THE kebaya, noted for its complex design and elegance, is celebrated as a traditional women’s garment that embodies a rich shared history and cultural heritage. It acts as a bridge between diverse communities and contributes significantly to promoting peace and harmony in the region.
Hence, it was no surprise that at the recent annual Unesco’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (IGC) meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, it was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) item under the title “Kebaya: knowledge, skills, tradition and practices”.
Kebaya is listed as a heritage shared among the five South-East Asian countries of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Shared beauty
As Thailand’s English daily The Nation highlighted, this traditional garment originated in South-East Asia, particularly in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Although the kebaya is originally from its neighbours, in Thailand, the kebaya is a cultural costume of some communities, especially in southern areas that also share similar culture and even the ethnicity of its next-door nations.
The kebaya now is more than just a traditional garment; it is a symbol of joint cultural heritage and timeless elegance. — The Nation/ANN
The kebaya is a bodice dress combo, usually made from light fabrics with a tight-fitting top and a long skirt. What makes it stand out are the beautiful designs and decorations on the blouse. Once exclusively worn by royal families and elites in regions like Java, it has evolved into a garment for special occasions across the region. From the elegant Nyonya kebaya to the timeless Javanese style, its charm lies in both its beauty and its deep cultural significance.
The kebaya’s origins trace back to the 15th century in the Majapahit Empire of eastern Java. In the beginning, designed as a tailored blouse worn over the kemban torso wrap – a type of corset – it marked a transition towards modest costume influenced by the spread of Islam. Originally reserved for royalty and aristocracy, by the 17th century, versions tied with peniti (safety pins) became accessible to commoners.
Through trade and diplomatic relationships, the influence of the kebaya extended to regions such as Bali, Malacca, Sulawesi, Sulu, and Mindanao, leading to diverse adaptations that reflect the rich cultural tapestry of the Asean region.
Nyonya kebaya is a unique variation of the traditional kebaya worn by women of the Chinese Peranakan community in South-East Asia. It is portrayed by its tight-fitting, colourful sheer blouse made from voile, adorned with intricately decorated motifs known as sulam. Its style is traditionally paired with a batik sarong and the ensemble is completed with accessories such as a set of interlinked brooches called keronsang or buttons to fasten the blouse at the front.
Tourists from China trying out the Nyonya kebaya in Melaka. — The Star
Long journey
Previously, the notion of a joint nomination had caused some misunderstandings among the Indonesian public, although it was not the first such case.
In 2020, pantun (four-line rhyming poetry) was inscribed as an ICH from both Indonesia and Malaysia. In 2019, pencak silat was designated jointly as a traditional sport from Indonesia and a combative art of self-defense from Malaysia. Prior to the inscription of kebaya, Indonesian media outlets were full of news about protests against a possible joint nomination.
A movement called Kebaya Goes to Unesco, established a few years before, apparently had ignited a nationalistic spirit that, unaccompanied by proper knowledge, unexpectedly created the polemic.
In November 2022, while Indonesia was still undecided on whether to accept the invitation for a joint nomination or to keep pursuing a single nomination, its four Asean neighbours declared their collective effort to submit kebaya as a shared heritage.
An Instagram post by Singapore’s National Heritage Board to announce this decision was flooded with thousands of comments from Indonesian netizens, mainly expressing their disagreement and disappointment due to their belief that “kebaya was originally from Indonesia”, so “other countries have no right to claim it”.
After a comprehensive discussion among stakeholders consisting of high-level cabinet officials, scholars and representatives of kebaya communities, it was finally agreed to go ahead with a joint nomination.
This might seem like a “push comes to shove” situation and thankfully we made the right decision in time. However, it is probably appropriate to acknowledge that we could have prevented such a situation in the first place, if only we were well-versed and willing to keep things in perspective.
It is fair to admit that in the case of inscribing kebaya, a joint nomination was indeed the only path. First and foremost, there is a practical reason for choosing a joint nomination over a single nomination.
With a single nomination, a country can submit only one cultural element every two years, a quota Unesco had to set due to its limited resources in handling so many elements from different countries.
This is especially complicated for countries with an abundance of cultural heritage like Indonesia. When kebaya was proposed, the country already had other elements waiting in line. If it went with a single nomination, kebaya would have had to wait at least another eight years until inscription.
Meanwhile, a joint nomination can be made more frequently, especially through the extended nomination mechanism that many countries have adopted. Second, with the current state of globalisation and migration, it is impossible to contain the flow of culture.
Kebaya Bali shares identical styles with its Javanese counterpart, and its special feature is a belt. — The Nation/ANN
Several Unesco references define culture as a “global public good”. Culture is fluid rather than static, meaning that it is changing all the time. An ICH is “transmitted from generation to generation and is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment”.
Therefore, the nomination of a single cultural element has nothing to do with “ownership”, as some people mistakenly claim. There is no such thing as an “exclusive property right” when it comes to culture.
According to Unesco’s press release, 16 of the elements presented this year were multinational nominations submitted by 62 countries, an increase of one third compared to the previous session. This reflects strengthened dialogue and cooperation between countries and their shared desire to promote their cultural heritage beyond national borders.
This is a very important view to be adopted by the Indonesian public to avoid unnecessary confusion in the future.
A wider Nusantara
The kebaya is not the only successful inscription of three Indonesian elements on Unesco’s ICH this year. The other two are the kolintang and Reog Ponorogo.
Around 63 new practices and traditions were inscribed as the world’s intangible cultural heritage by the UN body at the initiative of 90 countries.
Kolintang, a traditional wooden musical instrument of the indigenous Minahasa people of North Sulawesi, was added to the Representative List of ICH. Reog Ponorogo, a performing art from Ponorogo, East Java, was added to the List of ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
It’s worth noting that like kebaya, the kolintang was inscribed through a multinational or joint nomination, which applies when a cultural element exists in more than one country.
The Kolintang is a cultural practice and expression that has links to the balafon in Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
And Indonesia has various potential cases worth considering for a multinational or joint nomination to the Unesco’s ICH list.
One example is papeda, the traditional staple food of Maluku and Papua, designated as Indonesia’s National Heritage in 2015. Interestingly, the Dutch government also added papeda (and Indonesian rijsttafel) to the List of Netherlands’ Intangible Heritage. Since Maluku descendants have been living in the European country for generations, it is not surprising that the Netherlands has preserved this culinary heritage, and we have no right to stop them from doing so.
Instead of accusing the country of “stealing our culture”, it would be wiser to explore the possibility of a multinational nomination to enhance the world’s ICH inscriptions; otherwise a cultural element would have to wait for a very long time.
Last but not least, an even more profound basis for pursuing a multinational nomination is that it can serve as a “binding multilateral instrument” as expressed on the Unesco website.
The original intention of inscribing ICH, as repeatedly stated across Unesco documents, is related to an element’s capacity to strengthen social ties, create more inclusive societies and foster integration in a spirit of solidarity, rather than aiming for self-serving exclusivism. — The Jakarta Post/The Nation/ANN
Lona Hutapea Tanasale is a member of Komunitas Perempuan Berkebaya.
