A Story In Every Dot

Batik is a traditional form of Indonesian textile art that involves using wax to create hand-painted designs on fabric before dyeing. Batik has been practiced in Indonesia for decades, and the Batik designs that have emerged over time are reflective of Indonesian culture and its powerful history. 

Did you know that batik is not just an Indonesian thing? This beautiful textile art has actually spread across the globe, and today it can be found in countries like India, Africa, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Suriname, and Malaysia. Each country has its own unique take on batik. In India, for example, batik fabrics are often used to make Sarees – a traditional garment worn by women. In Africa, batik is often used to make bright and colorful clothing. No matter where you go in the world, you’re sure to find some amazing batik creations! 

Going back in time we will begin to notice what traditional batik designs stayed popular over the years in Indonesia and the stories behind them. 

1. Batik Parang

The first significant type in our list is Parang, which features waves crashing against a coral reef that symbolizes the struggles of life. The word Parang derives from the Javanese word for cliff, ridge, or slope. 

There are 6 other patterns that fall under this motif of batik and they include Parang Barong, Parang Kusumo, Parang Kecil, Parang Slobog, and Parang Klitik. 

Parang Barong is a type of batik that can only be worn by the royal family and its court. This makes it one of the most coveted and cherished batik patterns in Indonesian history.

2. Sekar Jaged

Sekar Jagad is a type of batik that features patchwork of different classical batiks on one cloth to depict islands. 

The name sekar jaged has many inspirations. Sekar means ‘flower’ and ‘jagad’ means the world, it is also important to note it is supposedly derived from the word "kar" which means map in Dutch. 

Sekar Jagad is usually used by royal communities and aims to inspire the wearers to see all the beauty and diversity in the world, to essentially come together as one. 

With its heart-warming symbolism and beautiful look, there’s no wonder the Sekar Jaged motif stayed popular over the years.

3.  Mega Mendung

One of our favorite traditional batik motifs is the mega mendung, which represents rain or dark clouds. The motif depicts elongated bubbly clouds with sharp edges, similar to the Chinese cloud pattern.  

Originally from Cirebon, Western Java, the mega mendung is sometimes linked to the royal court there. 

Tradition dictates there should be at least seven color gradations to represent the seven layers of heaven, seven layers of earth, and seven days in a week. The Mega Mendung motif also holds the symbolism of patience and emotional calm and inspires the wearer to solve problems one step at a time. 

The beauty of batik is not limited to this list, there are countless stunning traditional Batik motifs out there to explore. In every wax dot, line, and stroke there is a powerful and historical meaning of every long-fought battle Indonesia has gone through to gain its Independence; which makes us all love batik even more!