The Influence of Mentifact and Sociofact on The Design and Meaning of Rifa’iyah Batik Motifs for Wedding Ceremonies

Main Article Content

Christine Claudia Lukman
Monica Hartanti

Abstract

The Rifa’iyah community in Kalipucang Wetan Village, Batang Regency, follows the teachings of Kyai Haji (KH) Ahmad Rifa’iyah (1789–1871 CE). Before 1999, they lived in isolation due to accusations of heresy, requiring them to be entirely self-sufficient. This community adheres strictly to Rifa’i teachings in all aspects of life, including batik production. Their batik motifs reflect the Rifa’i prohibition against depicting living beings, such as animals. Women exclusively produce Rifa’iyah Batik, which holds significant cultural value in key life stages, including birth, marriage, and death. Traditionally, young women engaged in batik-making while awaiting marriage proposals and prepared multiple batik pieces for wedding ceremonies, including “seserahan” (dowry exchange) and “akad nikah” (marriage contract). This study examines the intersection of mentifact (Rifa’i teachings), sociofact (community customs), and artefact (Rifa’iyah Batik used in wedding rituals). Mentifacts represent a culture’s ideology, values, and beliefs, while sociofacts refer to the social structures and customs shaping behaviour. In this context, artefacts are human-made objects that address practical and symbolic needs. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach to gather data through observations, interviews with batik artisans and experts, and a literature review. It uses social semiotics to interpret Rifa’iyah wedding batik as a text composed of signs whose meanings are shaped by the community’s social codes. The findings reveal that artefacts and sociofacts within the Rifa’iyah community influence the visual elements and meanings of batik, emphasising values of loyalty, unity, sincerity, and resilience in marriage.

Article Details

How to Cite
Christine Claudia Lukman, and Monica Hartanti. 2025. “The Influence of Mentifact and Sociofact on The Design and Meaning of Rifa’iyah Batik Motifs for Wedding Ceremonies”. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse 24 (September): 66–79. https://doi.org/10.21315/ws2025.24.5.
Section
Original Articles

References

Afad, Mochammad Najmul. 2023. “Merayakan Living Heritage Batik Rifaiyah: Sebuah Tafsir Atas Undang-Undang Pemajuan Kebudayaan.” Jurnal Antropologi: Isu-Isu Sosial Budaya 25(1): 107–116. https://doi.org/10.25077/jantro.v25.n1.p107-116.2023

Astuti, Soekma Yeni. 2006. Bentuk Ragam Hias Batik Rifa’iyah di Kalipucang Wetan, Kabupaten Batang. Undergraduate thesis, Sekolah Tinggi Seni Rupa dan Desain, Yogyakarta.

Barthes, Roland. 1977. Elements of Semiology. Translated by Annette Lavers and Colin Smith. New York: Hill and Wang.

Cahyo, Agus R. 2022. “Kearifan Lokal Budaya Batik Rifa’iyah sebagai Pondasi Kebangkitan Ekonomi Kerakyatan.” In Prosiding Seminar Nasional FEB UNIKAL 2022: Recovery Ekonomi Pasca Pandemi Menuju Era Society 5.0, 57–60. Pekalongan: Universitas Pekalongan. Accessed 16 July 2025. https://repository.uinsaizu.ac.id/29320/

Chandler, Daniel. 2022. Semiotics: The Basics. 4th ed. London: Routledge.

Fadlia, Adlien. 2021. “Dinamika Tradisi Komunitas Pembatik Rifa’iyah di Desa Kalipucang Wetan, Batang 1859–2019.” Diss., Universitas Indonesia. Accessed 16 July 2025. http://repository.ikj.ac.id/570

Gratha, Benny. 2020. Inspirasi Islam pada Batik. Jakarta: PT. Buana Alit Wastra Mahakarya.

Güzel, Sümeyye. 2023. “Semiotic Analysis of the Denotative and Connotative Meaning: A Study of the Poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.” International Social Sciences Studies Journal 9(114): 8065–8069. https://doi.org/10.29228/sssj.71414

Hendro, Eko Punto. 2020. “Simbol: Arti, Fungsi, dan Implikasi Metodologisnya.” Endogami: Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Antropologi 3(2): 158–165. https://doi.org/10.14710/endogami.3.2.158-165

Jadou, Sara Hatem, and Iman M. M. Muwafaq Al-Ghabra. 2021. “Barthes’ Semiotic Theory and Interpretation of Signs.” International Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities 11(3): 470–482. https://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v11i03.027

Jaeni, Muhamad. 2017. “Seni Budaya Rifa’iyah: Dari Syi’ar Agama hingga Simbol Perlawanan (Menggali Nilai-Nilai Seni Budaya dalam Kitab Tarajumah dan Kehidupan Masyarakat Rifa’iyah).” Sabda: Jurnal Kajian Kebudayaan 10(1): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.14710/sabda.10.1.1-26

Kamil, Rusdan, Dian Novita Fitriani, and Khusnul Khatimah. 2021. “Batik Rifa’iyah Sebagai Dokumen.” Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan 23(1): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7454/JIPK.v23i1.001

Long, Jinshun, and Jun He. 2021. “Social Semiotics and the Related Interpretation.” In Proceedings of the 2021 5th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2021), 508–511. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research 571. Chengdu: Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210806.094

Lukman, Christine Claudia, Sandy Rismantojo, and Jesslyn Valeska. 2022. “Komparasi Gaya Visual dan Makna pada Desain Batik Tiga Negeri dari Solo, Lasem, Pekalongan, Batang, dan Cirebon.” Dinamika Kerajinan dan Batik 39(1): 51–66. https://doi.org/10.22322/dkb.v39i1.6447

Marzuqi, Abdillah M. 2016. “Mengenal Filosofi Batik Rifa’iyah.” Media Indonesia, 17 July 2016. https://mediaindonesia.com/weekend/56468/mengenal-filosofi-batik-rifa-iyah

Miftakhutin. 2022. “24 Motif Batik Rifa’iyah.” Interview by Christine Claudia Lukman. Batang, Central Java, Indonesia.

Mustika, Sri. 2018. “Melestarikan Batik Tradisional Rifa’iyah sebagai Identitas Budaya Komunitas Rifa’iyah.” Jurnal Penelitian Komunikasi 21(1): 29–42. https://doi.org/10.20422/jpk.v21i1.489

Nafis, Aini. 2012. “Studi Analisis Konsep Menghadap Kiblat Menurut KH. Ahmad Rifa’i dalam Kitab Absyar.” Undergraduate thesis, IAIN Walisongo. https://eprints.walisongo.ac.id/id/eprint/1361/

Olorunsogo, David. 2018. “A Review of Codes: Daniel Chandler’s Semiotics for Beginners.” Crystal Curation: The Creative Power of the Word (blog). 13 May 2018. Accessed 16 July 2025. https://davidolorunsogo.wordpress.com/2018/05/13/a-review-of-codes-daniel-chandlers-semiotics-for-beginners/

Rosyid, Moh. 2020. “Peran Perempuan Rifai’yah Mempertahankan Ajaran Islam Rifa’iyah: Studi Kasus di Pati, Jawa Tengah.” Jantra 15(2): 149–158. https://doi.org/10.52829/jantra.v15i2.14

Rosyid, Moh. 2022. “Politik Akomodatif Komunitas Islam Rifa’iyah di Kudus.” Jurnal Politik Profetik 10(2): 100–122. https://doi.org/10.24252/profetik.v10i2a1

Ruzqi, Miftakhu. 2023. “Pemahaman Masyarakat Rifa’iyah Terhadap Konsep Pernikahan Sekufu (Studi Kasus di Desa Purwosari Kecamatan Patebon Kabupaten Kendal).” Undergraduate thesis, UIN K. H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan. http://etheses.uingusdur.ac.id/8219/

Sugiharto, Bambang. 2019. Kebudayaan dan Kondisi Post-Tradisi: Kajian Filosofis Atas Permasalahan Budaya Abad ke-21. Sleman, D.I. Yogyakarta: PT Kanisius.

Taum, Yoseph Yapi. 2022. “Rekonstruksi Nilai-Nilai Budaya sebagai Basis Strategis Pengembangan Pariwisata.” Sintesis 16(1): 17–41. https://doi.org/10.24071/sin.v16i1.3953

Titis Thoriquttyas, Ahmad Munjin Nasih, and Achmad Sultoni. 2023. “Rethinking the Religious Moderation through Intellectual History’s Lens: Mentifact, Sociofact, and Artefact.” Journal of Islamic History and Manuscript 2(2): 121–136. https://doi.org/10.24090/jihm.v2i2.7814

Ulfa, Rumaisah. 2009. “Nadzom KH. Rifa’i sebagai Media Dakwah.” Undergraduate thesis, Fakultas Dakwah dan Komunikasi, IAIN Walisongo Semarang. Accessed 16 July 2025. https://eprints.walisongo.ac.id/3629/

Ulya, Risma Sofiatil. 2017. “The Value of Rifai`Yah’s Struggle in Searching for His Legality amid the Polemic on Accusations of Heresy, Pekalongan Regency 1965–1999 as a History Lesson.” Indonesian Journal of History Education 2(2): 9–18. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijhe.v2i2

Widyastuti, Divya, Alia Afiyati, and Yoga Pratama. 2021. “Cultural Identity and Symbolic Interactionism in Karma Brown’s Novel Recipe for a Perfect Wife.” Getsempena English Education Journal 8(2): 256–266. https://doi.org/10.46244/geej.v8i2.1374