HAND PAINTED BATIK FROM MAOS MAKES BREAKTHROUGH IN INT'L MARKET

Cilacap, C. Java, Sept 13 (ANTARA) - Hand painted batik from Maos in Cilacap district, Central Java, has made a breakthrough in the international market and is now marketed in South Korea and some European countries, an industry spokesperson said.
"Every month we send 100 sheets to South Korea and 500 to England at least once every six months," Euis Rohaini, founder of "Rajasa Mas Maos Batik" business group, said here Saturday.
She said the batik came from home-based batik artists in Maos Lor and Maos Kidul villages in Maos sub district.
However, she said, the number of batik artists on which the business relied was decreasing. At the beginning there were 200 batik artists but now only 40 had remained.
Euis added though that she was continuing to develop and maintain the authenticity of the brown, black and white colors of Maos batik.
"Europeans like classic motifs with natural colors from mahogany and jalawe," she said.
She had also created more contemporary motifs to attract young people in an effort to expand her market as well as to encourage youths to love national products.
The price of hand-painted Maos batik rangea from Rp200,000 to Rp1.8 million depending on the pattern, fabric quality, and design complexity.