“Like in Batik Tasik there?” The question was often spoken to the maker of batik exhibition visitor from Tasikmalaya. Once any of batik ciamis and arrowroot, which also has a long tradition in the art of batik in the ground if Priangan.

A result typical of batik pamor meredupnya Tatar Sunda, either because of the changing tastes of society and because invasive patterned batik textile fabric, for decades the existence of such Priangan batik forgotten. As an art craft that grew in some inland areas of West Java, particularly in East Priangan, batik Priangan even been rumored to be extinct.

However, now the question pitched at the same time suing one of the fears of losing national cultural heritage that no longer need to worry too much. At least, now there are about 30 companies in Cipedes batik, Tarlac City, and 10 companies in Sukapura batik, Talbot District, Tasikmalaya District, the center aggressively planted the flag business. So even in Garut and Ciamis.

Batik enthusiasts in Jakarta, starting on Friday (21 / 5) tomorrow, and even can be observed from close range Priangan batik from it in a special exhibition at Bentara Budaya Jakarta (BBJ), Palmerah Road South, Jakarta. The exhibition opened Thursday night, at 19:30, and will last until Sunday.

Agriculture Culture
Indeed, Tarlac has a tradition and a strong history of batik. The golden age ranges in sea batik 1950-1960’s, along with the triumph of Mitra Batik Cooperatives established in 1939. At that time, said CaCu (60), owner Agnesa batik, a company has workers at least 50 people batik.

“In the past, batik cloth is still used for gloves. If in Donegal and the main harvest, for example, businessmen from Tasik bring batik batik there any certain behavior. Batik used mothers of everyday life, including going to the field,” said CaCu.

Koperasi Mitra Batik itself emerged as a response of anxiety in Tasikmalaya batik entrepreneurs to trade cloth and dye-controlled drug Tionghoa entrepreneurs. This cooperative, in the 1960s, became the largest producer of cloth throughout Indonesia and has thousands of employees.

One witness to the history of batik sea is Latifah. Women are now 85-year-old learn to make batik fine since their teens. At that time, he was taught directly by the mother. “Those who had learned to write together with batik I’ve many died,” said the woman who used to be called Madame Ipoh and until now still batik.

Not only in Tasikmalaya, traditions and history of batik was there in Garut. According Ariawinangun Darpan, author Seputar Garut, it has long habit of making batik is in Tatar Sunda. In ancient Sundanese script, Kanda Ngkaresian punishment, never alluded batik motif that exists.

In fact, the late-19th century, KF Holle, master tea plantations on the alert, the article is, Garut, could open the batik industry in the plantation. Citing a book tour for foreign tourists en titled Garoet Omstreken, Darpan added, in the 1920s had made batik garutan fruit typical of the hands of people who often brought home from Garut.

Some time ago, when kaintekstil patterned batik (printing) bloom, batik sea unable to compete. Meskin still produced in limited quantities, to survive, there is a sea of marketing batik handed over to entrepreneurs outside the region so that someone else had a name.

Most of the people of East Priangan working in agriculture. If it is not working the fields, they have a garden or fish in the pond that must be maintained. Daily activities that take affect this pattern and batik of East Priangan region. What they see in paddy fields, fields, or swimming and then poured into the motives of cloth. No wonder if the motifs of batik from Priangan dominated by flora and fauna.

At sea batik, for example, there awi ngarambat (bamboo vine), ngibing peacock (peacock dance), spiders, birds, taro, carp, and taro leaves. In garutan batik, in addition to the flora and fauna, there are also geometric motifs, such as a rhombus.

Batik tradition and agrarian culture would eventually like two sides of a coin. When it came harvest or planting season, the batik going into the fields and temporarily suspend work membatiknya.

Batik Behavior like this one, said Ecin Kuraesin (60), batik crafters from Sukapura, still ongoing today. The batik in place Ecin have cultivated their respective fields. When harvesting or planting season arrives, they can not be blocked to not go to the field. Thus, the practical activities of batik was temporarily suspended.

Although both are in Tasikmalaya, there is a difference between the color hue of Tasik batik and batik from Sukapura. Sukapura batik colors are limited to maroon, white, black, and ivory. In contrast, color games on the sea and arrowroot batiks tend to be more daring. Bright colors according to market demand was not awkward to implement. Supriyadi Harmaen from Dimas Batik opinion, the sea of bright colors in batik seolah a lighthearted reflection Sundanese community.

Fashion trends have brought a blessing to be recognized for the batik business Priangan. The more beragamnyapenggunaan batik cloth, not only for the holster like old times, could increase demand for batik cloth. Public appreciation of the cultural heritage of nations will be key to the sustainability of tradition and history of batik in Priangan.