IN SERVING
Jawa at the Beginning of the 20th centuryii
he first thirty years of the 20th century is one period that modern architecture enjoys the exploration and experimentation for its existence. Intellectual and practical exercises of architecture as a scientific enterprises are openly exposed
themseleves to move away from the architecture as an artistic enterprises. In short, this period also known as the period where becoming ‘modern’ is being formulated. Even though in Europe and US the period is moving toward the rigid establishment of modern architecture (and modern culture), this particular period is one of the beginning of modern architecture in a number parts of the world, for example in Jawa.
T
In 1905 the Dutch administration launched a distinctive policy in the condition of the Jawanese. After colonizing Jawa for more than two centuries, a policy named “The Ethical Policy” calls for the Dutch to uplift the status and life of the Jawanese. Programs in education, politics and quality of life of the Jawanese barely representing the
seriousness of the Dutch administration toward the implementation of this policy. Since the advent of this policy coincides with the advent of modern era, we may simply say that the first three decades of the 20th century is the period of modernizing Jawa. About the date 1905 itself, it seemingly marks the official and legal move of the Dutch
Administration. There are evidences that ‘bits and pieces’ in the quality of life of the Jawanese has taken place as early as the mid-19th century. Writings about design principles and building construction by Jawanese authors may be exemplified as the evidence. Mas Sasrasoedirdja, Soeto Prawiro and Sasra Wirjatma are taken in this paper
as representative of those Jawanese authors about building. Even though their works reached a greast detailed information about Jawanese building, none of them are
professionals in building and architecture. Mas Sasrasoedirdja, for example, is an officer for elementary school, while Soeto Prawiro is a regent. It is upon the work of those authors that this paper is dealing with.
Jawanese against Jawanese as Sasrasudirdja intentionally draws two figures of living environment, one is what he believe to be the ideal living environment while the other is the one that must be eliminated. The former is the European enclave of cities and towns in Jawa while the latter is the rural area, the villages. Disrespecting the different (even,
contrastive) characteristics between the two, mas Sasrasudirdja imposing that European enclave is the good and correct living environment, with only those negative figures is exposed from the rural area. The adoption of European enclave as the model by mas Sasrasudirja is because, according to Revianto B.Santosa, he employs the rational- universal knowledge of architecture (more popular label is: western knowledge).iii
M
The implementation of this particular knowledge not solely of mas Sasrasudirdja. At the beginning of the 1920-s textbooks for the elementary school for the Jawanese have also gives in detail what a good and health living environment takes its form. Although these textbooks do not explicitly mention the location, but the accompanying rendering of pictures barely show the rural environment (or, at least places located at the periphery of
towns and cities). In short, those textbooks try to tell the pupil what can be upgraded in that pupil’s house to meet the quality of a healthy and good-looking living place.iv Launched by the Dutch as the colonizer of Jawa in 1905, the Ethical Policy is suggestively the generating factor for the above scenery. This policy popularly
understood as the way the Dutch see the improvement of Jawanese as the obligation;
also popular as the benefit that the Dutch should award to the Jawanese for the wealth that the Dutch had been taken from the Jawanese for almost three consecutive
centuries. Education and improvement of the living condition are just two examples of that Ethical Policy’s implementation. Comparing the book by Mas Sasrasudirdja and the elementary school’s textbook allows us to draw a figure of how such environment plays its role in promoting change and adjustment. The elimination of rural houses and the change of its site’s feature to mas Sasrasudirdja is unavoidable because mainly it is against the ideal model that he adopts. Rural environment as negative image of healthy and good ones, and at the same time, the European enclave as ideal image of living environment is is implanted in the mind of the Jawanese. Since a book is one of the best means to transmit and implant idea, Serat Balewarna must be one of catastrophic to the Jawanese rural life. However, in the 1920-s the percentage of illiteracy among Jawanese is still very high, the publication of this Serat Balewarna by the Dutch Commision for Folk literature has only influence a relatively small number of Jawanese in villages and cities.v The pupil of elementary school experienced the call for a healthy and good living environment in quite contrastive to that of Balewarna’s reader. The textbook, titled ‘Ilmoe Kesehatan’ (Knowledge of Health), does not provide any judgment to the
existing environment explicitly. What the textbook tell the pupil only a definition of a healthy and good living environment. Allowing air circulation and sunlight in the building will make a healthy building, is what the Ilmoe Kesehatan says. Showing a handdrawing of a building with a plaited bamboo wall, characteristic of rural building or buildings of he poor, with an open window that let the sunlight enters the room, clearly suggesting adjustment that a rural house may do. No illustration of European enclave is given in that textbook, so that leave the pupil restrict their image and perception within their daily real world.
The call for a healthy and good living environment that the 1920-s Jawa experienced is not quite new to us. The strategy to achieve is also not new, both the imposition and the adjustment. What is interesting from that case is that this campaign for a better environment is the target, the Jawanese. Serat Balewarna provoking the Jawanese to get away from their present world, while Ilmoe Kesehatan allow the Jawanese to exist within the present world.
Serat Balewarna and Kawruh Kalang
A
nother attack that Serat Balewarna launch is the Jawanese design principle.Tradition in Jawa tells us that measurement of the building’s part is directly related to the future condition of the inhabitant. For example, allowing a length of 16 kaki for the main beam of the structure, is abounding; while a length of 19 kaki is bad- living. Upon this tradition, Serat Balewarna argues that the Jawanese must have take the
16 kaki as the length, yet the reality shows that most Jawanese are poor and live in an unhealthy well-being. Why maintain such a nonsensical principle, ask Serat Balewarna.
The rational-universal mode of thinking that Serat Balewarna employ to understand the length of building’s main beam is not wrong. The question is does the Jawanese also understand it that way?
Representing the almost comprehensive design principle, Kawruh Kalang is the corpus of the 19th century Jawa that never goes in print. A number of version is kept in
museums and libraries in Jawa and Leiden, the Netherland, all are handwritten in Jawanese characters.vi Studies by Josef Prijotomo upon the Jawanese writing system have led him to arrive at a characteristic way to understand a Jawanese sentence.vii In Jawanese writing system, there is no difference between writing a sentence and a word because no space is not provided between words that comprises the sentence. To capture the meaning of a sentence, then, every reader must employ a process of
interpretation. This interpretation process is at least a two-fold interpretation.In the first instance, it is to find the exact word that build the sentence, and followed by an
interpretation of the meaning of the sentence.
Studies by Josef Prijotomo upon Jawanese design principle, called Petungan by the Jawanese, which also deals with Kawruh Kalang, fails to reject Balewarna’s argument under the condition that the rational-universal thinking is the perspective in
understanding that design principle. The Jawanese themselves, as suggested by
Prijotomo, developed their distinctive thinking and perspective. The Kawruh Kalang is
one written document by Jawanese author, but what this author exactly writes is to record the knowledge of the Jawanese in time of a society ‘without writing’.viii The
‘without writing’ Jawanese employs object, artefact and action as a means to record the thinking; just like us today, employing cassette to record our speech, or employing diskette to store our thinking. A big tree with spirit resided there, for instance, should not be understood in exactly what it is written. Should we employ our mode of reading just to capture the meaning of a sentence, a reading upon that big tree is also in demand.
Interpretation is unavoidable in our effort to unveiled the thinking or ‘rationale’ of the statement about that big tree.
Now I shall return to the reading upon the measurement of the main beam of a Jawanese building. “To measure the length of the main beam, 16 kaki is abounding, 19 kaki is bad-living” is more or less the way Kawruh Kalang writes. This statement gives us the liberty to decide whether 16 kaki or 19 kaki as the length of the beam. However, since the building will house us with our family, the risk of bad-living from that 19 kaki is the consequence we must cope from the decision we make. The risk of abounding life will also followed from the selection of that 16 kaki length of the beam. Considering the risk that every individual will cope with, the decision to take that 16 kaki is mostly the one that is anticipated in the length of the beam. The condition of ‘abounding’ as well as
‘bad-living’, therefore, is not the real happening to come; they are merely element for justification or consideration for every Jawanese who is building their house; they are not the target. Who is the real target of this measurement? In construction practice, the length of the main beam is the target; but it is not merely the only target. The respect
upon individual’s liberty to decide what s/he is up to; the acknowledgement that every individual is embodied with wisdom; as well as acknowledgement of the culture as an institution is not such a dictator; are also targets of this guide. What is written in letter, what is recorded in document, is now like a source for multiple reading, each reading satisfies one discipline of knowing or thinking.
Kawruh Kalang
K
awruh Kalang is a corpus produced in time where the Dutch construction and architecture is introduced in Jawa. This Dutch construction enjoys fame and popularity since mid-19th century. What impact does Jawanese construction andarchitecture must experienced? In its first place, the Kawruh Kalang must be celebrated as the very first writing on Jawanese building ever written, thanks to the advent of Dutch construction. Even though all Kawruh Kalang are only arrived at handwritten form (even though printing in Jawanese character has already employed in publication), tha authors say in their Preface that the writing of the book is to preserve the Jawanese knowledge on building due to the ever popularizing Dutch construction.ix Should the Dutch construction is not introduced, the knowledge on building is remain in the head of carpenters and master-builders. The act of preserving the Jawanese knowledge in the form of Kawruh Kalang, then, is to record the knowledge of the society without writing;
it is not writing on Jawanese knowledge on building from a society with writing. The use of Jawanese characters, with its distinctive writing system, suggestively begs us a
treatment of the corpus as a material from such a society without writing. A misreading,
exemplified by what Mas Sasrasoedirdja does, will only direct us into another knowledge of the Jawanese.
The nature of the guide that is more suggestive or propositional rather than
authoritarian and instructive, probably is the key why present day Jawanese still practice that guide. The use of new materials and styles, the complexity of functions and siting is fully accomodated by the guide because they are not the target of the guide. In another words, this guide only take notes on the form and style of the building at times of the publication, not instructively demanded the Jawanese to practice them. However, architects, academician and constructors are not professionals who are commissioned by the Jawanese; they practically knows nothing about this indigenous practice.x For this purpose of commission, the Jawanese will turn to what the Jawanese call ‘wong tuwa’
(literallya means: the elderly). Up to the 1980-s these ‘wong tuwa’ are categorized as traditional healer, and the client are labeled ‘old fashioned’. At the present day, this wong tuwa has become a professional (indicated for instance, by a business card mentioning “expert in Jawanese building/tradition”); but not a professional under the same category of architects simply because they do not enter any school of architecture.
Also, should one aska the client why s/he employ the Jawanese guide, the answer will mostly be “for the love of Jawanese culture” or “to become wise”. This answer reflects their view of modern or postmodern merely as time that always rolling forward, and therefore to becomewise is to marry the modern/postmodern with Jawa: the Jawa as the spirit and the modern/postmodern as the outfit.
The substitution of standard of measurement is also take place in the Kawruh Kalang.
We already mention 16 kaki and 19 kaki, where ‘kaki’ is one of Dutch standard of measurement. If we follow the Jawanese strictly, we will use ‘pecak’, and we will say 16 pecak and 19 pecak. Since the measurement applies the kaki-system, Kawruh Kalang also mention the ruler (measurement tool) of Dutch origin. The measurement tool for the pecak-system is the part of the body (anthropometric). This substitution is interesting to us because the amount of measurement is not modified, neither the risk that accompany that amount. It is quite reasonable for the Jawanese to accept this substitution for it does not distort, nor eliminate, the idea and knowledge. At present day, the use of metric-system has been successfully enjoying its status as outfit of the Jawa as spirit/soul.
Concluding Remarks
P
rogress and Change are sign of natural life of mankind. Both internalmotivation and external stimulus drives the life to experience progress; while rejection of the one and acceptance of the other drives the change. Mas Sasrasudirdja exemplifies change in Jawanese culture with an acceptance of Europan model and rejection of jawanese model. How the Jawanese was rejected is interesting to note since it discloses a couple of issues that the present time also experience and practice. To reject the Jawanese model, Mas Sasrasudirdja employs one simple mode of
argumentation, exposition of contrast. Comparing rural environment to urban environment seemingly fair and unproblematic; each one is an environment where
people live their life. However, each one is different in class and category because it is like comparing a bicycle to a motor cycle which are both means of two-wheel
transportation, or a stone and marble St. Peter’s Rome to wood great mosque of Demak which are both works of architecture of religious building.
Regulations and orders are formulated by the Jawanese in a form of exposing the good and the bad altogether. It is not the good and the bad quality that becomes the target of the guide, but a call from every individuals to justify which one is selected or employed and which one to avoid. It is a call for wisdom in designing building, a faculty of humankind that almost taken aside in our present day affairs with building and architecture.
References
Cairns, Stephen: `Re-surfacing: Architecture, Wayang, and the “Javanese house”’; in:
Nalbantoglu, G.B. & Wong, C.T. (eds); Postcolonial Space(s) (p.73-88); Princeton University Press; New York; 1997
Santosa, Revianto B.: `Tentang Risalah Bangunan: Sigi sekilas tentang Tradisi Tekstual Arsitektur Jawa pada masa Kolonial akhir’; in: Naskah Arsitektur Nusantara: Jelajah Penalaran Reflektif Arsitektural - jilid II; h. 87-100; Laboratorium Perkembangan Arsitektur ITS; Surabaya; 1999
Levi-Strauss, Claude : Myth and Meaning; Schoken Books; New York;1978
Prijotomo, Josef : ‘On Reading the Vernacular, Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Sentence’; in: Proceedings of 2nd International Seminar on Vernacular Settlement, Vernacular Settlement in The New Millennium, Resistance and Resilience of Local Knowledge in Built Environment, Jakarta, 16-17 February 2002, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia.
Sasrasudirdja, Mas: Serat Balewarna; Commissie voor de Volkslectuur; Batavia; 1928 --- : Kawruh Kalang Kapatihan 1882; manuscript; unpublished; Karaton Surakarta;
Surakarta; 1882
--- : Titika Wisma; manuscript, microfilm KITLV Library; Leiden; 1934
Notes :
i Journal of Architecture & Environment Vol 3 no 1 2004, Department Architecture ITS Surabaya.
ii To respect the Javanese in saying and writing their name, I use
‘Jawa’ instead of ‘Java’.
iii Revianto B.Santosa: `Tentang Risalah Bangunan: Sigi sekilas tentang Tradisi Tekstual Arsitektur Jawa pada masa Kolonial akhir’;
in: Naskah Arsitektur Nusantara: Jelajah Penalaran Reflektif Arsitektural – jilid II; h. 87-100; Laboratorium Perkembangan Arsitektur ITS; Surabaya; 1999
iv Within the professionals, particularly the architects,
discussions and debates concerning the architecture of Jawa have also heated in the 1920-s (has been started around the end of the first decade of the 20th century). Debates between Wolff Schoemacher and Maclaine Pont for example, had been thoroughly depicted by
Stephen Cairns. In short, Wolff Schoemacher sees that there is no way to ‘modernize’ the local architecture. Maclaine Pont takes the opposite position, confirming the potentials of the local to become
‘modern’. See Stephen Cairns: `Re-surfacing: Architecture, Wayang, and the “Javanese house”’; in: Nalbantoglu, G.B. & Wong, C.T. (eds);
Postcolonial Space(s) (p.73-88); Princeton University Press; New York; 1997
v the first elementary school for the Jawanese common people is only open around the end of the 19th century, and in the 1920-s still does not attract Jawanese to enter.
vi The latinization will only takes place from the 1930-s onward, and DR.Th.Pigeaud is the first scholar who launch the initiative to latinize this corpus.
vii See, for instance, Josef Prijotomo, 2002: ‘On Reading the Vernacular, Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Sentence’; in:
Proceedings of 2nd International Seminar on Vernacular Settlement, Vernacular Settlement in The New Millennium, Resistance and
Resilience of Local Knowledge in Built Environment, Jakarta, 16-17 February 2002, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia.
viii The term ‘without writing’ is borrowed from Claude Levi- Strauss’s term to avoid the term ‘primitive’. See Claude Levi- Strauss (1978): Myth and Meaning; Schoken Books; New York.
ix Insofar the oldest Kawruh Kalang is the 1882 edition of Kawruh Kalang, prepared by Karaton Surakarta as material for exhibition in the Netherlands. This corpus is written in Jawanese language and with Jawanese characters. In the 1930-s a couple of transliteration is typewritten with Latin characters, but still in Jawanese
language. Up to the present, no printed publication is ever produced.
x On this professional, one version of this Kawruh Kalang, titled
‘Titika Wisma’ notes that the relationship between the client and the architect is one of partnership, that is much closer to a husband-wife relationship, aimed at the achievement of wisdom for and from both parties.