Part 1

• Making batik stories Fiona Kerlogue SOAS

  The study of batik has been approached from a number of angles. Raffles, in his ‘History of Java’ (1817), considered what was worn at the time of his study, examined Javanese texts to look at evidence of practices at court, described production methods and commissioned artworks to record the variety of styles. Rouffaer (1914) took an art historical approach, speculating on the origins of batik, while Jasper and Pirngadie (1916) documented and classified motifs. More recent scholars have drawn on these approaches and added discussion of symbolic meanings. This paper reflects on such approaches, some of which are brought into play in a recent study looking at pictorial evidence from the past. It gives rise to an interrogation of the additional value to be gained from departing from disciplinary pathways and employing a range of methodologies.

• Textile Art as a Medium for Cultural Dialogue: The Case of Dutch-Indonesian Collaboration in Ikat Weaving in Alor and Rote Julita Oesanty Oetojo University of Bonn

  Textile art has long been a means of cultural expression and exchange in Indonesia. Recently, Dutch-Indonesian collaborations have emerged as a dynamic platform for reimagining traditional textile art. This research explores the case of Dutch-Indonesian collaboration in the realm of Ikat weaving, examining how it acts as a medium for cultural dialogue and preservation. Specifically, it delves into the collaboration between Dutch designers and traditional women weavers in Rote and Alor, Indonesia, with the aim of infusing contemporary creativity into Ikat weaving while preserving core cultural values. Facilitated by a Dutch NGO, this collaboration fosters the exchange of ideas, techniques, and resources between the two cultures. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the research investigates the creation of innovative Ikat motifs by Dutch designers and local weavers, examining the design process, social context, and economic sustainability of local communities. Additionally, it analyzes the dissemination of ideas and designs, highlighting their influence on broader textile traditions in Indonesia.The research highlights the importance of Dutch-Indonesian collaboration in Ikat weaving, which enriches the global understanding of Indonesian textiles and their connection to the international art scene.By merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, this collaboration revitalizes textile art and enhances its international recognition. Moreover, the research highlights the resilience and adaptability of Dutch-Indonesian collaboration in Ikat weaving during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing both offline and online data collection methods to illustrate the transformative potential of these partnerships. Lastly, the study emphasizes the importance of textile art in representing the rich cultural heritage of the Indonesian archipelago, serving as a cultural dialogue medium and a catalyst for elevating local representation in the global textile art landscape.

• The Dynamic of Sustaining Balinese Handwoven Textiles Agung Parameswara Warmadewa Research Centre

  Several key factors drive contemporary concerns about the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage Balinese handwoven textiles. The lack of regeneration leads to the gradual disappearance of the best weavers, the migration of young people to cities in search of work, and the lack of appreciation for textiles due to cheaper substitute options as a result of technological sophistication, resulting in a lack of appreciation for textile cultural products. My previous research reveals the challenges faced regarding the sustainability of Balinese handwoven textiles such as natural capital related to the increasingly limited availability of materials and human capital related to the existence of skilled workers. Even though faces many challenges, Balinese handwoven textiles have a unique positioning as authentic cultural products, not just as handy crafts of art made by the community to meet their needs but also to have significant roles in people’s lives, such as cloth as a complement or means of religious ceremonies, to fulfill daily needs, and as an indication of a person’s social status. Furthermore, the Balinese government issued two important policies as an effort to maintain the sustainability of the Balinese handwoven textiles cultural industry. Cultural policy has given meaning and importance to the cultural diversity of society. However, the efforts to preserve intangible cultural heritage by providing a way to community welfare are facing new challenges. This paper will present my recent research on the cultural value of Balinese handwoven textiles and also an analysis of local cultural policy from Bali Governance to sustain the intangible heritage of handwoven textiles by increasing the economy demand. To answer the first objective, qualitative data were collected by using deep interviews and visual ethnography to explore the cultural value of Balinese handwoven textiles. Furthermore, To answer the second objective, focus group approach, qualitative data were collected and using Nvivo12 to analyze the data from 15 interviews of weavers and practices of Balinese handwoven textiles living in Bali. The results found that the cultural value of Balinese Handwoven textiles is intersected with the local wisdom of Balinese Hinduism framework – Tattwa means belief, Susila means ethics, Upacara means ritual, which is reflected in the spiritual aspect, namely the orientation that shows the view of life and the system of community values, the character aspect, namely the ability to accommodate external cultural elements and ways of life in people’s lives, and the symbolic aspect of cultural elements that have a meaning in the view of life. passed down from generation to generation. Tattwa is the essence or truth or belief that determines behavior in dealing with worldly problems, which is reflected in the philosophy of the Balinese Hindu community in embracing the concept of Tri Hita Karana. Morals or ethics are applied in the social structure of society. The variety of Balinese handwoven textiles is due to the use-value and association value used in five categories of ceremonies to perform by Balinese called Panca Yadnya. The result of the second objective found that the cultural policy is increasing the sense of identity by using Balinese handwoven textiles and significantly has the direct impact for the demand of handwoven textiles. Furthermore, the research revealed that cultural policy plays an important role in shaping and reviving the traditional practices by evaluating the challenges of cultural industries such as industrialization, regeneration knowledge, environmental sustainability by reducing chemical dyes, the welfare of women weavers, market access, and strong representation between communities.

Part 2

• Sensory & Semiotic Fabrics of a Monument: Womb Power Mary-Louise Totton Western Michigan University

  Candi Loro Jonggrang, the largest Hindu complex of insular Southeast Asia, was consecrated in 856. Although ostensibly dedicated to Siwa (the Indonesian version of Shiva), this temple is not wholly orthodox in its imagery. In the very center of this grand site, lining Siwa’s garbhagriha (womb chamber) and its entry way are sixteen carved (and once painted) representation of textiles. As Proust noted, “the past is hidden somewhere… beyond the reach of intellect, in some material object.” And although Proust was sniffing madeleines, we now understand that humans develop their first sense, our sense of smell, in the womb. This paper’s intent is to show how this ninth-century temple visually depicts the sensorial and semiotic meanings of textiles; early roots of how textiles functioned as both life rite protections as well as burial shrouds, linking the womb to the tomb. Textiles continue to connote sensory as well as semiotic meanings, which tie into the ritualistic use of textiles in much of the archipelago today.

• Eko Sari’s Weave: What a textile produced by a spirit can tell us about historical change Emilie Wellfelt Lund University

  The focus of the analysis in this paper is a textile found in a village on the island of Alor in eastern Indonesia. The textile is attributed to Eko Sari, a non-human weaver of the Hari people. Hari are believed to live in villages that mirror human society but are located in the ocean. Eko Sari is a Hari woman with a special history as one of the founding ancestors of the coastal people of northwest Alor.
  Eko Sari’s textile is an example of objects that are classified in Alor culture as “bukti sejarah”, Indonesian for “historical evidence”, or in the terminology of Janet Hoskins (1993): history objects. Through their materiality and specific provenance, history objects support the factuality of oral traditions. While other objects may be used in exchange (barter, payment, gift, etc.), the history object goes out of circulation. It is kept as an heirloom that changes hands only through inheritance. In this way the object bridges time and generations.
  The paper explores the possibility of making cultural translations of the claims that Eko Sari produced the heirloom textile, and connecting the oral traditions related to the Hari textile to global and local history.
  In the paper I argue that Eko Sari’s textile can be understood as an indigenous historical interpretation, familiarisation and commemoration of times marked by the appearance of foreign peoples, objects and technologies associated with transformative changes in livelihoods and social relations in eastern Indonesia.

• Exploring Identity via Peranakan Attire: A Case Study of Ms. Oei Hui-Lan’s Personal Memoir Fang-Chi YANG National Palace Museum

  The Peranakan Diary of “No Feat Lasts Forever” is a remarkable piece originally written in English and first published in the United States in 1975. Oei Hui Lan, a renowned fashion icon in the early 20th century United States, shares firsthand accounts that offer fascinating insights into the Peranakan culture in Indonesia. Her diary provides rich details about life within the Peranakan community, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries. This study endeavors to analyze the Peranakan identity through the lens of Ms. Oei Hui Lan’s personal memoir. Focusing on the attire spanning three generations of the Oei family and employing Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of taste, the article seeks to illuminate the intricate connection between national identity and cultural capital.
  Furthermore, this study delves into the profound significance of the blue and white batik sarong within the Peranakan community of Indonesia, particularly in the context of mourning. While past research by Alit Djajasoebreta suggests that white symbolizes mourning, and she indicates that the tradition of wearing sarongs in blue and white (Kelengan) as a sign of mourning or sorrow was adopted by Indo-European women and wives of Moluccan militaries serving in the Dutch colonial army on Java. However, the question remains: did the origin of the blue and white sarong lie in the traditional customs of Southern China? This article aims to investigate its cultural origins, exploring potential ties to traditional customs from Southern China. Moreover, the study examines the symbolic connotations of the blue and white ceramic Peranakan ritual vessels used in funerals. By delving into primary historical archives, notably the often-overlooked Fujian Local Chronicles, this research seeks to trace the origins and evolution of blue and white batik within the unique cultural milieu of the Peranakan community.

Abstract