Batik Priangan (Sunda, Jawa Barat) : Past and Present by
Yan Yan Sunarya
Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
[Some editing and modification for clarity and brevity]
INTRODUCTION
Batik, has been subject of research in many of its aspects, but in the context of Modern Batik Priangan, it needs to be viewed from the aspect of identity concerning the area of production and the creative industry. This sort of study can be a fresh start, within itself, and at the same time is an attempt to complete the previous researches. Having surveyed the Sundanese cultural bibliography and artefacts, I concluded that there is a few artefacts dedicated to visual objects, especially the aspects of aesthetics and identity. In other words, these two elements have become important factors in the search of tracing the Sundanese artefacts comprehensively. It is generally accepted that Sundanese artefacts – in this case: batik– has been influenced by Javanese culture. On the other hand, its aesthetics (Sundanese) values are inherent within aesthetics values of its culture. It is expected that these aspects can be gleaned from Batik Priangan and enrich the documentation of this type of fabric produced in West Java.
In relation to batik artefact, there is a significant statement in the script of “Siksa Kanda ng Karesian” of the first half of 16th century that has clearly declared that at the time when the script was written, the Sundanese people had been familiar with a number of fabrics (samping) and batik as well. Although there are no relics of the Sundanese kingdom, but pieces of fabrics aged about 200-‐300 years have been found and documented (Rosidi, et al., 2000).
Early Sundanese writing are in the form of ancient Sundanese script as well as script from stones written in West Java from the 11th to 18th century in the era of Sundanese kingdom and Galuh Kingdom. The manuscripts are in form of lontar, nipah, saeh, daluang, and paper (Suryani NS., cs, 2005)”; that can fully describe and relate the connection between aesthetical aspects as well as its application, in forms of – among others -‐ euyeuk (batik); pangeuyeuk (batik master).
The meaning of the two terms: euyeuk (batik) and pangeuyeuk (batik master) have not yet been clearly established. Important findings of batik terminology in Sundanese culture which can be seen in Batik Priangan should be studied and documented including aesthetic expressions as peperenian urang Sunda, Sundanese rhymes and poems/tembang/pupuh Sunda, undak-‐usuk basa.
Although most of the batik experts have acknowledged that Sundanese artefacts – especially batik – were influenced by Javanese culture and in addition to that there were
“common people that batik in West Java (Sunda) was rooted in Javanese culture but then batik in West Java has special characteristics. Some of the West Javan motifs have now been unknown, and it is difficult to trace their originality back (Morissan, 2005)”. This information can be revealed from the event of …”the fall of Hinduism-‐influenced Sundanese kingdom at the end of 16th century (1579) that gradually impacted to the elimination of all elements in Sundanese life, meaning, Sundanese culture. The Sundanese ideology – gradually shaped in about nine centuries – in the era of Sundanese kingdom (from the beginning of 8th century to the end of 16th century) in forms of letters, language, ethics, customs/law, social institution, belief, etc. And those elements were gradually crushed and edged due to new ideology/or ideologies coming into West Java. First (at the end of 15th century) the Islamic culture that first entered the north part of West Java (Cirebon and Banten), and then (at the beginning of 17th century) the Javanese Mataram penetrated from the east inland, and at last (beginning from the middle of 17th century) the power of trading, military and Dutch/VOC took over all area of Sundanese land (Ekadjati, 2004)”.
Another information supported the above fact, as follow…,” the penetration of Javanese culture into the Sundanese area and society occurred in two periods and methods. The first is through trading, agriculture, and migration at the north coast, coincided with the Islamizing process at the end of 15th century to mid16th. The process is natural and peaceful in nature. The Javanese coastal culture rooted from this period continuously exists to the present although gradually and periodically some enculturation and acculturation as well as development were executed in line with local tradition and condition. The second is feudal inland Javanese culture brought by the Mataram soldiers as well as the blue-‐blood tradition through the military expedition and power and cultural hegemony since the second quarter of 17th century to the mid19th century. This Javanese culture brought up by the high society level of Mataram and it penetrated the Sundanese high society level of Sundanese land. Since the Javanese culture was advantageous for those blue-‐blood Sundanese (called: menak, in Sundanese term) people to maintain and improve their position and status, this Javanese culture then was made taken care of and absorbed within the environment of the regency and applied as a guide in governmental management. In the meantime, the VOC who replaced Mataram in the Sundanese land let the Javanese culture survived in the Sundanese land since the survival was useful to exploit the area (Sundanese land) (Ibid., 2004)”.
Based on the description above, in relation to Batik Priangan in the constellation of batik world, as a logical consequence of intercultural contiguity in the world of arts domain, then …”arts (works) – in this part – is viewed as a functionally and psychologically integrated part in the culture supported and developed in society”. Therefore, it can be concluded that any society, consciously or not, develop arts as expression and statement that stimulates in line with ideas or opinion, aspiration, needs and the dominating ideas.
Traditions of fulfilling satisfaction towards aesthetics needs, is also defined culturally – such as other cultural aspects – and is integrated with each other. The process of satisfying the aesthetic needs is developed and adjusted by a set of values and basic concepts which are valid among the society, and therefore tends to be realized and inherited to the following generation (Rohidi, 2000)”.
In discussing the research object of Batik Priangan, two methods are applied:
ethnographic and aesthetic. At present, the development of batik –the Modern Batik Priangan: Batik Garut, Batik Tasik, Batik Ciamis, and Batik Sumedang– “has been widely spread and facilitated into a number of meanings as well as dimension in its interpretation, principles, goals and even has become an influence towards cultural varieties of Indonesia (Anas, et al., 1997)”. But however, the term Modern Batik Priangan should be made itself clear by viewing or referring its characteristics to the traditional meaning of batik in its aesthetics and identity. In other words, the comprehension of the batik in the past is to be related with the meaning in the future (as its demanded) as a form of the modernity.
PROBLEMS
A number of problems in the research are as follow:
1) Aspect of identity of Modern Batik Priangan, in order to position the Sundanese culture in the context of batik produced in the country.
2) The aesthetic development Old or Traditional Batik Priangan (in the past) and the Modern Batik Priangan in the context of creative industry, in order to recognize its characteristics.
The above mentioned problems are to be solved and the writer is attempting to:
1) Redefine the Sundanese identity more clearly through Modern Batik Priangan from its terminology and identity
2) Study Modern Batik Priangan aesthetically, in order to code classify its aesthetics elements that will be of advantages in designing the modern variants as resources of inspiration –at present and in the future– within the context of collaboration in creative industry.
PRIANGAN: A GLANCE AT BATIK PRIANGAN
The term Sunda and West Java that refer to the meanings of culture, ethnic, geography, governmental administration, sociology and humaniora” have entered the life of Indonesian society in Ekadjati (2005). The research will limit itself to the term “Priangan”, in regard to this in Lombard (2005), reference will mean “the area which is at present known as West Java province is in fact the Pasundan Land –this term is matched for pays Sunda–
meaning the land of or country of Sunda, awhile the West Java is an administrative term in daily application. In this Pasundan Land, two types of special characteristic are recognized based on the scenery available in the area. On the north part is low land of about 250kms in length and 50kms in width. On the south, is mountainous Priangan.
Furthermore “in the 20th century the activity of batik making has develop in Cirebon (Trusmi), Indramayu (Paoman), Ciamis (Cikoneng), Tasikmalaya (Sukaraja, Cihideung, Cipedes), and Garut (Tarogong); and each of the city (or area) has specific designs that created the terms Dermayon, Trusmian, Garutan, etc. (Rosidi, et al., 2000)”. On their development these batik variants have “has been widely spread and facilitated into a
number of meanings as well as dimension in its interpretation, principles, goals and even has become an influence towards cultural varieties of Indonesia (Anas, et al., 1997)”.
Furthermore “batik has been created based on artistic ground that develops according to the demand of the age (Hasanudin, 2001)”. Batik is “a process of engraving textile using wax as resistant for the colour substance being applied to it. The process applying the cold dying technique and use the canting technique or copper stamping. In the past the stamping technique used to be excluded from the traditional dying batik technique. The stamped batik fabric is not reconsidered as batik (the original, in its old process of making one). But then this view had changed; although this inclusive view occurred specially due to commercial consideration (Tirta, 2005)”. The writer considers that there are a number of significant issues to be pondered and looked upon for the existence of evidence of the Sundanese artefacts and their position as well in the constellation of creative industry. The issues consist of: (a) redefining the clearer Sundanese identity through viewed from the terminology aesthetics; (b) record tracing, collecting and comprehending the historical facts of Batik Priangan, at in the past and at present; and (c) classifying the designs of Modern Batik Priangan aesthetically.
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