Batik, Traditional Fabric of Indonesia

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It would be impossible to visit or live in Indonesia and not be exposed to one of the country's most highly developed art forms, batik. On your first visit to a batik store or factory you will undoubtedly experience an overwhelming stimulation of the senses - due to the many colors, patterns and the actual smell of batik. Only through repeated visits and a bit of study will the types of designs and their origins become apparent. The word batik is thought to be derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with little dots'. The suffix 'tik' means little dot, drop, point or to make dots. Batik may also originate from the Javanese word 'tritik' which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie dye techniques. Another Javanese phase for the mystical experience of making batik is “mbatik manah” which means “drawing a batik design on the heart”. A Brief History Although experts disagree as to the precise origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries. Although in these countries people were using the technique of dye resisting decoration, within the textile realm, none have developed batik to its present day art form as the highly developed intricate batik found on the island of Java in Indonesia. Although there is mention of 'fabrics highly decorated' in Dutch transcripts from the 17th century, most scholars believe that the intricate Javanese batik designs would only have been possible after the importation of finely woven imported cloth, which was first imported to Indonesia from India around the 1800s and afterwards from Europe beginning in 1815. Textile patterns can be seen on stone statues that are carved on the walls of ancient Javanese temples such as Prambanan (AD 800), however there is no conclusive evidence that the cloth is batik. It could possibly be a pattern that was produced with weaving techniques and not dying. What is clear is that in the 19th century batik became highly developed and was well ingrained in Javanese cultural life. Some experts feel that batik was originally reserved as an art form for Javanese royalty. Certainly it's royal nature was clear as certain patterns were reserved to be worn only by royalty from the Sultan's palace. Princesses and noble women may have provided the inspiration for the highly refined design sense evident in traditional patterns. It is highly unlikely though that they would be involved in any more than the first wax application. Most likely, the messy work of dyeing and subsequent waxings was left to court artisans who would work under their supervision. Javanese royalty were known to be great patrons of the arts and provided the support necessary to develop many art forms, such as silver ornamentation, wayang kulit (leather puppets) and gamelan orchestras. In some cases the art forms overlap. The Javanese dalang (puppeteer) not only was responsible for the wayang puppets but was also an important source of batik patterns. Wayang puppets are usually made of goat skin, which is then perforated and painted to create the illusion of clothing on the puppet. Used puppets were often sold to eager ladies who used the puppets as guides for their batik patterns. They would blow charcoal through the holes that define the patterns of clothing on the puppets, in order to copy the intricate designs onto the cloth. Other scholars disagree that batik was only reserved as an art form for royalty, as they also feel its use was prevalent with the rakyat, the people. It was regarded an important part of a young ladies accomplishment that she be capable of handling a canting (the pen-like instrument used to apply wax to the cloth) with a reasonable amount of skill, certainly as important as cookery and other housewifery arts to Central Javanese women.

Sasando

Sasando adalah sebuah alat instrumen petik musik. Instumen musik ini berasal dari pulau Rote, Nusa Tenggara Timur. Secara harfiah nama Sasando menurut asal katanya dalam bahasa Rote, sasandu, yang artinya alat yang bergetar atau berbunyi. Konon sasando digunakan di kalangan masyarakat Rote sejak abad ke-7. Bentuk sasando ada miripnya dengan instrumen petik lainnya seperti gitar, biola dan kecapi.

Bagian utama sasando berbentuk tabung panjang yang biasa terbuat dari bambu. Lalu pada bagian tengah, melingkar dari atas ke bawah diberi ganjalan-ganjalan di mana senar-senar (dawai-dawai) yang direntangkan di tabung, dari atas kebawah bertumpu. Ganjalan-ganjalan ini memberikan nada yang berbeda-beda kepada setiap petikan senar. Lalu tabung sasando ini ditaruh dalam sebuah wadah yang terbuat dari semacam anyaman daun lontar yang dibuat seperti kipas. Wadah ini merupakan tempat resonansi sasando.

The Legend of Mount Tangkuban Perahu

            Once upon a time in west Java, Indonesia lived a wise king who had a beautiful daughter.   Her name was Dayang Sumbi.  She liked weaving very much.  Once she was weaving a cloth when one of her tool fell to the ground.  She was very tired at the time so she was too lazy to take it.  Then she just shouted outloud.

‘Anybody there?  Bring me my tool.  I will give you special present.  If you are female,  I will consider you as my sister.  If you are male, I will marry you’

            Suddenly a male dog, its name was Tumang, came.  He brought her the falling tool.  Dayang Sumbi was very surprised.  She regretted her words but she could not deny it.  So she had to marry Tumang and leave her father.  Then they lived in a small village.  Several months later they had a son.  His name was Sangkuriang.  He was a handsome and healthy boy.

            Sangkuriang liked hunting very much.  He often went hunting to the wood using his arrow.  When he went hunting Tumang always with him.  In the past there were many deer in Java so Sangkuriang often hunted for deer.

            One day  Dayang Sumbi wanted to have deer’s heart so she asked Sangkuriang to hunt for a deer.   Then Sangkuriang went to the wood with his arrow and his faithful dog Tumang.  But after several days in the wood Sangkuriang could not find any deer.  They were all disappeared.  Sangkuriang was exhausted and desperate.  He did not want to disappoint her mother so he killed Tumang.  He did not know that Tumang was his father.  At home he gave Tumang’s heart to her mother.

            But Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumang’s heart.  She was so angry that she could not control her emotion.  She hit Sangkuriang at his head.  Sangkuriang was wounded.  There was  a scar in his head.    She also repelled her son.   Sangkuriang left her mother in sadness.

            Many years passed and Sangkuriang became a strong young man.  He wandered  everywhere.     One day he arrived at his own village but he did not realized it.  There he met Dayang Sumbi.  At the time Dayang Sumbi was given an eternal beauty by God so she stayed young forever.  Both of them did not know each other.  So they fell in love and then they decided to marry.

            But then Dayang Sumbi recognized a scar on his Sangkuriang’s head.  She knew that Sangkuriang was his son.  It was impossible for them to marry.  She told him but he did not believe her.  He wished that they marry soon.  So Dayang Sumbi gave a very difficult condition.  She wanted Sangkuriang to build a lake and a boat in one night!  She said she needed that for honeymoon. 

Sangkuriang agreed.  With the help of genie and spirits Sangkuriang tried to build them.  By midnight he had finished  the lake by building a dam in Citarum river.  Then he started building the boat.  It was almost dawn when he nearly finished it.  Meanwhile Dayang Sumbi kept watching on them.  She was very worried when she knew this.  So she made lights in the east.  Then the spirits thought that it was already dawn.  It was time for them to leave.  They left Sangkuriang alone.  Without their help he could not finish the boat. 

Sangkuriang was very angry.  He kicked the boat.  Then the boat turned out to be Mount Tangkuban Perahu.  It means boat upside down.  From a distant it looks like a boat upside down.

Myspace Graphics and Myspace Layouts

Myspace Graphics and Myspace Layouts

Myspace Graphics and Myspace Layouts

Cerita Aneh, Wagu san

Salah Nurunin Resleting

Tumini seorang wanita dewasa pegawai sebuah kantor swasta asing pagi itu mau berangkat kerja dan lagi menunggu bus kota di mulut gang rumahnya. Seperti biasa pakaian yang dikenakan cukup ketat, roknya semi-mini, sehingga bodinya yang seksi semakin kelihatan lekuk likunya.

Bus kota datang, tumini berusaha naik lewat pintu belakang, tapi kakinya kok tidak sampai di tangga bus. Menyadari keketatan roknya, tangan kiri menjulur ke belakang untuk menurunkan sedikit resleting roknya supaya agak longgar.

Tapi, ough, masih juga belum bisa naik. Ia mengulangi untuk menurunkan lagi resleting roknya. Belum bisa naik juga ke tangga bus. Untuk usaha yang ketiga kalinya, belum sampai dia menurunkan lagi resleting roknya, tiba-tiba ada tangan kuat mendorong pantatnya dari belakang sampai Marini terloncat dan masuk ke dalam bus.

Tumini melihat ke belakang ingin tahu siapa yang mendorongnya, ternyata ada pemuda gondrong yang cengar-cengir melihat Tumini.

“Hei, kurang ajar kau. Berani-beraninya nggak sopan pegang-pegang pantat orang!”

Si pemuda menjawab kalem, “Yang nggak sopan itu situ, Mbak. Masak belum kenal aja berani-beraninya nurunin resleting celana gue.”