Batik and Embodied Cultural Knowledge in Beksan Setu Pon at Pura Mangkunegaran

Abstract

Batik in Javanese dance is often perceived primarily as costume or visual ornament, although its motifs, modes of wearing,
and cultural associations may embody knowledge connected to court traditions and performance practices. This study
examines the role of batik as embodied cultural knowledge in Beksan Setu Pon at Pura Mangkunegaran, Surakarta. It aims
to explore how batik operates within dance performance and how the relationship between textile, body, movement, and
cultural context contributes to the transmission of living heritage. The study employs a qualitative ethnographic approach
through participant observation, visual documentation, and interviews with cultural and dance practitioners associated
with Mangkunegaran. The findings indicate that batik functions beyond its aesthetic role as performance attire. Its
presence connects the dancer’s body with cultural conventions, court identity, and knowledge embedded in performance
practices. Through wearing, moving, and performing, cultural knowledge is experienced and reproduced rather than
transmitted solely through verbal explanation. Beksan Setu Pon therefore provides a performative space in which batik,
bodily practice, and court tradition interact in sustaining cultural knowledge. The study highlights embodied practice as an
important mechanism for transmitting local knowledge and maintaining living heritage amid contemporary cultural
change.