Sebelas Maret University.These research purposes were describing: (1) development of classic batik art in Surakarta, (2) philosophical sense of Surakarta classic batik designs, (3) comprehension of Surakarta’s people about classic batik design and philosophical sense, (4) perception of Surakarta’s people about classic batik art. According to those purposes, this research used descriptive qualitative method. This research used purposive sampling and its research location in Surakarta. Data collecting technique that has been used here are interview, observation, and document and files analysis. Data validities that have been used are data triangulation and method triangulation. Data analysis technique that has been used in this research is qualitative analysis with interactive analysis model. Based on the result of the research, it is concluded that: (1) the development of batik industry in Surakarta started from wives of noble and upper classes who make batik with hand write batik design as a way of batik art development. However, longer and longer this batik art was duplicated by the closest people and then extended become a wives homework at their spare time. Next, batik which is used to be only wore by palace family, then becoming favorite common people, both men and women. The next development which is in the first time only become the hobby of kings family has been branched out becomes commodity trade. Massive batik production in Surakarta is started from here. Together with economic growth of Surakarta kingdom, it is emerging centers of batik fabric made which is until nowadays they still hold on and we can see them in Laweyan, Kedhung Gudel, Serenan Juwiring, Bekonang, Kliwonan, and Plupuh in Sragen. (2) Surakarta batik have a lot of philosophical senses, because actually the creator of batik kind of decorate at an ancient time are not only make something beautiful in a look, but also they give a sense or meaning, that have concerned with their life philosophy. They make a kind of decorate with an order and glorious and honest expectation in it; hopefully it will bring a goodness and happiness for the consumer. (3) There is low comprehension of people about sense of classic batik design, and it is need a follow up action. It is seen from 21 informants that have been interviewed by researcher, less than a half confesses that they not knowing a kind and philosophy sense of classic batik. (4) Perception of Surakarta’s people about classic batik art is multiple, some of them have an opinion that batik wholly had a significant development; it is still work and hold on. Some other has an opinion that now batik are made out of its way. However, basically there are relations between those perceptions.
