 in Jakarta was the launch of the research-project ‘Re-telling the history of (Indo-)European influence on Javanese Batik between 1840-1890’ on Java. It was the first time I presented this project to an audience actually and I was so happy Museum Tekstil offered me this stage. I was pretty nervous, but happily I was in the good company of the moderator of Kain Kita & translator Mas Ardi. Never worked with a translator before, but we made it work & the moderator gave some additional information of what the translator missed or of questions he ask me in between. After the talk I got some questions from the audience, there were many, but only had time for three. First I was asked if there is are clear motifs you can say are from Von Franquemont, second if I will also check Indonesian documents on this topic & third if Von Franquemont style was very different in Semarang compared to Surabaya where according to literature her workshop started. Since I still can not proof for sure which Batiks are actually made by Von Franquemont, talking about style is much to early - in books many styles are ‘invented’ by her - but most of these claims decades even a full century after she was alive - the same for the difference between Semarang and Surabaya. We first need to determine what are the specific styles within these North-coast cities, including Pekalongan and Lasem, so the development of the actual (Indo-)European influence can be mapped out more clear. And last, if there are any Javanese, Malayan or other documents still available of this time it would be great if we can include them and compare with the Dutch (and British) documents from this era. What I mostly did the passed 3 years was checking sources; so for example if one book they say a Batik by Von Franquemont is mentioned in an catalog of an exhibition in 1865, I looked it up. I also read almost all articles and handwritten documents of G.P. Rouffaer at the University Library in Leiden (NL), including studies of his character and of written pieces by colleagues from his era. His writing on Batik are at the base of almost every Batik book published since 1914! 
From these questions it was clear that it is not common to first launch a project, that it is more common to share just the final conclusion. I am happy I choose a different approach for this project. I hope more questions will find their way to me (please comment, email or find me through Social Media) & happy to have made new connections already.

The morning at Museum Tekstil continued with a talk by Pak Agus Purwanto Sukrowinarso and Pak Budi Darmawan both from the new organization APPBI for Batikmakers, entrepreneurs and sellers.
There talk address some of the challenges Batik faces, but what I understood it was mostly on improving skills and quality and increasing the quantity of makers and wearers. Also, apparently, the worry was addressed of the Millennials lack of knowledge and mis-use of Batik. The observations for me sounded strange since especially Millennials globally are exploring local traditions and good and including more and more roots & culture in their dress. I think we should applaud this and just provide the right guidance so this can done appropriate and respectful to todays makers and older generations.
As I mentioned before, they also presented Batiks made by one of the workshop they support, Kaya Batik Deaf Palbatu. I saw one of them wearing a great shirt & order one to wear back home!
The event concluded with a lunch outside on the steps of the museum surrounded by Batiksellers. I had such nice talks and was so great to see familiar faces, friends and meeting new people. 
It was such a wonderful day and feeling so grateful, thank you Museum Tekstil! Looking forward to our further collaboration!

Groupphoto of the speakers, organization, sponsors & contributors 

Photo by Daniel Slingeland

Sunday I got invited to see a glimps of Pak Hartono huge Batik collection. He published four beautiful, thick books; ‘Benang Raja’, Batik Pesisir’, ‘Batik Betawi’ & ‘Batik Garutan’ the past years. 
I was lucky I got the invite and even a selection was made fitting with my research-field. It was a wonderful, mind blowing afternoon being presented one high quality piece after another. Pak Hartono’s collection is not only special because of this quality and many signed pieces, he also has pieces with the same motif from different times or by different makers. So you can see the development & progress of Batik design. 
I got again a lot of homework for back home, but happy I am able to include this important collection within my research. Feeling very lucky and looking forward to my Pekalongan adventures. 

Photos by Daniel Slingeland