Visual Transformation of the Ancient Serat Menak Jayengrana Manuscript into Wastra Artwork

Abstract

Ancient manuscripts represent a wealth of local wisdom, encompassing aesthetic dimensions, spiritual experiences, and religious appreciation. The illustrations contained in these manuscripts have not provided much inspiration for local wisdom implemented in the creation of batik motifs. The purpose of this study is to reveal the aesthetic values of the images contained in Serat Menak, so that they can be used as an alternative in the development of Wastra art. The qualitative descriptive method was chosen in this creation research. The research location is in Solo and Yogyakarta. The research stages are; literature studies, field observations, visual data processing, and visual transfer into wastra artwork prototypes. The sample of this study is a batik motif carrying the Jayengrana theme. The results of this study are batik motifs made with the Jayengrana theme. The findings are; a piece of wastra cloth contain aesthetic, educational, and historical values with a Javanese cultural background originating from the palace environment. It also has a novel value in creating batik motifs on a national scale that can help develop the creative batik industry in Indonesia.