Fruit of heaven, love
No effort to pick-- It hangs
To reach you so low.
Another batik waiting in the pipeline to be disclosed is Batik Delima or Batik Delimo. I chose it because of the colour– white is always giving soothing effect to my ageing eyes.
Delima aka delimo means pomegranate in Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu and Javanese.
When Ibu Tien and Mbak Izzah mentioned its name (Batik Delimo), my curiosity rose as Batik Delima that I knew didn’t look like that. The delimo I knew was a “sido” cluster (ceplok) batik with delima in the center of the cluster. But they insisted that this was known as Batik Delima in Jogja.
No argument with the batik makers please, Rike.
The next was a clarification of meaning which is always the interesting part. Mbak Izzah said “I give you what I know, you improve what I know based on your repertoire of meaning. As you wish.”
To me although that statement was uttered in a very soft speech, it was a blow on my face. Jogjakartan speak their truth through subtly cynical style. They will not tell you are wrong but they will tell that “you have your way which is not mine”. Almost like Japanese– Bloody hell! I’d better prepare as my retirement plan belongs to that city. βΊοΈ
Mbak Izzah said Batik Delimo aka Delimo is about fertility.
I read some articles about pomegranate in different places and culture but I won’t include it here to avoid complication.
Pomegranate is used in one of Javanese traditional function named “tingkeban” which is a ceremony held on the 7th month of pregnancy when the fetus is considered mature enough to be called a human being. Pomegranate is one of the ingredients needed to make “rujak tingkeban” which consist of 7 kinds of fruit. Yes, Javanese is obsessed with number 7 (seven, pitu in Javanese, the short version of pitulungan that means help).
Pomegranate is added as a message that the fetus will grow strong until it is ready to be a newly born.
Those 7 kinds of fruit shall represent all taste of food: salty, sweet, sour, hot. These are to symbolise that the baby has started learning about the taste of life before her/his delivery to the world.
It is said that if the rujak tastes good, the baby will be a girl; if it tastes “not that good”, the baby will be a boy. Interesting fun (not verifiable) fact. Do I believe it? No, I believe in ultrasonography from the obgyn. π I love though believing that this tradition is loaded with conprehensive stories of what happen around human being’s life. Fabulous!
it is very refreshing, i make this rujak every now and then — one big bowl for one week
Back to Batik Delimo….
There are three elements in this batik that deserve attention: the pomegranate, the pomegranate flowers and the birds (pigeons).
The pomegranate is about fertility itself.
The pomegranate flower is about potential of fertilify that are surrounding the fruit as if waiting to continue the cycle.
Birds (pigeons) is those dwellers of pomegranate tree. They are the ones guarding the fertility.
Does it make sense? I will ask Mbak Izzah when I meet her in Jogja. I know she will just smile sweetly, saying nothing. π
This time I don’t include number in my intrepretating the batik as I am afraid Mbak Izzah will condemn me too creative. π
I know though someone intreprets delima from its linguistic aspect. Delima is transcribed as DALIMA. Dal is the 8th Arabic script (Ψ―). Lima is 5 in Javanese and Bahasa Indonesia. 5 “Ψ―” (five dals) is connected to a suurah in the Quran that has 5 “Ψ―” in its composition which is Al-Ikhlash.
Suurah Al-Ikhlash is about singularity in which human being is surenderring to the single authority in life.
So if people are interested to connect this batik to suurah Al-Ikhlash, it is possible. Yet, the story will not be about the 7th month celebration of a fetus. It might be about a fetus that is ready to worship the One.
π
I prefer Batik Delima is about fertility. More simple, more straightforward–
Thank you, Mbak Izzah! π
Batik Delimo aka Delima
pomegranate fruit, symbol of fertility
flowers of pomegranate, symbol of potential of fertility
pigeons of love, symbol of protectors of fertility
a pair of batik delima from Ibu Tien and her group – matur sembah nuwun, Ibu Tien, Simbah-Simbah and Budhe-Budhe
batik sogan never fails me, even its fragrance is a stress reliever to me
rike jokanan 
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