Badan

The body of the batik is covered in a traditional Indonesian motif, classified as the keraton motif. Essentially, batik is divided into two categories based on its motifs and colors. As mentioned before, the styles made on the North Coast of Java are batik pesisir and batik keraton. Batik Keraton is a traditional pattern or motif that originally grew and developed in Javanese palaces. Keraton comes from the word “Kraton” which is the name for these palaces.

This specific motif is known as Parang, and it is one of the most well-known keraton batik motifs. This motif depicted the ocean’s waves (recurring S-shapes as a geometric pattern) as a continuous spirit, reminding humans to fight evil by controlling their desires in order to achieve wisdom - the importance of remaining noble and humble throughout life.

The keraton motif is repeated at 45-degree angles. Most of the time this type of motif has its own set of rules, such as how it should be worn as a sarong. The direction of these diagonal lines should be worn according to certain rules. For example, the direction of parang worn by men should be the opposite as for women. Some sources mention that parang was one of the sacred motifs in the past. During the Mataram era in the 16th century, this motif was only worn by kings, sultans, or knights. Today, wearing parang motifs is frowned upon when visiting the keraton/Javanese palaces (Keraton Yogyakarta and Solo) or when attending Javanese weddings.

The motifs are drawn by hand with canting. In modern times, these kinds of repetitive patterns are often made with a copper stamp called batik cap. The fact that this motif is drawn by hand shows the maker’s high skill and the level of persistence in creating a consistent pattern.