Batik Museum in Yogyakarta

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A. Overview

Since its designation as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO on October 2nd 2009 in Abu Dhabi, batik as one of Indonesian traditional cloth has been more appreciated by people in a wider scope, even the world. Batik is not merely a formal dress because people have started to wear it in daily casual occasion. Not only in offices or schools, in malls or tourism objects we can often find people wearing batik.

However, not many people know the history or the making process of batik cloths. It indeed has a long history. The motifs themselves have certain philosophical meanings. If interested to know more about this traditional cloth, you are suggested to visit the Batik Museum of Yogyakarta.

Batik Museum of Yogyakarta is the first batik museum in the city. The private museum is situated at Dr. Sutomo Street and was established at the initiative of Hadi Nugroho. It was inaugurated by the Regional Office of Education and Culture of Special Province of Yogyakarta on May 12th 1977. The museum, which was also the residence of the owner, lies upon a 400 m² area.

In 2000, Batik Museum of Yogyakarta was awarded a record prize for the largest batik woven cloth that measured 90 x 400 cm²by the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI). Then in 2001, the museum again received an award from MURI for the first Woven Cloth Museum in Indonesia.

Today, Batik Museum of Yogyakarta keeps over more than 1.200 batik or batik related items, including 500 sheets of hand-made batik (batik tulis), 560 sheets of stamped batik (batik cap), 124 cantings (the device to paint the motif), 35 wok for containing the wax, and coloring materials and wax. Visitors will get much information about batik, starting from the making process, tools and materials used, to the names and meaning of each batik motif. Not only that, visitors who want to learn to make batik can practice it here.

B. Features

Visiting Batik Museum of Yogyakarta, you will get a lot of new experience. It will be more than just a vocational or fun experience because here, you will receive rich information about batik as one of Indonesian traditional cloths and a fine product of a high-culture.

Looking at a glance from the outside, the museum indeed looks like a usual house for residence. But such an impression will change as you enter the gate. Lines of batik cloths of various motifs neatly displayed in the exhibition room tell you that you are in a professionally managed museum.

The museum collection is quite comprehensive. Despite being situated in Yogyakarta downtown, the museum does not only display Yogyakarta-esque Batik. There are more in the museum such as batik cloths from Solo, Banyumas, Klaten, and Pekalongan. All of those batik are exhibited in long cloths or sarong. As for the motifs, they are mostly of pesisiran, pinggiran, terang bulan, and esuk-sore motifs.

The oldest batik in the museum was made in 1840. There are some famous collections as well, such as Soga Jawa Long Cloths (1950-1960), Isen-isen Antik Sarong (1880-1890) which was made by EV. Zeuylen from Pekalongan, and Soga Jawa Long Sarong (1920-1930) made by Mrs. Lie Djing Kiem from Yogyakarta. The other collections are woven cloths created by the museum owner. The woven cloths feature pictures of Soekarno, Soeharto Megawati, Hamengku Buwono IX, Tuanku Imam Bonjol, Pangeran Diponegoro (all of which are Indonesian either heroes or prominent figures), and Pope John Paul II, and Mother Theresa.

Beside batik and woven clothes, the museum also has many collection of batik motifs and equipment both traditional and modern (using stamp). Clothes are displayed neatly in thin-glass cupboards, making it possible for visitors to see them from the front and the back. As for the batik equipment, some of them are displayed in glass cupboards while some others in wooden cupboards on the wall.

C. Location

Batik Museum of Yogyakarta is situated in Dr. Soetomo Street 13 A, RT 049/RW 12, Danurejan District, Yogyakarta, DIY, Indonesia.

D. Access

It is quite easy to reach the museum because it is situated downtown and there are many signposts showing you the way to get there. Departing from Lempuyangan Station, you can to take a pedicab to go southward or just walk. You can also take a Transjogja bus line 2A or 2B, get off in Kridosono Bus Stop in front of SMPN 5 Yogyakarta. From there, you can get to the museum by pedicab.

E. Ticket

The entrance ticket is priced at Rp 15.000,00 per person. The museum is open workdays from 09.00 a.m. to 03.00 p.m. West Indonesian Standard Time.

F. Accommodations and Other Facilities

If you want to know more about the making process of batik, you should make use of the facility provided by the museum management. There is a special gallery which is used as a studio for learning the making of batik. There are two course packages, special one-hour course is at Rp 25.000,00 or 5-meetings course at Rp 250.000,00. It is up to you to choose which one most suitable.

As for other facilities like inns or restaurants, you will find many around the museum. There are inn, restaurant, drugstore, health clinic, train station, mosque, church, and other supporting facilities not far.

Text: Elisabeth Murni
Photos: Collection of Jogjatrip.com
Translation: Reza Daffi
(Primary data and various sources)^jlalkjl

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If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

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