Acculturation Chinese Symbol on Madura Batik Motif

Abstract

This study has two chief purposes. Firstly, to introduce the Madurese Batik from Indonesia which has not yet been widely studied, and secondly, to show the acculturation of the Chinese culture in the motif of Madurese Batik. Research method employed in this study was descriptive qualitative, because our topic involves cultural and humanity sciences. The writers interview batik makers from the towns of Pamekasan, Tanjung Bumi, Sumenep, and Sampang, as research informants. We take two batik makers as representatives of each town. The four towns are selected because those towns are the centers of batik in Madura. To crosscheck the information obtained from the batik makers, also interview two collectors of Madurese batik who have good knowledge of Madurese batik. The data from the interviews and the photographic documentation of Madurese batiks are sorted and then analyzed by relating them to the theories about Madurese culture, acculturation process, and Chinese culture. The discussions and conclusions of the analyses correspond with the hypotheses proposed at the beginning of the study, which states that there are acculturations of the symbols on Madurese Batik motifs, which can be seen in the paintings of phoenix, butterfly, fish, bamboo trees on the batik, and that the acculturation process occurs naturally without conscious knowledge of the Madurese.