Laweyan Batik Village (Kampung Batik Laweyan)

Kampung Batik Laweyan

Not just a place to shop and learn how to make batik, Laweyan Batik Village is a tourist place with incredible charm. In this village, it was also emerging leaders oppose the occupation movement. Until now, the aura of Laweyan in the past still felt, especially shown by the presence of ancient buildings, covered with high walls. It's nice if walking down the aisle in there.

Solo batik history was believed to have originated from Laweyan, which was first introduced during the Kingdom of Pajang by Kyai Ageng Henis, in the early 16th century. Thus, the Surakarta batik is Laweyan. From Pajang, batik was snaking adjusts with Laweyan river flow, entering the Bengawan Solo river and so on up to the Java Sea, up comes the coastal batik motifs. Exports of goods from Indonesia in the modern sense was said to be Batik Laweyan in the early 1930's.

Batik Monument at Laweyan

Why Surakarta batik should be identical to Laweyan because that's where it was said batik originated, produced by generations. Kyai Ageng Henis who introduced batik to residents around Pajang in the early 16th century. At least, that's what people of Laweyan believed until now.

Just so you know, people still survive on the definition of Laweyan Batik, which does not only refer to a mere motive. They reject the product by manufacturer, which was made by using modern machinery called "batik."

"It is called batik, (right) when made using candles (Javanese: Malam) and through a particular coloring process," said Gunawan, owners Putra Laweyan House of Batik. Not only Gunawan, Widhiarso, also said the same thing. "So, it is not limited to the batik motifs," said the daily board of Kampung Batik Laweyan Development Forum.

workers (moms) are making batik using canting and malam

The dynamics of Laweyan Batik industry always hand in hand with the political dynamics of the country, since the Colonial period and after called Indonesia. In the first colonial period, Laweyan always tightly controlled by the Dutch colonial government, especially since Kyai Samanhoedi formed a resistance organization called the Islamic Trade League (Sarekat Dagang Islam). Marketing process of batik was not freely made.

At the time of the independence movement, batik becomes an economic resource that also sustains the resistance movement. Soekarno, Hatta, and national political figures, reportedly often visited the village, to conduct a secret meeting and consolidating. Ironically, society Laweyan felt bullied even in the Soeharto era.

Soeharto was regarded as the man behind the influx of modern textile machines to Surakarta through Batik Keris. "It is impossible textile machinery imported if not to crush the Laweyan Batik business. Moreover, the placement of the plant site adjacent to Laweyan, "said Mr. Yanto, tomb caretaker of Kyai Ageng Henis.

Mr. Yanto said that before Batik Keris was present in the early 1970s, batik industry was very advanced. "There were many wealthy merchants, which employs at least 100 people per house," recalls Mr. Yanto. In addition to the workers, the presence of Batik Keris also hit spinning yarn businesses which run by individuals, even striated industrial centers in Pedan, Klaten.

Canthing, a tool used to write on a batik cloth.

"All out of business. People also did not want any more to run the company of making yarn from cotton because the price could not compete with modern factory output. In fact, many people used to grow cotton along the banks of the river," added Mr. Yanto.

Laweyan it self-derived from the lawe that is fine cotton fibers that constitute the raw material of cloth. The Laweyan word indicates the place where there are many threads lawe.

But, Laweyan face now is not gloomy as a few decades ago. Batik popularity is increasing, even for kids and teens, making the demand for batik raw materials increased as well. And Laweyan now began to squirm. Until 2004, only 11 batik business remains, now has reached 60 people who revived the batik industry, especially stamped batik and written batik.

What Mr. Alpha, Mr. Gunawan, Mr. Widhiarso and the others did through Kampung Batik Laweyan Development Forum led to appreciation. On January 7th, 2013, Laweyan was rewarded Upakarti gifts delivered by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to their pioneering category to turn Laweyan not just as a batik village, but also the heritage area.

How high is the price of Batik Laweyan? The answer is relative. Batik can be bought with prices ranging from Rp 50 thousand to hundreds of thousands. But for batik, in addition to the complexity of motives, the price is also determined by the type of material (from mori cloth to silk). If you must spend millions of rupiahs, you should not assume expensively.

Malam, instead of ink or paint materials used to make batik

Try to count by yourself, how the cost of production to generate a new set of batik material, the workers (usually mom's) in Laweyan, they must carve through canthing of malam (candle) for one to two months? Beyond the price of materials, try to look at the regional minimum wage (UMR) Surakarta already over Rp 1000 thousand (USD 100).

Are you willing to be paid according to the minimum wage and should romp with malam (candle) and canthing for that long just for the sake of wearing written batik to attend a party or a business meeting?

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— Thursday, January 15, 2015 — Add Comment — batik, canthing, kampung batik laweyan, laweyan, malam, solo, surakarta, travel