To find the ideal natural dye house, it was a quest. As if I were living in the treasure hunting role-playing game.
First, it is also written in 'Sustainability' page, but I had to face that chemical dye became out of option when I came to Java to start the project, and soon realized how difficult it was to find the genuine natural dye house nowadays.
Many Batik boutiques have tiny, fancy natural dye sections with products cost 5 to 50 times more than chemically dyed Batiks. With quite limited colors and designs. My option seemed limited, but there must be my dream, ideal natural dye house out there. I hoped and started visiting places, talking to people to gather any useful informations.
There were not much informations I could use for weeks then one night, my Indonesian friend, modern art artist offered me for Art festival in Yogyakarta.
While walking through many venders, one caught my eyes. This little shop was selling a few pieces of natural dyed Batik. The thing caught my eyes was their mild, enchanting color that were something different to what I had been seeing at boutiques in town.
I didn't know why but very fascinating color that I took the shop card home and asked my Indonesian friend to message the shop if they could tell me where they got to made that beautiful Batik. With a tiny hope. The shop owner replied, unfortunately that was their secret source so they couldn't tell me. Understandable.
A few nights later, I went back to the festival to buy something, I dropped by the shop again to just see their beautiful Batik one more time. I didn't talk to the young girl at the store and left. That night, my friend got a message from the shop owner, saying, ' I heard that you two ( my Indonesian friend and me ) visited the shop again today ' then added, ' If she is that interested in our Batik, I will show you the dye house '.
My heart jumped. Some Japanese textile nerd who came to examine their Batik twice in a few days must have drawn the shop girl's attention to report her owner. How lucky.
The shop owner sent my friend the meeting time and location. When we got to the location by bike, there were nothing. It was on the side of the busy road. I got nervous.
A few nervous minutes later, a car parked behind us.
Windows rolled down. A man on the driving seat, and two ladies on the back seat.
My friend and I had no idea where and how long the journey would be but we jumped in. They seemed very sweet but I still hoped they were not kidnapping.
The car kept going over one hour, leaving the city behind. The road was getting bumpy, hilly and more green. Car stopped in front of the large traditional wooden house in the jungle.
Madam of the dye house welcomed us with my most favorite Javan drink, Dawet. Delicious drink made of coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and rice flour jelly.
The dye house was everything I could of wished for. They have been passing their very traditional method of natural dye for generations. Only using plants from their backyard jungle, while planting trees to maintain the jungle.
As they don't use balanced, powdered natural dye extract, color turns up differently every time even from same plants. The temperature, humidity or picking season could affect plants. Sometimes you could see that on the textile that they had sudden tropical rain during the drying process. I cherish those unplanned marks from the nature. It is probably not suitable for the online shop that people expect exactly the same as the photo unfortunately but they are lovely and funky.
When you receive our products, please take a moment to picture a beautiful dye house, the hidden treasure of the Javan Jungle.