BATIK CLOTH

Batik long cloth with ceplok motifs, bordered by another motif called kawung, like this piece would only be worn by Javanese nobility, only on special occasions. Kawung is one of the oldest geometric motifs and belongs to the category of ‘forbidden designs’, within the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Kawung design is also found on the walls of the 8th century Prambanan temple, which is dedicated to the god Śiwa.
The inspiration for this particular motif, most probably, stems from the form of the Aren fruit. The Aren (a kind of palm tree) provides benefits to human kind through its roots, leaves, and fruits. Symbolically, the kawung motif suggests that the wearer, just like the Aren, should endeavor to be useful to everyone, and thereby achieve excellence and provide meaning to his or her own life.