Batik Dayak

sani Rachman is one of the pioneers of batik tulis in East Kalimantan. It was starting in 1982, Sani Rachman or more familiar called Agusin tried to build a small-scaled business in Samarinda with the name, “Batik Tulis Mitaka”. Mitaka is a combination of two of her daughters’ name: Mita and Ika. The mission was to introduce East Kalimantan culture through Dayak unique pattern on Baik tulis.

The transformation of batik art into Kalimantan then realized around 1990s. Mitaka started to be known as a producer of unique batik from Kaltim with various Dayak’s pattern. The first order of Batik Kaltim Mitaka was accepted when they took a part in National Independence’s Day exhibition. At the time, Agustin received the order for the opening of Kaltim fertilizer’s Plant in Bontang.

Like other business, she admitted that this kind of business is also up and down. In developing this business, she relies on funding from the bank. It is Pembangunan Daerah Bank (BPD) which gave funding as an initial development of Batik Mitaka at 5 million rupiah at the start of 1990. In the same period, Mitaka has also received Upakarti  award  from  President  Soeharto  for its  batik  innovation  and  as  a  conservationist of Kaltim’s culture. On the same year, she also recieved appreciation from Iwan Tirta who is known as pioneer of batik culture in Indonesia. Even though this brand has been known overseas, Mitaka still tries to keep its existence and quality. They also introduce the art of batik with Dayak’s pattern to young generation by establishing courses institution and creative craftsmanship lesson on patterning batik from Kaltim. She said, different than any other art of craving, batik has a high level of complexity; especially when it has crashed with the needs of customer, the limitation of the material, and the expertise of batik craftsmen.

Unlike batik printing that is really easy to do and produce in mass. Batik tulis or written Batik should always be carefully thought. Several steps in the process must be done with patience to make the best result. Therefore, the outcome from these batik craftman is priced fairly to the amount of work given.

Being on the middle to up segment, the price of every product produced by Batik Tulis Mitaka is offered with a relatively high price. For a satin, it is marketed starting from 400,000 Rupiah, whereas woven Batik with Dayak’s pattern that uses silk as its material, is offered with the price starting from

1 million rupiah.

At this time, to maintain the quality and existence in producing batik tulis in Kaltim can only be done by certain small industries in Bumi Etam. With no exception, including Mitaka that until now still serves Kaltim unique batik to their lovers. Now, Mitaka business is run by the second daughter of Agustin who also was graduated from an art school in one of the university outside Kaltim.

She admitted, the number of batik craftsman to serve orders is still limited. However, the existence of training institution for batik tulis run by Mitaka is hoped to increase the interest of young generation to work on crafts in the future. Agustin hopes that the development of Kalimantan motives will be fluttered and become a mark of the region.

To commit on batik tulis for Agustin is a fixed price, summing up with her love in fashion and beauty world. Although it is quite hard to get employees with a good skill, this fact is not a reason for Agustin to keep introducing batik tulis of Kaltim, and conserving it to the young generation