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number of overseas buyers have expressed interest in the hand-drawn batik business in Indonesia, including products of the Maos batik style made in Cilacap regency, Central Java, which has secured regular buyers from Singapore.

“We are very grateful to have gotten a good business partner from Singapore. He is eager to become a regular buyer for Maos batik products,” Rajamas Batik cottage industry owner Tonik Sudar-maji said.

He said that not many overseas buyers were willing to go into business with batik producers, especially those producing hand-drawn batik that used motifs specific to their region.

“The specialty of hand-drawn batik lies in the motifs depicting a region. That’s why hand-drawn batik is expensive,” Tonik said.

“We’re grateful that Singapore buyers are interested in the unique and rare Maos hand-drawn batik,” said Tonik, who sells batik to Singaporean buyers for an average of
Rp 1 million (US$120) per piece of fabric. He said that Rajamas batik products would later be sold in Singapore’s neighboring countries.

He added that Maos batik remained a product of the cottage industry, employing mostly housewives in Maos Kidul village, Maos district, Cilacap.

Around 500 local housewives work in the batik factory. They apply dyes to color hand-drawn motifs.

“Around 20 housewives work for me, most of them are over 50 years old. Many of them also work on my batik at home,” said Tonik, who said that he had promoted his products to a number of countries through exhibitions.

He said that Maos hand-drawn batik was established during the era of Pangeran Diponegoro in the 19th century.

“I have preserved our batik motifs up to now. The character of the Maos batik is not found in hand-drawn batik from other areas. It cannot be easily imitated and it is very noticeable when someone tries to copy it,” Tonik said.

According to him, the cheapest hand-drawn Maos batik is sold for between Rp 300,000 and Rp 1 million per piece on the local market.

“It’s expensive. Our target customers are from the middle to upper income level, including high-ranking officials,” Tonik said.