Redefining Banyumas Local Values: Symbolisms in Batik Motifs

Abstract

This research aimed to find the types of signs using Peircean semiotic theory namely icon, index, and symbol in Banyumas batik motifs. The researchers were going to describe the Banyumas local values depicted in each of the batik motifs. Moreover, Banyumas local values were reflected from the explained batik motifs. This research was a descriptive qualitative research by applying embedded-case study. The research was limited on Banyumas batik motifs which contained natural symbols; they were Jahe Rajang, Lumbon, Babon Angrem, Peksi Gowok, and Serayuan. There were two types of data to be analyzed, namely primary and secondary data. There were two key informants that the researchers met and interviewed to obtain more reliable data. To gain the primary data, the researchers conducted some series of interview with the first informant, a Banyumas batik artisan who was very dedicated to maintain the existence of batik tulis (hand-painted batik). Meanwhile, to gain the secondary data, the researchers visited a Banyumas culture activist. The results show that Banyumas batik motifs are made with certain purposes and meanings. Each of the motifs analyzed in this research carries important signs. It reflects the values and beliefs adhered by the local people. Through these motifs and the appreciation of batik, Banyumas local value like Cablaka (straightforward, honest, and genuine) reflects the index as one type of sign.

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P-ISSN: 1978-8118
E-ISSN: 2460-710X
295
Lingua Cultura, 12(3), August 2018, 295-300
DOI: 10.21512/lc.v12i3.4206
REDEFINING BANYUMAS LOCAL VALUES:
SYMBOLISMS IN BATIK MOTIFS
Dyah Raina Purwaningsih1; Ika Maratus Sholikhah2; Erna Wardani3
1,2 English Departement, Faculty of Humanities, Jenderal Soedirman University
3 Education Departement. Faculty of Humanities, Jenderal Soedirman University
Jl. HR Boenyamin 708, Purwokerto, Jawa Tengah 53122, Indonesia
1deeraina3@gmail.com; 2ika.linguistika@gmail.com; 3ernawardani@yahoo.com
Received: 11th December 2017 /Revised: 07th February 2018 /Accepted: 20th February 2018
How to Cite: Purwaningsih, D. R., Sholikhah, I. M., & Wardani, E. (2018). Redening Banyumas local values:
Symbolisms in batik motifs. Lingua Cultura, 12(3), 295-300.
https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v12i3.4206
ABSTRACT
This research aimed to nd the types of signs using Peircean semiotic theory namely icon, index, and symbol in Banyumas
batik motifs. The researchers were going to describe the Banyumas local values depicted in each of the batik motifs. Moreover,
Banyumas local values were reected from the explained batik motifs. This research was a descriptive qualitative research
by applying embedded-case study. The research was limited on Banyumas batik motifs which contained natural symbols;
they were Jahe Rajang, Lumbon, Babon Angrem, Peksi Gowok, and Serayuan. There were two types of data to be analyzed,
namely primary and secondary data. There were two key informants that the researchers met and interviewed to obtain
more reliable data. To gain the primary data, the researchers conducted some series of interview with the rst informant, a
Banyumas batik artisan who was very dedicated to maintain the existence of batik tulis (hand-painted batik). Meanwhile, to
gain the secondary data, the researchers visited a Banyumas culture activist. The results show that Banyumas batik motifs
are made with certain purposes and meanings. Each of the motifs analyzed in this research carries important signs. It reects
the values and beliefs adhered by the local people. Through these motifs and the appreciation of batik, Banyumas local value
like Cablaka (straightforward, honest, and genuine) reects the index as one type of sign.
Keywords: local values, Banyumas local values, symbolism, batik motif, semiotics
INTRODUCTION
The research on batik and semiotics is not a new
thing. There has been some research on both aspects. Batik
as Indonesian cultural heritage also exists in other parts of
Indonesia such as Kalimantan, Papua, Sumatera, and so on.
Tyas (2013) has conducted semiotic research on Samarinda
batik focusing on the Peircean types of sign. The research
reveals two batik motifs that represent the characteristics
of Samarinda, namely Ikan Pesut (plain water dolphin)
and Saroong (Samarinda special cloth) motifs. The former
depicts the motto of Samarinda, that is Samarinda Kota
Tepian.
Moreover, the picture of the grey dolphin reects
both positive and negative traits of the city including
elegance, modesty, high quality, stability, eternity,
wisdom, and doubtfulness. In addition, dolphin also shows
Samarinda as a city that is close to nature, and it contains
a meaningful message always to keep the city naturally
friendly. Meanwhile, the Saroong represents the original
cloth of Samarinda which is known worldwide. Despite the
similarity to the previous research, this research investigates
different types of sign reected in Banyumas batik motifs.
It will lead the researchers to the nding on Banyumas local
values.
Other research on batik has also been conducted by
Saddhono et al. (2014). They focus more on the philosophical
meaning of batik and kimono motifs. The researchers
reveal that batik motifs contain particular intention related
to life perspective and belief on the old days. Meanwhile,
kimono motifs deal with age, status, wealth, and other
aspects. Kimono Batik (Kimba) may appear as a strategic
collaborative cultural product in the global creative industry
by using kimono pattern with batik motif. It keeps both
philosophical meanings of the original products. Four-
season kimba can be a model of how developing a global
product is. High-valued cultural products of two different
cultures are creolized in respect to the cultural identity
where the original products belong to.
Then, semiotics refers to the study of signs as stated
by Eco in Chandler (2007). Semiotics deals with everything
that can be taken as a sign. In a semiotic sense, the signs
take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures, and
objects. It refers to the physical form which represents an
object, feeling, event, and others. Semiotics helps people
in studying how meanings are made and how reality is

296 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 12 No. 3, August 2018, 295-300
represented. It becomes important in an academic eld since
in human life, the sign serves many functions. It allows
people to recognize and identify patterns. Then, it can be
the plan for taking actions acts as a model of particular
phenomena (Sebeok, 2001).
Moreover, semiotics functions to signal the existence
of species; communicate messages within the species and be
the model of incoming information from the external world.
In conclusion, semiotics deals with the signs used to deliver
the idea, information, and command which enable people
to develop their perception toward what is heard, seen,
felt, and smelled (Natashia, 2015). In analyzing the sign,
there are two leading scholars’ perspectives on semiotics
theory. They are a Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and
American philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce.
The primary focus of Saussure’s theory is the
language as a system of a sign. The theory relies on the two-
dimensional system, the consensus or conventional system,
the networking relationship between signs system and the
arbitrary system (Yakin & Totu, 2014). While in Chandler
(2007), Saussure argues that signs are interpreted as a part of
the formal, generalized, and abstract system. His conception
of meaning is structural and relational, rather than
referential. Saussurean model is known as a dyadic model
which focuses on linguistic signs; a signier and signied.
The signier is dened as the physical form of the sign
that refers to something which can be seen, heard, touched,
smelled, or tasted. Sounds, letters, and gestures are the
illustration of signier concept by Saussure. Then, signied
is interpreted as the more abstract thing which deals with
the concept of the sign. The sign is the whole association
of the signier with the signied. The relationship between
them is referred to signication. Moreover, the connection
between them is arbitrary. It can be seen in Figure 1 and 2.
Figure 1 Saussure’s Dyadic Meaning
(Source: Chandler, 2007)
Figure 2 Concept and Sound Pattern
(Source: Chandler, 2007)
In Figure 1 and Figure 2, the signied is the concept
of the shady tree which brings the tranquility and other
benets to the people around, and the signier is the word
of the tree. Furthermore, Saussure denes signier as the
sound pattern or linguistic sign while the signied is a
mental image representing the concept in people‘s mind.
Thus, the concept of signied and signier represents the
thought and sound.
The meaning of a sign is not in its relationship to
other signs within the language system, but it is in the social
context of its use. Saussure’s interpretation is inuenced by
his theory about the distinction between langue and parole.
Langue refers to the system of rules and convention which
is independent. Meanwhile, parole is the use in a particular
instance. Saussure focuses on langue than parole. Then,
Saussure emphasizes that study of the sign should be divided
into synchronic (at a given point in time) and diachronic
(the investigation of how signs change in form and meaning
over time) (Sebeok, 2001).
Another model is a triadic model formulated by
Charles Sanders Peirce. It consists of three aspects of
sign. There are representamen, interpretant, and object.
Representamen refers to the form which the sign takes.
Interpretant deals with the sense made of the sign. Then,
the object is something beyond the sign to which it refers.
Therefore, the sign is a unity of what is represented (the
object), how it is represented (the representamen), and
how it is interpreted (the interpretant). Pierce’s theory of
triadic meaning or also known as the triangle of meaning is
illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3 Pierce’s Triadic Meaning
(Source: Chandler, 2007)
Pierce offers three modes of relationship between
sign vehicles and what is signied; those are icon, index,
and symbol. These modes are also known as types of
meaning. In general, the icon is a sign which resembles
for what they stand as. The index is a sign that indicates
a fact or condition, and symbol is a sign that bears an
arbitrary relationship to what they stand for (Suhor, 1992).
In addition, based on Chandler (2007) and Merrel (2001),
an icon refers to the sign that correlates with its object by its
similarity or resemblance. Portrait or photograph is a good
illustration of the icon which represents the original item.
Photograph of cat directly represents the cat itself.
The index is a sign that interrelates with semiotics
object through some actual, physical, or imagined a causal
connection. This refers to a mode in which the signier is
directly connected in some way to the signied. This can
be interpreted as the indicators of a fact or condition. Cause
and effect relationship also characterize index. For example,
the natural sign like smoke is an index of the existence of
re. Thunder is an index indicating the rain, and footprints
are also categorized as an index since it indicates the coming
of someone.

297
Redening Banyumas Local Values... (Dyah Raina Purwaningsih et al.)
Then, the symbol is more complicated that it involves
social convention in extracting the meaning. In interpreting
symbol, signier does not resemble the signied. The
meaning is purely conventional; the relationship must be
agreed and learned. Morse code, trafc lights, and national
ight are some illustrations of the symbolic mode. The
characteristics of those three modes are displayed in Table 1.
Table 1 The Example of Three Modes of Relationship
between Sign Vehicles and What is Signied of Pierce
ICON INDEX SYMBOL
Physically
similar
Direct connection Habit or norm
Not arbitrary Human-made
Can be inferred or
observed
Arbitrary or
conventional
The meaning
should be learned
The icon is the simplest mode since it merely shows
the represented object directly or physically similar to the
object. Printer icon as illustrated in Table 1 is an icon of
printing function since it resembles printer physically. The
word of print is not classied as the icon since it does not
represent printer physically. The index is dened as a sensory
feature of the particular object. The meaning contains in
the index can be inferred and observed. A dark cloud is the
index of the rain. People can predict the rain will come soon
if there is a dark cloud indicating this natural phenomenon.
This cause and effect relationship is the characteristics of
the index.
The next type is a symbol which cannot be interpreted
since the meaning is based on the convention. Symbol
associates the object indirectly. Thus, the meaning should
be learned and agreed. Diamond has the characteristics that
represent eternity. It is solid, timeless, and highly endurant.
Batik is one of Indonesia’s valuable heritages that
represents its cultures, and the various motifs depict people’s
way of life. The origin of batik is not recorded. However, in
A.D. 70, there was a nding of the similar manner of batik
clothing design in Egypt (Elliott, 2013). The method was
found seven hundred later in China. It is believed that the
Indonesian batik motifs are inuenced by Indian and Chinese
motifs brought by the merchants. During its development
in Indonesia especially in Java, batik gets inuences from
three major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Those religions bring their characteristics. Buddhism and
Hinduism bring interlocking and intersecting circular
designs known as kawung. Meanwhile, Muslim prohibition
against depicting human forms is about the change in the
batik designs into new shapes like at arabesques and
calligraphy (Elliott, 2013).
In Indonesia, batik experiences a wider recognition
as the condition of the people is gradually changing. A
long time ago, people especially the youth assumed batik
as an old-fashioned and traditional style. It was only used
by certain people in certain occasions such as a wedding
party, traditional ceremony, and other formal occasions.
Nowadays, batik is becoming more popular at every level
of society. Many schools and formal institutions make batik
as one of the uniforms on particular days. Along with the
modication of batik style and design, today’s teenagers
also wear batik as one of their fashion items. Wearing batik
is a way to preserve batik from its extinction.
Batik develops very well, especially in Java.
However, in other regions, it also develops in certain
ways depending on the local culture in which it grows. In
Java, one of the regions that has batik as its local heritage
is Banyumas, Central Java. It is located in the southern
part, far away from the Keraton (palaces) of Yogyakarta
and Surakarta that are said to be the centers of Javanese
culture. Banyumas possesses its batik design which reects
the values adhered by the people. Banyumas batik began
its production after the war in 1830 in Sokaraja, one of the
districts in Banyumas. People in Banyumas weaved the
fabrics and used the natural colors from plants and fruits.
Then, it reached the popularity in 1965-1970.
Banyumas batik emphasizes symbolic motif rather
than decorative as found in batik Pekalongan. One of the
characteristics which differ Banyumas batik from others
is the color. Banyumas batik uses the natural colors like
white, black, brown, and yellowish white. In addition to
the categorization as natural colors, those colors symbolize
particular representation. For example, black represents the
power, strong belief, and willingness. Brown refers to the
color of the soil and represents some positive personality
traits such as modesty and down to earth. Moreover, yellow
symbolizes hope, bright future, and glory.
Another characteristic is the motif. As mentioned
previously that Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam mostly
inuence the Javanese batik motif. Each of those early major
religions brings their characteristics that can be seen through
the basic motif designs. Ecological awareness of Banyumas
people also brings about the development of batik motifs
such as the use of oral and animal motifs. Some examples
of Banyumas batik with oral motifs are Manggar, Kawung
Cakra, Kawung Beton, Jae Rajang, Kopi Pecah, Ceplok
Pala, Kanthil Ukel, Godong Tel, Kluwihan, and Lumbon.
Whereas the examples of animal motifs can be seen in Lar
Sawat, Urang Watang, Merak Ngigel, Peksi Gowok, Babon
Angrem, Kidang Tlatas, Ayam Puger, Walang Kekek, and
Ramatan motifs.
The last characteristic is the painting method.
Banyumas batik is painted on both sides that resulted in
totally the same patterns of both inner and outer sides. It
reects the philosophy of cablaka, originated from cara
blaka. It means saying something straightforward. This
symbolizes Banyumas people’s personalities who always
tell the truth or something the way it is. This painting method
makes Banyumas batik more expensive than the other batik
clothing which is painted only on one side.
Banyumas batik is rich in symbolic meaning. It
contains moral values as well as cultural values. One
of the motifs is Urang Watang. Urang means shrimp and
watang means an old wood. Shrimp is an animal that lives
in the sea, river, or lake. Shrimp periodically face skin
changing. However, as it grows older, the skin changing
rarely happens resulting in the hard, strong, and solid skin.
As a consequence, shrimp like to be alone in a quiet place.
The characteristics of Urang Watang represent a person’s
personality who is calmer and wiser when he grows older.
In this period, they tend to improve themselves and become
humbler and politer.

298 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 12 No. 3, August 2018, 295-300
The researchers are interested in conducting
semiotics research on Banyumas batik motifs, particularly
on natural motifs. It reects certain meaning dealing with
the local values preserved by the people. The research aims
to nd the types of sign contained in Banyumas batik motifs
using Peirce’s theory of sign. The researchers are going to
describe the Banyumas local values depicted in each of the
batik motifs.
METHODS
This research is a descriptive qualitative research
by applying embedded-case study. According to Creswell
(2014), qualitative research is an approach to explore and
understand the meaning of individuals or groups ascribed
to a social or human problem. This research is embedded
because the researchers determine the problem and focus
of the research before conducting the research as written in
the problem statements. The researchers limit the research
on Banyumas batik motifs which contain natural symbols.
There are two types of data to be analyzed, namely
primary and secondary data. There are two key informants
that the researchers meet and interview to obtain more
reliable data. To gain the primary data, the researchers
conduct some series of interview with the rst informant, a
Banyumas batik artisan who is very dedicated to maintain
the existence of batik tulis (hand-painted batik). The name
of the batik is Rusmini Darmono derived from the owners of
the batik house. The information about the meaning of Jahe
Rajang, Peksi Gowok, Babon Angrem, and Lumbon motifs
is obtained from the rst informant.
Meanwhile, to gain the secondary data, the researchers
visit a Banyumas culture activist named Ahmad Thohari.
He provides the researchers with the information about
Banyumas local value and philosophy. The information
gained from him is used to support the information obtained
from the rst key informant.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Flora and fauna are the commonest traditional batik
motifs found in Indonesia that is inuenced by Hinduism and
Buddhism cultures. There are four natural Banyumas batik
motifs discussed in this research. There are Jahé Rajang,
Lumbon, Babon Angrem, and Peksi Gowok. Those motifs
are designed as the reection of the message delivered by
the artisan. In this research, each of them is analyzed using
the Peircean theory of sign that covers icon, symbol, and
index.
Table 2 Icon, Symbol, and Index of Jahé Rajang
ICON INDEX SYMBOL
Usefulness remedy,
ritual, recipe
First, in Jahé Rajang that can be seen in Table 2, the
icon of the motif is the whole thing printed on the fabric
which represents ginger (jahé in Javanese). The name of
this motif is realized in the design. When people look at
this clothing, they will see the picture of sliced ginger. This
Banyumas batik motif indexes the usefulness of jahé for
Javanese people. As said by many semioticists, the index is
directly connected to the signied in some way. The index
can be observed and is not arbitrary because it sometimes
reects the cause-effect relationship between the object and
the concept thought by the observer.
Ginger indexes many benets for a human being, and
it is often associated with some function such as cooking and
home remedy. Ginger is often used as a cooking ingredient
to reduce the shy smell of sh or meat. It is also used to
reduce cough by making it into a warm beverage. In the
past, ginger might be common in Javanese rituals such as a
ritual to avoid misfortunes. A person is said to be benecial
if he/she can do something for other people as well as for
the environment. A person should learn from ginger that can
be used to cure cough. He/she has to try helping those who
are in need.
The symbol is more complicated to be understood
because it is related to the social convention. To extract
the meaning, the researchers need an agreement. In Jahé
Rajang batik motif, the ginger symbolizes Banyumas value
that a person has to be benecial for others. People can
learn the value of life from ginger that has many benets
for the human being. Ginger symbolizes the positive values
that should be adhered by Banyumas people. To reach that
degree, a person needs to go through a process. Sometimes
a person has to face obstacles to become maturer just like
the ginger that needs a certain process to become a cooking
ingredient. It might be processed differently to become a
home remedy.
Table 3 Icon, Symbol, and Index of Lumbon
ICON INDEX SYMBOL
Adaptability
and useful-
ness
Can grow in
any place, even
without special
treatment. All
parts are useful
for daily needs.
Second, other than Jahé Rajang, another natural
Banyumas batik that is derived from oral design is Lumbon
as seen in Table 3. The iconic sign of this motif is seen
through the design. The design of this motif resembles a
local plant called lumbu or taro leaves. Two indexical signs
can be seen in this motif; adaptability and usefulness. The
lumbu is very adaptable and easy to nd, and it can grow
in any place and any situation. People can nd it almost in
every garden of Banyumas house. In addition, it does not
even need special treatment to grow well. Sometimes, the
owner does not even realize that the plant grows well in
their gardens. Besides adaptability, it also shows usefulness
since all parts of the plant are useful for human beings or
animals. The leaves, trunk, and root can be processed into
various kinds of food. Moreover, the plant is also often used
to feed sh.
The plant of lumbu indirectly symbolizes positive
traits of Banyumas people that can be seen in their daily
lives. The symbol of this motif is also related to the index.
Banyumas people are known to be down to earth, friendly,

299
Redening Banyumas Local Values... (Dyah Raina Purwaningsih et al.)
and helpful. They can easily make friends with other people.
They are also known to be down to earth. In Banyumas social
life, everyone has equal status. No one has a higher position
than the others. In the neighborhood, they also like to help
each other without being asked. For example, they like to
conduct communal work. They are also straightforward and
tend to avoid fakeness because there is no social gap among
the society.
However, lumbu also symbolizes the inferiority of
Banyumas people. It is due to its distance from Yogyakarta
and Surakarta Keraton (palaces) as the centers of Javanese
culture. The distance causes the dialectical difference
between Banyumas and Yogyakarta-Surakarta. Banyumas
has its Javanese dialect that is called as ngapak by other
Javanese native speakers. Because of this dialect, Banyumas
people are often underestimated and considered inferior.
This experience is indirectly related to the characteristics
of lumbu as a local plant whose existence is often ignored.
However, it does not reduce the usefulness of the plant.
It teaches us that a person has to be adaptable in any
circumstances without expecting special treatments from
the surrounding. It also teaches us that people have to give
benets to other people and the environment. People can
learn from the plant that to be useful for others, sometimes
people have to sacrice themselves. However, it does not
mean that people will lose the self-existence like lumbu that
always exist in every situation.
Another traditional batik motif that has the similar
local wisdom to Lumbon is a motif called Kawung. The
name is based on the design that resembles a palm tree cut
into pieces. Palm is called aren in the Indonesian Language.
It is one of the useful plants that can easily be found in
Indonesia. It reects some positive personality traits that
should be held by human beings. All parts of the tree can be
used for various needs. The trunk and branches can be made
into a broom and other household utensils. Meanwhile, the
fruit can be made into food and sugar. It reects the essence
of human beings as social creatures that should be benecial
for others (Parmono, 2013).
Table 4 Icon, Symbol, and Index of Peksi Gowok
ICON INDEX SYMBOL
The perfec-
tion of life
and afterlife
A person’s life
is complete
when she/he
has fullled
both physical
and spiritual
needs.
Third, for Peksi Gowok, animal batik motif is also
full of philosophy and value adhered by Javanese people.
In Banyumas itself, some animals are also believed to have
symbologies representing local beliefs. One of the examples
is a bird in Table 4. The icon of this motif is seen in the
design. It resembles the name of the motif, and people can
obviously see it. In this batik motif, there are pictures of
peksi (bird) and gowok (name of the fruit). Those pictures
carry certain meaning. Javanese-Hinduism belief inuences
this motif.
Based on the theory used in this research, the
index of this motif is the direct connection between bird
(peksi) and the belief system of Banyumas people. The
bird represents the perfection of life and afterlife. Peksi is
believed as the representation of life perfection. It is related
to a Javanese saying that a man’s life is considered complete
when he has reached ve basic needs. Those are a house, a
wife, a horse, a weapon, and a bird. There is also the relation
between gowok and Banyumas local value that is not found
in other cultures. As for gowok, no direct connection can be
made. Based on the information gained by the researchers,
there are two possibilities for extracting the meaning of
gowok. First, it is a name of local fruit found in Java and
Kalimantan. Second, it is related to an old tradition held by
a certain society in some parts of Banyumas.
The bird symbolizes a person’s longing for nobleness
in this life and afterlife. It is also often related to the
determination to fulll the material needs by going to work
at days and returning home to fulll the spiritual needs at
noons. The symbolic sign of gowok can be analyzed through
two arguments. Gowok is a kind of fruit that commonly
grows in certain parts of Central Java and Kalimantan. For
Javanese people, it represents modesty because the fruit
is quite cheap and easy to nd in traditional markets. It
symbolizes Javanese people as modest people that do not
like being in the spotlight.
Another symbol observed is gowok. It is a name of
an old taboo tradition held by some Banyumas people. The
tradition is called gowokan that comes from a philosophy
that a man is the leader of his family, and before getting
married he should be well-prepared for that role. In order to
prepare a man for marriage life, the groom to be is trained
by a mature woman at the age of 23-30 years old on how to
be ready for doing his role as a husband, especially in sexual
activity. The training lasts for several days. During those
days, the man lives together with the trainer (Septiningsih,
2012). The tradition does not exist anymore due to some
factors such as religion, norms, and social ethics. Bird and
gowok symbolize an ideal life of a Banyumas man. A man’s
life is complete when he has already reached material and
spiritual achievements.
Table 5 Icon, Index, and Symbol of Babon Angrem
ICON INDEX SYMBOL
Mother’s
protection to
her children
A mother will
always protect
her children
in any situa-
tion, since their
childhood until
their adulthood.
Fourth, Babon Angrem is one of Banyumas batik
motifs with animal design as seen in Table 5. Unlike Peksi
Gowok that reects a man’s life, Babon Angrem is a motif
representing Banyumas women. The name of this motif
is derived from the design that shows a hen incubating its
offsprings. Babon is the Javanese term of hen, and angrem
is the Javanese term for incubating or brood.
The indexical sign of this motif is the protection
because there is a direct connection between the design
of a hen opening its wings with the concept of Javanese
parents. In Javanese culture, a mother is identical with
protection, caring, and affection for her children. Babon
Angrem is usually very protective to its offsprings. It will
not let anything harm its offsprings so it will go wherever

300 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 12 No. 3, August 2018, 295-300
the offsprings go. It reects the Javanese parenting concept.
The parents, especially mothers, play an important role in
guiding the children with love, affection, and patience.
The symbol that can be analyzed from this motif is
a hen with open wings. It symbolizes the roles played by
Javanese women in their family. Women in Javanese culture
play important roles that somehow cannot be applied to
other cultures. In Javanese culture, a mother takes care
of her children since their infanthood until adulthood. A
mother will always protect her children no matter what
happens and no matter how old they are. It is different from
western culture in which a child can live apart from his/
her parents when she/he is at the mature age. Moreover,
the signs contained in those batik motifs show us that batik
motifs are designed with certain purpose and intention. It is
to maintain certain values adhered by certain society.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the research ndings, the researchers
conclude that Banyumas batik motifs are made with certain
purposes and meanings. Each of the motifs analyzed in
this research carries important signs. It reects the values
and beliefs adhered by the local people. Jahé Rajang,
Lumbon, Babon Angrem, and Peksi Gowok are examples
of Banyumas batik motifs containing local values adhered
by the people whose existence must be maintained. Jahe
Rajang tells us that human beings have to be benecial for
others and to reach that degree, they have to go through
certain process just like the ginger itself that needs the
process to be more useful. Lumbon motif teaches people to
be adaptable in the situation. It also tells people to be sincere
in giving benets to their surrounding because sincerity is
the key to a peaceful heart. Peksi Gowok shows people the
balance of worldly life and the afterlife. The former is about
the accomplishment of material needs, and the latter is the
fulllment of spiritual needs. On the other hand, Babon
Angrem reects teaching for Banyumas women to be ideal
gures of a mother for their children.
Batik is not merely part of fashion items. It is a
cultural identity that has to be preserved especially by the
youth. The researchers expect that this research can give
a contribution to the development of batik research and
industry in the future. This research may be inspiring for
those who are interested in batik to create other motifs that
reect other unexplored Banyumas local values. In addition,
those analyzed batik motifs in this research are very likely
to be renewable into different media for the future research.
For example, it can be carved on gold bars and used as a
landmark and advertisement media. The more motifs created
are, the more available ideas for researchers to explore are.
It will be very good for the development of the research
atmosphere in Indonesia.
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