From Barack Obama to Mark Zuckerberg, from Jokowi to Titiek Puspa, from local civil servant to schoolchild. We celebrate the sophisticated design of Batik by wearing them as nation identity and as appreciation to one of worlds’ heritage. But only a few knew the reasons why Batik has been named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009. Here’s why:
- Batik design tells story and philosophy
Each region in Indonesia has their own batik characteristics design, representing each region’s pride. Solo has Batik Parang. The motif symbolizes endless waves found in the ocean that never stop moving, indirectly articulate a life-philosophy to never give up facing obstacles.
- The making is long-life dedication
Manually making a Batik fabric is a serious deal. Hours to days to weeks, the process started with Pengketelan (cloth boiled with herbs) – Menyorek (pattern drawn on cloth) – Nyanting, Nembok, Nerusi (redrawn using hot wax) – Pewarnaan (dyed technique) – Ngerok Ngelorod (scraping and boiling to remove the wax layer) –Penjemuran (drying the cloth). All require dedication, endurance, and even gritty to maintain this ancient way of producing a single masterpiece of Batik fabric.
- The motifs is one-of-a-kind
Remember that bitter cultural feud with Malaysia over Batik? Yes, it’s happened because Batik is one-of-a-kind, because of its uniqueness. The motifs, colour of choice and its grand design are distinctive that other countries desperate to own it as cultural heritage.
Realizing these reasons, Sunaka Jewelry adopts Batik Parang and Batik Kawung motifs into Batik Collection. This collection is brought to life through the ancient technique in traditional silver making history called “Bun Jawan” (which denotes a combination of filigree and granulation methods, or in Balinese is called “Bun Jawan”) and “Gergajian” (a method where the pattern drawn on the metal alloy is cut by a special metal blade). Both techniques need special attention, patience, and caution from its silver craftsmen, to produce a high-quality, elegant, and beautiful silver jewelry.
Each piece of Sunaka Jewelry collection designs consists of earrings, rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, subeng, hair accessories, brosch, etc. Copy how Gung Anita transformed herself into such a national beauty by pairing her casual outfit with Batik Collection. Be proud of local product and cultures, dear #wanitanusantara!
