Sunday, January 4, 2009

Pattern and Colors of Batik Cirebon (Cirebonese Batik)



Here is a close up look at Batik Cirebon's patterns and colors. These batik clothes and sarongs are displayed at the Cirebon Municipality stand at the Braga Festival last week.

I have previously posted the history of the Indonesian batik and the characteristics of Batik Cirebon (Cirebonese Batik) here.

Cirebon , by the way, is a city and regency in the northern coast of Java, about 135 kilometers to the north east of Bandung. As a coastal trading city, Cirebon has received various influences from its visitors throughout its long history (the city was officially established in 1369). These influences have created an interesting cultural melting pot, which, among others, are reflected in the designs of its batik. Its bright colors, for example, are said to have come from the Chinese influence.

Batik Cirebon is mostly produced by home industries in Trusmi, a village some 7 kilometers from its city center. That is why sometimes batik Cirebon is also called batik Trusmi.

In addition to Trusmi, there are actually two other villages that also become the centers of batik production in Cirebon. They are Karang Tengah and Kunduran. The latter has a predominantly Chinese population and, therefore, produces mostly Chinese-Indonesian style batik.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good morning Eki, great colors and patterns! Yet another wonderful shot!

Mahmud Yussop said...

Wonderful use of subtleties of pastel and modern colours.The use of fine and tiny flowers speaks volumes about the philosophy behing the design. Cantik Bangat!

Anonymous said...

Those fabrics are beautiful..so much more interesting than western clothes I think...

Jane Hards Photography said...

Again I find the image so beautiful and colourful compared to my world ad the text so fascinating,


The film photography google alert was very interesting.

Unknown said...

Beautiful batik sarong & wonderful shot too.
Have a nice day.

J.C. said...

Happy New Year, Eki!

I was in Bandung during New Year for a holiday with my family. It's a beautiful place and we got some batik too from Pasar Baru. We will definitely be back in Bandung again. The people, the food, the shopping (how could we forget) and the place ~ are all fabulous!!!

Anonymous said...

Eki..you asked about the deer in my photo. White-tailed deer are very afraid of people. I was in the house behind a curtain to take the photo. Thank you for updating my link, I would hate to lose you...Michelle..

Unknown said...

Blog and Post yang sungguh cantik. Dont mind if I put you on the blogroll neighbour :D

Anonymous said...

I just remember my grandma because she always wear that kinds of batik and the motif is exactly the same... Thank you Pak for posting one of the cultures of Cirebon, maybe it can be such a choice for tourists to spend their holiday and explore more how the Cirebonese are...hem...we also have lots of unique and delicious foods;)

Hilda said...

I love batik! I have several sarongs and malong (the cloth sewn like a tube), and when I don't have reason to wear them, I use them as table cloths and screens. Thanks to a large Muslim community in Mindanao, we actually produce our own too.

But I do miss the old-style batiks — the ones made using metal 'stencils,' wax poured through the holes, then the cloth dyed. Remember those? I always thought them prettier because the patterns were never really perfect.

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos, Mas...