Common Characteristic of Nusantara Ornaments

Before declaration of Independence,17-August 2010,  Indonesia named Nusantara.  Now, Nusantara is second name of Indonesia. Nusantara is mean archipelago. Indonesia have 17.500 island, big and small, and 62% area is sea. This geographic have influence to diversity of culture of nusantara.  Nusantara have 300 ethnic group, 410 ethnic language and every ethnic group have their own culture and include ornament. That is why nusantara have diversity of ornament from so many ethnic group in Nusantara.

In diversity of ethnic ornament, we can find common characteristic of Nusantara Ornament.

Two in one, binary but not opposition

Sinonim of this concept in western, but not accurate, is binary opposition. Two in one is more like yin and yang in Chinese concept. Two in one is see that cosmos have classification vertically and horizontally.  We know high and low, right and left, big and small, dark and light, etc. And, differently with western culture, this binary is not opposition, but harmony and balance.

Art and Function

Art and function are not separated binary, but harmonious binary. So nusantara’s products is combine art and function. No products only for art merely, or only for function merely. According by Tabrani (Tabrani, 1999, Belajar dari Sejarah dan Lingkungan), traditional art is decoratif, not like western culture that really naturalistic or abstract.

Gutter in Borobudur, combine art and function

More Decorative

Borobudur is most realistic traditional products. But if we see more deep, tree, people, building is more stylized. Another products is more decorative or stylized like relief in temple of east java, batik, wayang (Javanese puppet), Gebyok (traditional house of Kudus), Rumah Gadang (traditional house of Minangkabau), tongkonan (traditional house of Toraja) in Sulawesi.