Traditional Yogyakarta Wedding : The Meaning of Makeup and Finery, Paes Ageng

Traditional Yogyakarta Wedding, wow..sound great and very interesting for me. You can search on Google with tag “Yogyakarta Royal Wedding”. And you can see the bride and groom, it’s a magnificent and luxurious makeup and finery wedding, named Paes Ageng Jogja, or Paes Ageng Yogyakarta. There is deep meaning inside the makeup and finery that the bride and groom is wearing on.

Royal Wedding Kraton Jogja, www.pinteres.com

Few months later I and my husband to\ok a picture. We wore a traditional Yogyakarta wedding, named Paes Ageng Jogja. Yeah, every year we take a picture to celebrate our anniversary wedding. And this year we decided to wear Paes Ageng Jogja for this moment. We thought it’s very interesting tradition, and deep meaning inside. So we learnt about that.

Royal wedding Kraton Jogja, www.pinteres.com

What means Paes Ageng actually is? “Paes” means make up, “ageng” means glorious, luxurious, and elegant. Paes Ageng is a traditional Javanese custom that bride and groom is wearing on. There are two kind  of Paes Ageng, Paes Ageng Jogja / Paes Ageng Yogyakarta, and Paes Ageng Solo. And they are different each other. And I will just write about Paes Ageng Jogja on this article, named Paes Ageng Jogja Basahan. Sorry…maybe next time I will write about Paes Ageng Solo.

Jogja/ Yogyakarta is one of province in Indonesia. It’s located in Java Island. Now, King of Yogyakarta named Sultan Hamengku Buwono X. At the time, just relatives of the king that allowed to wearing Paes Ageng Jogja. But in 1940, when Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX reigned, Paes Ageng Jogja allowed to wear for the ordinary people or civil. Since that time, a lot of people wearing this custom for wedding, pre-wedding pictures, or just take a picture for wedding anniversary like us

Royal Wedding Kraton Jogja, www.pinteres.com

My make up maker talked much to me. She was excited for her job, Paes Ageng Jogja specialist make up maker. And I forgot to ask her name  She said, if it was a wedding, she needs four hours to make up the bride. WHAT? yeah, just for make up Paes Ageng Jogja, needs four hours. But she promised me, she just needed 1 hour to make up me, ‘cause it just for a photo shot. And the fact is, almost two hours to make up me, and one hour to prepare custom.

Dodot, kain cinde merah, udet, museumku.wordpress.com

The make up maker told me much more about Paes Ageng Jogja. So I asked and learnt many things at the time. She said, if it was Paes ageng Jogja, the bride and the groom would be wearing a dress, named “dodot”, “udet” and the red dress named “kain cinde merah”. Yeah, Identity of Paes Ageng Jogja is red color, blue color, and white color. And you won’t to believe this, the bride head finery must 10 kilograms all of them. Yeah, if you wear the original finary head of the bride, you will carry on 10 kilograms on your head.

These are deep meaning inside finery and make up of Paes Ageng Jogja, Let’s check it out

• Cundhuk Mentul

Cundhuk mentul 9, ink361.com

Cundhuk mentul 5, www.online-instagram.com

What kind of is that things? Cundhuk mentul is the attribute that wearing on top of head. The number is odd, sometimes you can find 1, 5, 7, and 9. That time I wore 5 cundhuk metul on top of my head. Of course every number have a means. 1 means one God, 5 means Islamic Symbol, “rukun islam”.7 means relief, and 9 means symbol of Islamic guardians. And more important about cundhuk mentul, it must used rear facing.

• Gunungan

Gunungan, www.isigood.com

Gunungan, it means mountain. The bride wears it on top of her head too. Why mountain? Because our ancients believed, mountain is the highest place that the God stay. Gunungan is symbol that husband must respect to the his wife (women).

• Centhung

Centhung, www.isigood.com

What is that? It’s look like a gates, right? Yeah, there are a symbol of the gate of life. Centhung wears on the head, one on the left another on the right side. When a women got married, she must ready to be a wife, her new life has begun.

• Prada

Prada, www.isigood.com

Prada is a makeup on the bride brow. You can see it, it’s a black make up, with gold color on the line. There are 5 of curves, the biggest curve means a God, and three dots gold colors means symbol Trimurti (three of Gods, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa).

• Citak

Citak, www.pinteres.com

What’s Citak? Citak is a makeup that make on the center of bride brow. you can see it between eyebrow. And my makeup maker used a fresh betel leaf that cut like diamond, and place it on my center brow.

• Alis Menjangan

Alis menjangan, www.lakako.com

in English, Alis menjangan means, deer eyebrow, ‘cause the eyebrows has made like deer antlers. You see that, huh? this eyebrows is inspire by deer. Because deer is smart animal, clever, elegant, and loyal. So, the women must have these characters, Smart, clever, and elegant. Oh, I like this words, women have to smart, clever, and elegant and of course we must loyal to our husband.

• Sumping

Sumping, mutiarahati55.wordpress.com

Sumping? What is that? Sumping is finery in the ears. It looks like a leaf guys… yeah, that’s right. At the ancient time, Sumping made by papaya leaves. But now, it’s made by metal. The taste of papaya leaf is bitter, right? It  means as a wife, we must ready to feel hard life with our husband.

• Kalung Sungsung

Kalung sungsung, www.isigood.com

Kalung Sungsung, is a necklace. There are tree level, means our life are tree level too, born, married, and die. Tree levels of human life.

• Kelat Bahu

Kelat bahu, commons.wikimedia.com

It looks like a bangle, right? Yeah, it wears on the bride and groom arms. If you see that, it’s a dragon bangles. The head of dragon must facing in the front.

• Gelang

Gelang, www.isigood.com

Of course there are round shape bracelets, and without breaking anywhere. The bride and the groom, have to wear these bracelets. The bracelets means eternal love

That’s so great wedding dress, right? It’s magnificent,luxurious, and elegant. I love that! and we was so excited to wear this wedding dress.

Note :

• Written by Acik Mdy / Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permissions