Jakarta – The Indonesian government has registered “Batik” as an Indonesian national identity into the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009. The UNESCO confirmed the Batik garments as the world’s heritage on 2 October 2009.
The Indonesian government welcomed the UNESCO’s decision by setting 2 October as Batik National day. During the last 11 years, Batik clothes are getting more varieties and innovations in terms of models and motifs, while demand for the Indonesian batik has been continually increasing.
Interestingly, the raw materials of Batik coloring that are usually synthetic ones have been declining and being replaced by various products that are environmentally friendly. Currently, the use of natural colors derived from various kinds of plants and other natural materials is increasingly popular in the Batik industry.
The natural colors are preferred as they have advantages, which include easier extraction, cheaper than synthetic ones, and more friendly to the environment.
Although underestimated, the palm kernel shells are potential as the raw materials of natural color production for Batik garments. It is because the palm shells contain carotenoid pigments that can produce orange color.
Puji Lestari, a researcher of Balai Besar Kerajinan dan Batik in Yogyakarta, found through her research that the use palm shells in coloring of cotton- and silk-based Batik clothes produce quality color that is resistant to color bleeding when washed or ironed.
Even, if compared with the cocoa shells, the coloring with the use of palm shells is superior as the color derived from the palm shells is more resistant to color bleeding when washed and ironed.
One of the Batik motifs that can be resulted from the use of the palm shell based coloring is the motif of so-called “Tingi-Tunjung”. The basic color resulted from the combination of the palm shells and alum, which underwent a long chemical process, can produce beautiful color. Palm Oil Indonesia said in a report that not only the palm shells are used as the coloring material in Batik, but it can also function as the substitute of paraffin which is used at night.
The night is the blocker of colors among motifs of Batik which contain paraffin derived from fossil fuels. By using bio-paraffin from the palm shells, the resulted colors are brighter and more prominent, resistant to alkaline and acid solutions, environmentally friendly, and more efficient as it can reduce production cost up to 20 percent. (*)
Source: wartaekonomi.co.id
