Batik Yogyakarta, Surakarta and more..

Java's principal Batik centers are Yogyakarta, Solo, Pekalongan, Cirebon, Taksimalaya, Indramayu, Garut and Lasem. Several size of Batik are available. A kain panjang, for example , is one meter wide and 2.5 meters long. The sarung is one meter wide and two meters long, sewn into a cylindrical shape and worn as a skirt. Sarung are usually worn by men, kain by women. The selendang is a breast and shoulder cloth worn by women.

Batik design offer a fascinating window onto the history and mythology of Java. In traditional Batik, three types of design are used: Horizontal (called 'soft rain'), vertical and diagonal.

The introduction of Islam, which forbade depicting lifelike pictures, led to stylized patterns without representation of human of animal forms. Chinese and European influences are evident in the design and color combinations of Pekalongan and Cirebon batik, where bright colors and filigree-like birds, flowers, and trees all form part of the pattern.

Classified with regard to area, batik since colonial times fall into two large categories: 1) Batik of Vorstenlanden (the Sultanates) and 2) Batik of the costal areas, called Batik Pesisir. The Vorstenlanden batik was the batik of Surakarta (Solo) and Yogyakarta (Yogya). In addition the color and the motif are also part of the classification criteria. For the batik of Solo and Yogya one can identify symbolic motifs reflecting a Hindu-Javanese cultural background and the colors are most of the time the Sogan (rich brown color), indigo (blue), black, white and cream.