W

hat do fabrics, ceramic and silver have in common? In the eyes of Iwan Tirta, a celebrated local batik designer, they are his canvas for painting batik. In his recently released work, Pusaka Maha Karya (Great Creation), he put the Modang and Hokokai motifs on all three, with the fine china crockery in the spotlight.

In Modang, displayed at Iwan's gallery, monotone blue flames form a dance line along the circumference of a round platter. At their core, on the edge of the plate, the flames radiate intense heat. Their tips reach into the center, as if reaching into the center of the universe. But the blue brings with it calmness, showing that the flames are not destructive - unlike the blaze raging in Australia right now - but are rather the flames of benevolence.

The flames of the sun depict the passionate burning and pure love of a king for his queen. The sun is also the symbol of life, and its regular shape and repetition show discipline and perseverance. This motif is a well-known batik motif of the Yogyakarta Palace. In Javanese culture, some batik designs remained exclusive, because of the class separation. Even now, some designs are reserved for the exclusive use of Javanese palace residents.

Another motif, Hokokai from the seaside town of Pekalongan in Central Java, is more for the public and gives a glimpse of history. The Hokokai motif incorporates a Japanese feel, brought with that country's culture during the occupation, into local batik motif, introducing bright colors into the equation.

As such, another plate is adorned with pink-green-orange butterflies whose wings are tinted with small dots, so small but clearly distinguishable. The animals dance around a chrysanthemum - the symbol of the Japanese emperor.

To go with the tableware, the same motifs appear on tablecloths and some silverware. There are also hand-painted platters to use as wall decorations that depict various Javanese wayang (shadow puppet) characters.

According to Lydia Hendra, the director of the production company PT Pusaka Iwan Tirta, the purpose of the release was to boost the prestige of Indonesia's tableware nationally and internationally.

"Western tableware always dons its own patterns based on their own cultures. If you look at tableware from Britain, for example, you will notice things from the country - the building, the view or the culture," Lydia said. "So we too have to produce something of our own and we show that the quality is on par with others."

Every product is a handmade limited edition. Each is rimmed with gold and stamped with a unique gold registration number.

"No two pieces are the same. Each has a unique registration number and only 25 pieces or 25 sets of six *depending on the type of item* was made of each," she said.

A complete 12-person dining set featuring the Modang motif is priced at Rp 328 million (US$29,800) and a set of Hokokai costs Rp 317 million. The remaining pieces can be purchased separately.