Vintage Indonesian Hand Woven Gold Wax Overprint Batik Textile

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Almost 75 years have passed since husband and wife, Somadi Kasigit and Niniek Elia Kasigit initiated an enterprise, which is … Read more Almost 75 years have passed since husband and wife, Somadi Kasigit and Niniek Elia Kasigit initiated an enterprise, which is now known as Batik Semar. The decision came after their first year of marriage, with the opening of a home based hand-waxed batik business, originally called Batik Bodronoyo.

The name Bodronoyo or widely known as Semar came from the Javanese wayang mythology, a representation of wisdom and sincerity in serving others. In Javanese culture, Semar has widely accepted as a symbol for sustenance to growth and prosperity. The unique name choice discerns Kasigit family's vision to continue to share and inspire others.

The still young family business however ran counter into serious hardships due to the critical economic condition of the newly independent nation following to Japanese occupation. With soaring price of fabrics at that time, the Kasigit had to give their best efforts to evolve the small batik initiative.

In 1949 they had to face extreme adversity caused the Dutch military agression, forcing them to flee to Surabaya. During their refuge in East Java, Surabaya, they collaborated with a batik entrepeneur from Sidoarjo to introduce Solo batik patterns accross the region.

In 1950 they returned to Solo to redevelop their own business. They started with five employees and expands into a company with some 200 employees in the 1960s. The new name of Batik Semar was oficially introduced in 1966, considering that the name is far more popular than Bodronoyo. See less