Kuda Kosong Artifact of the Cikundul Text Fragment: Building identity of a City

Abstract

The manuscript of Cikundul tells about natural beauty. It is mentioned all matters concerning the Blank Horse (kuda kosong). In one case, this phenomenon of the development in urban planning is no longer in the layout, as it was implied by the script but in the ornament, so that the city has an identity. The government of Cianjur built monuments, including Kuda Kosong. The purpose of this paper is to interpret the relationship between text and context: whether there are any horse icons used in relation to community culture, and what mythology arises based on the icon. Based on the semantics by Eco, ‘sign is not a semiotic entity that is non-negotiable but the independent elements between two systems (expressions and contents) which has coding relationships (Fokkema, 1998). The connection above is answered, because in Eco’s understanding, a word is not merely a sign concept but a sign function. This research is approached in sociologyanthropology, using qualitative method by using content analysis, documentation, observation, and interview techniques. The results showed that a blank horse (kuda kosong) has a relationship between texts in the form of words and contents as a sign with context (sculpture) as an artifact. The relationship shows history, culture, and even function on social strengthening. Keywords—Cikundul manuscript; kuda kosong; semiotic;