Parang

Parang was once used exclusively by the royal courts of Central Java. It has several suggested meanings such as 'rugged rock', 'knife pattern' or 'broken blade'. The Parang design consists of slanting rows of thick knife-like segments streaming in parallel diagonal bands. Parang usually alternated with narrower bands in a darker contrasting color. These darker bands include added design element, a line of lozenge-shaped motifs call mlinjon. There are many variations of this basic patterned pattern with its elegant sweeping lines, with over forty parang designs recorded. The most famous is the 'Parang Rusak' which in its most classical modify consisting of rows of softly bifold parang. This thought also appears in media another than batik, including woodcarving and as ornamentation on gamelan musical instruments.