Indramayu design

The neighbouring area of Indramayu is a fishing community and was an important harbour on the north coast of Java often called at by foreign ships as well as vessels plying between the islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

Batiking was done by by the wives of fishermen from the villages around Indramayu. They batiked when their husbands were away at sea, in order to supplement their incomes.

For this reason they did not wish to make batik that would take too much time to complete. They used a large canting on plain cloth, and had hardly any filling on their batiks.

To fill the empty space, they made cocohan (tiny dots) with an ustensil called the complongan shaped like a comb with fine needles used to penetrate the cloth already covered with wax. After deying, the dots take on the color of the dye. In its simplicity Dermayon batik has its own special attraction.

Motifs of batik made in fishing villages are greatly influenced by the flora and the fauna of the surrounding are, for example Jarot Asem (Javanese Tamarind), Dara Kipu or by the sea such as Gaggeng and Urang Ayu. These are all motifs of the coarse and cheaper batik made for common people.