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Batik makes UNESCO list of heritage
The ground floor of Plaza Semanggi in Central Jakarta was crowded as usual on Friday afternoon, with people darting in and out for a quick lunch, but there was something particularly unique today
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he ground floor of Plaza Semanggi in Central Jakarta was crowded as usual on Friday afternoon, with people darting in and out for a quick lunch, but there was something particularly unique today.
Almost all visitors milling around the mall were clad in batik.
Saphyrenia Adelisa, 19, also jumped on the bandwagon in expressing the nation's love for batik. The sophomore wore a loose batik top over a pair of jeans.
"I'm so proud that batik is now officially Indonesia's," she told The Jakarta Post.
UNESCO added Indonesia's batik to its representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, making it Indonesia's third cultural heritage after wayang and kris.
UNESCO's programme specialist for culture, Masanori Nagaoka, said in his speech in an event on batik at the research and technology ministry that the validation meant Indonesia now had to work to safeguard and manage batik, the wax-resistant dyeing technique used on textiles.
"One practical measure required of each state party is to identify and define the various elements of intangible heritage present in its territory, in one or more inventories," he said.
Komarudin Kudiya, from the Indonesian Batik Foundation, said 50 regencies and cities in Java produced batik, as well as parts of Aceh, Riau and Solok and Padang in West Sumatra.
Research and technology minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said he would commission a database of batik patterns and techniques used in every region "through socio-anthropological research".
"We will also research the kinds of fabrics, dyeing substances and other techniques that suit our tropical climate," he said.
"We will award those who are committed to the efforts to preserve batik and to bring innovations in batik."
Renowned batik designer Iwan Tirta said there was more to making batik than just the coloring techniques or patterns.
"True batik making requires the maker to fast and chant magic incantations," he said, adding the beliefs and rituals in batik making were what UNESCO wanted Indonesia to preserve.
Kusmayanto said batik patterns, techniques and products were just a drop in the bucket compared to the entire tradition of batik making itself.
"Preserving the tradition and indigenous knowledge of batik must be done through literature," he said.
"There's a lecturer at Padjajaran University in Bandung who is doing her dissertation on batik traditions."
He added the research would be used in future references on batik.
Despite the country's youths growing more enamored of batik, Iwan said interest in learning about batik-making techniques was scarce.
He urged schools to include batik lessons in their curriculum.
The country has long disputed the origins of batik with others, but the UNESCO declaration should settle the issue. (adh)
