INTRODUCTION
Batik and kebaya cannot be separated from
the characteristics of clothing which
is an ancestral
cultural icon throughout the ages, one of
the typical clothes of Indonesian heritage (Khairani, 2020). In their attire,
Indonesian women wear
kebaya at every event, be it
casual, official to state events,
then combine it with the
use of jarik
or sarong with batik motifs. The use of batik cloth
is not only for use as official
clothing to casual wear, from
births, weddings to death ceremonies
(Meindrasari & Nurhayati, 2019).
At weddings in Indonesia, there is a rich
variety of traditional cultures in each region, which have their own
characteristics and uniqueness, starting from the traditional wedding
procession, the make-up dress and the shape of the decorative pattern (Saiin & Armita, 2019). The use of batik
motifs during the wedding dress procession also has a symbolic meaning, both in
terms of motifs and colors. The characteristics of these symbols contain
philosophical meanings that have been inherited, for example in the Central
Java region it has the characteristic Sidomukti batik
motif which has the meaning of happiness, power and never lacks, Sidomulyo means to start which has the meaning of
symbolizing a glorified king, Terumtum which has The
characteristic feature of the motif is decorated with small flowers such as
cape flowers and stars, which have a black background, which means that the
shine of the star motif illuminates at night (Sabatari, 2012).
One of them is the culture of the
traditional Madurese wedding ceremony, wedding dress in Madura also wears batik
and kebaya, but the characteristics of Madurese batik are not the same as those
of Javanese batik in general, even though Madura is still included in the East
Java region. The center of government on the island of Madura is located in the
Sumenep district. Sumenep
is a district in East Java which is at the easternmost tip of the island of
Madura, arguably one of the most important areas in the history of Madura. If
you look back at the history of the Sumenep Palace,
you can see that there really was a mix of cultures/ acculturation starting
from Javanese-Hinduism and also the arrival of immigrants from China and the
Netherlands in ancient times. From the form of decoration, the influence of
Chinese culture can be seen clearly in the building art at the Sumenep palace (Suminto, 2015). In addition,
Madurese batik has a characteristic pattern that is firm and rigid. The clothes
on the long cloth of the Madurese bride were dominated by plant (vegetal)
decoration, animal decoration (animal) and geometric decoration. The colors of
batik are usually brighter and richer in color, such as green, yellow, bright
red, bright blue and even orange and pink or pink. The traditional wedding
procession in Madura has its own uniqueness, there are three series of
traditional party processions, namely: 1. The first night is the Legha costume, 2.
The second night is the Kapoetren dress and 3.Night
three fashion with wax makeup (Nuraini, 2017). The procession is dressed in a kebaya with stripes
or a sarong with the pattern of fenghuang birds and dragons, the meaning and meaning of the fenghuang bird,
the dragon motif symbolizing the might of the motif, the fenghuang bird symbolizing
gentleness and grace.
In the past, the fenghuang bird on batik was
believed to be a repellant to disaster and generosity. The dragon juxtaposed
with the fenghuang
bird symbolizes marital happiness in the hope that a marriage will bring
blessings and happiness in the future (Ningsih & Arita Puspitorini, n.d.). In ancient
Chinese culture, both the fenghuang bird and the dragon were decorative patterns for
weddings which symbolized the relationship between husband and wife which was
also the embodiment of the concepts of "yin" and "yang"
(Susantin & Rijal, 2020). In this research using a literature study research approach that is carried out by
looking for relevant references trying to uncover the meaning of the signs used
as well as reveal hidden messages contained in these traditional clothes. The
use of batik motifs in kebaya clothing with the Semiotic theory of Charles
Sanders Pierce's model. The data analysis technique used in this research is a
semiotic analysis of the triangle theory of meaning or "Triangle
Meaning", analyzing the meaning of the batik symbol on the Madurese
wedding kebaya, with the aim of maintaining a form of preservation of local
wisdom, heritage and pride in one's own culture.
METHOD
This
research method uses a literature study research approach that is carried out
by looking for references that are relevant to the cases or problems found. Data collection
techniques use research tools including observation, literature and documents (archives) (Cresswell, 2017). Observations
were made by observing and searching
for data and facts about the
Madurese characteristic ornaments.The collected data were then analyzed using
Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic
theory. By observing and analyzing the
data of this research, it is
carried out by means of
5W1H. This method is one of
the methods used to conduct
research on a problem and to gather
information. 5W1H stands for What, Where,
When, Why, Who, and How. This method
is a method of data analysis by understanding a person's identity and worldview by
referring to the stories heard
or told
(Webster & Mertova, 2007). The story is
not just a story, but stories that
form an identity
of a belief from certain area (Wattimena, 2016).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Batik is an Indonesian identity, where
each region is rich in motifs that vary in shape, starting from the
characteristics of the motifs, colors to the manufacturing process. One of the
batiks in Indonesia that is quite famous and has its own characteristics is
Madura batik, Madura batik has its own characteristics that are different from
batik from other regions, such as Yogyakarta batik, Solo batik, Pekalongan batik and Cirebon batik. Madura batik is
characterized by batik motifs that use bright and bold colors, such as red,
black, golden yellow and green. In addition, Madurese batik motifs use many
plant and animal motifs and geometric shapes, Madura batik is also known for
its freer and more expressive motifs.
Madura batik motifs have their
own characteristics that are not owned by batik from other
regions. The characteristic
of Madurese batik which is very
easy to recognize
is the rough
and stiff strokes, the other
characteristic is the red color
on the flower,
stem or leaf
motifs. Likewise, in the motifs and
colors on batik motifs for traditional
Madurese weddings, they have symbols
and meanings of a philosophy that have been
passed down from generation to generation.
The Madurese ornamental motifs and
ornaments were influenced by foreign cultures that stopped in Madura in ancient
times. These influences consisted of Chinese, Javanese-Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist
and Dutch people. On Madurese Batik. Madura batik is also inseparable from the
influence of Chinese culture which can be seen in the motifs of fenghuang birds, butterflies, banji
and others. Hindu influence can be seen in the decorationthe swastika motif is the oldest geometric motif adopted
by Madura, seen in the ornaments on the Jamik mosque
building as the oldest historic mosque building in the Sumenep-Madura
district. There is also
a batik cloth with the name blendeh motif which
means Dutch, because the decoration
is based on Dutch-style flower arrangements.
Figure
1. Madura Cultural Acculturation Scheme
Source: Personal document
Figure 2. Batik motifs characteristic of Dutch influence
Source: Passed Sugeng Triandika (2021)
Figure 3. Batik geometric motifs
and door carvings of Javanese-Hindu influence
Source: (Choiroti, 2017)
Broadly speaking, the characteristics
of Madura batik can be seen from
two things, namely the color
and the motif. In terms of color,
the color characteristics of Madura batik tend to be
bold and firm, such as red,
yellow, biruh (green,
in Indonesian) and blue itself. The colors used give the
impression of being bright and
prominent and varied, such as red, yellow, green
and blue. Each color has its own meaning,
namely: Red, symbolizing the character of
the Madurese people who are strong and tough,
Green: symbolizing the religious color where several Islamic kingdoms were established and developing in Madura, Yellow: symbolizing the grains of
agricultural rice whose population means abundance, Blue : symbolizes the color of
the sea that
surrounds the island of Madura
(Suminto, 2015). These colors are produced
from natural dyes (soga
alam) such as noni and high to produce
a red color, tarum leaves for a blue
color, noni skin mixed with alum to give a green
(biruh) effect. Another
characteristic that is owned by
Madura batik is the number of line
pulls in one batik design.
Figure
4. Madura color scheme
Source:
Soelistyowati Collection (2022)
The variety of Madura batik motifs is taken
from animal, plant (vegetal) and geometric motifs
as well as several combination motifs which are the creations
of the batik makers. Each motif has a unique story and
philosophy to interpret everyday life. What's unique
is that every
batik design and product that is
produced from one another there
is no repetition
in the next batik, meaning that nothing
will be the
same even though there are similarities, but if you look
more closely at the shape
and color, they are not the same. This influence
was present in every individual who made batik at that
time, but there is a visible
red thread if observed, which
is a characteristic of Madurese batik.
Batik on the Madurese
bridal kebaya, the wedding ceremony party is celebrated
with great fanfare with quite elaborate
processions in Madura. Broadly
speaking, the series of ceremonies
in this marriage immediately start from the application to the reception
complete with make-up, wedding dress to wedding
decorations. There are three series of
processions in wedding customs, namely: (1)
the first night the reception
is wearing a Legha dress, and
(2) the second night is wearing
a Kapoetren
dress and (3) the last night
is wearing a dress with candle
makeup.
Here it can be seen that Chinese culture
dominates the decorative motifs in Madura. The Chinese and Madurese have had a
good and strong relationship since long ago, this influence can be seen in the
more dominant motifs in batik motifs on wedding dresses, including:
a. Dragon motif
In
the jarik
or sarong style wedding procession in
the traditional Madurese wedding procession, the fenghuang
bird and dragon motifs dominate. This influence is derived from Chinese
culture, with the motif of two dragons facing each other, and their tails
wrapped around each other. The twining of the tails of the two dragons is a
symbol of marriage, or the joining of the two into one. This can also be seen
from the sentence structure of Sengkalan, Dwi Naga Rasa Tunggal, which means the merging of two
flavors into one, which has the connotation of having sex (Suryana, 2018). This mythological
animal is actually a symbol of diversity which gives birth to a harmony. The
symbol of glory or prosperity due to the unity of various existing elements. In
philosophy that has been passed down for generations, the dragon motif is worn
during wedding ceremonies as a symbol of bringing good luck to the bride and
groom. This form of decoration can also be found in roof covering buildings
with top gevel
(mountains) in the Sumenep-Madura palace, ceramics,
porcelain from China, carvings on doors and on dragon-shaped pillars.
Figure
5. Madura batik with dragon motifs
Source: (Yongkie Angkawijaya & Agustina, 2019)
b. Fenghuang bird motif
A
motif found throughout the ages in batik. This bird is often confused with the
phoenix. The phoenix is actually a male peacock who transforms into a fire
bird. This bird is always depicted as bright red and never has a partner.
Figure
6. Fenghuang Batik Madura motif
Source: (Yongkie Angkawijaya & Agustina, 2019)
Meanwhile, the fenghuang
bird is considered
the queen of all birds,
which has very beautiful colors and has a pair of fictional creatures that have been
known since more than 8,000 years ago in China. Fenghuang birds are displayed in various styles, there is
no standard standard regarding their appearance. Initially, the fenghuang birds were always shown in pairs, namely feng (male bird)
and huang (female bird).
Feng has 5 tail feathers that are long and curved at
the end with
an odd number
which is a symbol of yang - a male trait, while
Huang has two tail feathers with
an even number
representing a yin - a female
trait (Suminto, 2015). However, later fenghuang described as a bird only. The tail feathers are
black, white, red, green and yellow, which symbolize generosity, humanity,
honesty, thoroughness, consideration, knowledge, loyalty, integrity and
aversion to evil. But in the development of coastal batik art, especially
Madura batik, the color of the tail feathers can be any color. This motif
reveals a mythological animal called a chimaera,
which is an imaginary animal composed of elements from other animals.
Figure
7. Madura batik fenghuang bird motif
Source: (Yongkie Angkawijaya & Agustina, 2019)
Figure
8. Madura batik fenghuang motif
Source: Soelistyowati
Collection (2022)
Semiotic
theory by conveying messages visually with the collected data then analyzed
using the semiotic theory of Charles Sanders Peirce. In Peirce's concept of
semiotics, instruments of meaning are divided into three main elements
consisting of Signs, Interpretants, and Objects, all three of which are then
referred to as the triadic triangle (Lantowa et al., 2017). The sign here is
the use of kebaya clothing, where in the analysis carried out is the use of
kebaya clothing, which is a sign that has meaning as a form of interpretation
of the intended message. Analysis of the meaning of the elaboration of semiotic
studies including signs, icons, indexes and symbols produces a meaning of
kebaya, namely, the symbol of an Indonesian woman who is elegant, simple,
dignified, has manners and manners in acting, one of which is through standards
or rules of dress.
Figure
9. Relationship between sign, object and interpretant (Triangle of Meaning)
Source: Theory of Charles Sanders Peirce
Figure
10. The relationship between sign, object and interpretant (Triangle of
Meaning), in Madurese wedding dress
Source: Soelistyowati
Document (2022)
In semiotic studies, sign is
the main concept used as material. The sign here is the use of kebaya clothing,
where in the analysis carried out is the use of kebaya clothing, kebaya is a
sign that has meaning as a form of interpretation of the intended message. The
sign is the use of the kebaya dress used in the traditional Madurese wedding
ceremony. The object is a social context which in its implementation is used as
an aspect of meaning or referred to by the sign. Based on the object, Peirce
divides the sign into three things, namely:
a) Icon:
The use of a kebaya-type dress worn at the traditional Madurese wedding
ceremony. The source of the use of kebaya dress in Madura in traditional
cultural carnival wedding ceremonies is as a mandatory dress that must be worn.
b) Symbol:
the appearance of red, black, yellow and green colors, on the decorative motifs
of dragons and fenghuang birds which are characteristic
of batik motifs, on the jarik or sarong cloth worn at
traditional wedding ceremonies in Madura.
c) Index:
Madurese Philosophy Dragon motifs bring fortune, guard and authority. Bird fenghuang on batik is considered honesty and thoroughness,
consideration, knowledge, loyalty and integrity. When the dragon is paired with the fenghuang
bird, it symbolizes good luck, honesty, happiness and repelling bad luck. The
symbol is then placed on the use of kebaya at the traditional Madurese wedding
ceremony.
Figure 11. Dragon motif on the Sumenep-Madura
wedding dress
Source:
Soelistyowati Document (2022)
CONCLUSION
Wearing batik and
kebaya is the pride of Indonesians, an Indonesian fashion icon that has gone
global. This dress can be worn casually to other formal occasions. at weddings
wearing batik and kebaya, especially for women who are getting married, wearing
batik and kebaya is a must, which contains a lot of symbolic meanings from a
style depending on each custom in their respective regions.
Madura has various
cultural mixtures between Javanese-Hindu, Islam, Chinese Buddhism and the
Netherlands. This is what makes the Madurese batik pattern unique and
distinguishes it from Javanese batik in general. Chinese mythology is more
dominant in the form of fenghuang birds and dragons
which have been passed down from generation to generation. The fenghuang bird motif symbolizes generosity, humanity,
honesty, thoroughness, tolerance, knowledge, loyalty, integrity and averting
evil. The dragon motif is a symbol of glory or prosperity because of unity,
bringing abundant blessings and fortune. In ancient Chinese culture, the two
mythological animals, both the fenghuang bird and the
dragon, were decorative patterns for weddings that symbolized the relationship
between husband and wife which were also embodiments of the concepts of "yin" and "yang". When juxtaposed with this symbol, it has the meaning of
bringing blessings and happiness forever, is the hope and prayer of every newly
married couple. In terms of color, the characteristics of Madura batik consist
of red, black, yellow and green. Red and black symbolize the strong, brave and
hard character of the Madurese people, the yellow color represents the
blessings of the yellowish grains of rice, the green color represents the
religious color of faith in which the majority of the Madurese are Muslims.
This cultural tradition is the legacy of local wisdom that needs to be
maintained as an identity and personality. This Indonesian nation certainly
adapts to the views of the life of the surrounding community so that there is
no shift in values. Local wisdom is a means of cultivating culture and
defending oneself from inappropriate foreign cultures.
REFERENCES
Choiroti, E. P. N. (2017). Konstruksi Rumah Pandhapa di Desa Aeng
Tong-Tong Kabupaten Sumenep, Madura. Universitas Brawijaya. Google Scholar
Cresswell, J. W. (2017). Research Design : Pendekatan Kualitatif,
Kuantitatif, dan Mixed (Edisi Ketiga). Pustaka Belajar. Google Scholar
Khairani, L. (2020). The Change of Identity of the Javanese Deli through a
Marriage Ceremony. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute
(BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(4), 3976–3982. Google Scholar
Lantowa, J., Marahayu, N. M., & Khairussibyan, M. (2017). Semiotika:
Teori, Metode, dan Penerapannya dalam Penelitian Sastra. Deepublish. Google Scholar
Meindrasari, D. K., & Nurhayati, L. (2019). Makna Batik Sidomukti Solo
Ditinjau Dari Semiotika Sosial Theo Van Leeuwen. WACANA: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu
Komunikasi, 18(1), 57–67. Google Scholar
Ningsih, O. D., & Arita Puspitorini, M. P. (n.d.). Modifikasi Tata
Rias Pengantin Putri Muslim Madura Lilin. Google Scholar
Nuraini, I. (2017). Studi Tata Rias dan Busana Pengantin Legha Sumenep
Madura. Wahana, 69(2), 8–12. Google Scholar
Sabatari, W. (2012). Makna Simbolis Motif Batik Busana Pengantin Gaya
Yogyakarta. Laporan Penelitian. Jurusan PTBB. Google Scholar
Saiin, A., & Armita, P. (2019). Local Wisdom in Practice Traditional
Wedding in Indonesia. Jurnal Maw’izah, 2(1), 40–48. Google Scholar
Suminto, R. A. S. (2015). Batik Madura: Menilik Ciri Khas dan Makna
Filosofinya. Corak: Jurnal Seni Kriya, 4(1). Google Scholar
Suryana, C. (2018). Makna Simbolik Dan Wujud Estetik Naga Dalam Kebudayaan
Jawa. ARTic, 1(2), 83–91. Google Scholar
Susantin, J., & Rijal, S. (2020). Tradisi Bhen-Ghiben Pada Perkawinan
Adat Madura; Studi Kasus Di Kabupaten Sumenep-Madura. Kabilah: Journal of
Social Community, 5(2), 49–57. Google Scholar
Wattimena, R. A. . (2016). Metode Penelitian: Naratif (cetakan 2). Jakarta:
Grasindo.
Webster, L., & Mertova, P. (2007). Using narrative inquiry as a research
method: An introduction to using critical event narrative analysis in research
on learning and teaching. Routledge. Google Scholar
Yongkie Angkawijaya, S., & Agustina, I. A. (2019). Budaya Tionghoa
Pada Ragam Gambar Motif Batik Jawa-Madura. Jurnal Teknologi Dan Terapan
Bisnis, 2(1), 130–133. Google Scholar
SYMBOLIC
MEANING OF BATIK IN MADURA BRIDAL KEBAYA CLOTHES