Home / Batik Regions – Eastern Indonesia – West Papua
Facts of the region
Discover Batik in West Papua
Batik workshop in Raja Ampat, West Papua (Photo: Roderick Adrian/
Travel.Kompas)
The Batik production in Raja Ampat, West Papua (Photo: Fidel Ali/kompas.com)
Cendrawasih or Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea), as one of Batik motif inspirations in West Papua (Photo: Roderick Eime/Wikipedia)
The Pride of West Papua
Raja Ampat Batik becomes the most well-known Batik in West Papua. This batik in general has maritime motifs. These themes varied from fish, turtle, manta fish, coral reefs, and seaweed motifs.
Socio Cultural Values of Batik in West Papua
In general, the typical motifs of West Papua are mostly similar to those ones developed in Papua province. The motifs tend to represent its natural landscape such as the famous Raja Ampat coral reefs and marine park. Some of the most well-known motifs from West Papua are such as the Paradise bird motif, Honai (the traditional house of Papuan community) motif, or Tifa motif (traditional musical instrument from Papua). Tifa and Honai motifs refer to particular philosophical meanings. Honai motif means a home that is filled by tons of happiness.
Batik Motifs in West Papua
Batik Villages in West Papua
local batik workshop
Batik villages are the region where the Batik producers mostly reside. You could buy the Batik textiles from the artisans and participate in the making process of Batik on the site.
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Visual Journey
in 1 Minute
Batik Production in West Papua
Noken Production in Papua
The Exotic Kingdom of Nature
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Raja Ampat Islands (photo: @Pesona Indonesia)
About West Papua
West Papua Province is an Indonesian province located at the western end of the island of Papua. The name of the capital is Manokwari. This province was formerly called West Irian Jaya. Then, in 2007, the name of this province was changed to West Papua. Together with Indonesian Batik, Papua’s Noken multi-functioned knotted bag crafting tradition has been inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
Facts about West Papua
Province of West Papua has the following regional boundaries: Pacific Ocean (North), Banda Sea and Maluku (West) and Papua province (East). The total area of West Papua Province is 97,024.37 km², with a population of 760,422 people. About 70% of the population of West Papua Province lives in rural areas and work in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, and fisheries sectors. Similar to Papua Province, West Papua Province is a province that has special autonomy status.
Arfak Mountain Range is an iconic natural site in West Papua, located near Manokwari, West Papua (Photo: Putra/Arfaknews).
Highlights on Culture
The tribes that inhabit West Papua Province are such as Arfak, Doreri, Kuri, Simuri, Irarutu, Sekar, Numfor, Salawati, Uhundun, Waigeo, etc.
West Papua has its own traditional customs. The men shall wear headpieces from bird feathers, and necklaces, which are made of animal bones, teeth, and shells. The women wear fringed clothes from the chest to the knees and animal bone necklaces.
Another intangible cultural heritage preserved by the local community is the Selamat Datang Dance. This traditional dance has a nice dynamic rhythm and is usually performed by a group of performers in guest welcoming ceremonies (photo: Negeriku Indonesia).
Tourist Attractions in West Papua
