Tongkonan
South Sulawesi Province – Indonesia
Meanings:
Toraja’s traditional house is called Tongkonan. Tongkonan is a place for people in the village to gather and resolve any community issues. Almost all Toraja houses face the north because it is believed that the north is the direction of God. The Toraja people believe that when a person set foot outside his house, s/he will be guided by the divine will and fortune.
Note: All contents and batik images are protected by Indonesian cultural property law. This documentation is intended for educational purposes and to facilitate the preservation of Batik UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage 2009. Any use of published materials is allowed only with reference to this website as the original source of publication.
How to preserve Batik
Philosophical Meanings of Batik
Learn and identify the meaning of the motifs from each region. Are you searching for a meaningful gift for your loved ones? Surprise them with a merry little Batik!
Authentic Batik
Buy the authentic handwritten Batik textiles to add to your prestigious collection. Such support will enhance the well-being of Batik artisans and preserve the living heritage.
Batik Community
If you want to meet the Batik artisans, we encourage you to visit and support Batik workshops in Indonesia. You may discover the local tourism that suits your preference!
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009
Batik Production Process in South Sulawesi
Batik production can take 1 month up to 2 years of working time depending on the purposes of the textile creation and the colour complexity. The Batik handwriting textile is generally made with 8 design steps, ranging from wax patterning to colouring process. The artists use Canting, as a tool to put hot melted wax on the cloth.
Batik Regions
Fact about South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is known as the birthplace of the Pinisi Boat, a tradition which was inscribed in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Pinisi Boat is a shipbuilding tradition involving the craftsmen community since the 16th century. In addition, this region has a distinguished ornamental culture called, Toraja carving art. This carving art is always embedded in the exterior and interior decoration in every architectural property as well as in Batik and woven textile heritage.
Batik Villages in South Sulawesi Province
Batik villages are the region where the textile heritage producers mostly reside and open their workshops, as well as display their textile products. You could buy the textiles from the artisans and participate in the making process of Batik and the woven textiles on the site.
Other Motifs in South Sulawesi
La Galigo
La Galigo is a literary work of the Buginese Epic that has 300 thousand epic lines. It is considered even
Lontara
The Lontara script itself is a typical ancient script of Bugis and Makassar communities. History records that
Paqbarre Allo
The word “Barre” means round and “Allo” means the sunlight. This motif is interpreted as