Glancing At Local Motifs For Batik

Every island in Indonesia has a distinctive cultural and artistic richness. It becomes a tremendous potential to be creative in creating new batik motifs or even raising the local motifs from every island, especially UNESCO has raised batik as a world heritage in 2009.

This is an opportunity for Indonesians to continue working with batik, especially creating batik local motif, although not all regions make batik. For example, East Nusa Tengara does not know batik as a work of art. Local people are more familiar with hand woven fabric and 'songket', woven sarongs with a wealth of their own motives. However, local wealth in the form of motifs is an asset that can be developed, especially with batik techniques, because batik has developed rapidly like technology widespread.

Local motifs that can be appointed as batik motif for covering traditional houses, flora, fauna, people, dances, symbols or objects having a certain philosophy value and means for good. Some examples of local motifs raised from various regions in eastern of Indonesia:

Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara: 'Ranggang' motif or spider as a symbol of honesty and hard work, and such a confirmation of bond between home and garden.

Ende Lio, East Nusa Tenggara: elephant motif that is trusted by local people as the beloved animals of gods.

Sikka, Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara: 'Okukirei' motif describes the lives of fishermen and marine products, based on the story that the ancestors of Sikka residents were accomplished sailors.

East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara: shrimp motif was appointed because of a habit to walk side by side which symbolizes brotherhood and close friends.

Papua: 'Cendrawasih' motifs and 'Tifa' musical instruments, accentuating the beauty of birds of paradise and the beauty of music with Tifa instruments, both of which are golden in color.

Sentani, Papua: a circular motive for wood trunks that holds the meaning of the biological wealth of this area.

Toraja, South Sulawesi: Buffalo motif symbolizes greatness, or a Grouse that illustrates of the  glory.

North Maluku: clove flower motif as a symbol of determination in holding principles.

It must be acknowledged that local Indonesian motifs are too numerous to be written one by one in writing, it is also very unfortunate if you miss some of its beauty. Good luck with Indonesian local motifs creation so that batik is more Indonesian. (SIP).