c. 1900 Peranakan Chinese batik sarong

Indonesia, Java, Lasem, c. 1900
Commercial cotton, natural dyes, hand-drawn (tulis) batik

A batik sarong hand-drawn in Lasem on the north coast of Java, of the class of pattern known by its colors as bang-biru, i.e. red-&-blue. The main body of the sarong has scattered red and blue flowering sprigs and butterflies against an ivory ground. Of special charm are the winding sprays of flowers laid loosely against the red borders, that have a different closely detailed vine at top and bottom.

The contrasting rich red head panel (kepala) has two large birds on either side of a nest with a chick inside it, suggesting that the sarong may have been made for a young mother, or for a bride in the hope that she will soon be a mother. 

Context: The rich red of Lasem batik was emulated in other batik centres, but never quite equalled (and a closely guarded secret). The premium set on color is shown in the Lasem classification of batiks by their color combinations, not by motifs: bang-bangan (red /cream); bang-biru (red /cream/ blue); bang-biru-ijo (red /cream /blue /green). Lasem batiks are often designed with the colors as the primary elements.

The sarong is in very good condition, it has two small holes (5-6 mm), two smaller waxy stains and a few light marks (see images). The colors are both beautifully intense and vivid, and the cotton is of high quality, densely woven, thick, and with a stiff handle.

Length: 107 cm. Width: 102.5 cm (unopened).

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Peranakan Chinese Batik Sarong, Pekalongan

Indonesia, Java, Pekalongan, c. 1950
Commercial cotton and dyes, hand-drawn (tulis) batik

A Peranakan Chinese sarong hand-drawn with the quintessential Pekalongan design of a detailed flower bouquet. Executed in only two shades of blue, the main body has dark flowers on a light blue body, and the head panel reverses the dark/ light figure/ ground. The flowers are shaded with different densities of white dotted lines to create the impression of many more shades in a 3-dimensional effect for which this style of batik is renowned. Particularly noteworthy is the variation with which the bouquet is repeated four times across the piece, unlike later mechanically repeated renditions of this design. Feathery ferns and curving slender leaves give movement and lightness to the picture, as do the butterfly and bird (both the same size!) hovering above. a flower garland forms borders throughout.

Context: Batik made only in blue and white were a type called kelengan, worn during mourning by Peranakan Chinese, but also traditional in Java and Sumatra.

The piece is in very good condition, with two very light age lines, and otherwise no stains, holes tears. The blues are vibrant, fresh, and unfaded.

Length: 105 cm. Width: 96 cm (unopened).

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Javanese batik hipcloth (Kain Lepas)

Indonesia, Java, Banyumas, 1930 - 1950

Commercial cotton, natural dyes, hand-drawn (tulis) batik 

The design has the unstudied grace of one of the oldest batik patterns called kawung, here drawn in large ovals in fresh, light mangosteen red, brown and cream, with a dark blue shading around the short edges that creates a 3-dimensional effect. a flowering vine in the signature Banyumas wine-red provides an elegant accent along the end and bottom edge that would be shown when the batik was worn.

Excellent condition: no stains, holes or tears. Smooth, high grade cotton, grown crisp with age.

Length: 106 cm. Width: 253 cm.

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Javanese Batik Hipcloth (Kain Panjang)

Origin: Java, Cirebon, c. 1930
Technique: Commercial cotton, natural dyes, hand-drawn (tulis) batik

A very charming blue and white batik hipcloth hand-drawn in the court town of Cirebon on the north coast of Java with a lively design of creatures amidst wandering flowering vines. a variation on the traditional central Javanese forest creatures (alas-alasan) pattern, the creatures span the 3 realms of water, earth and air, and are particularly notable for their fantastical styling—some are identifiable, such as birds, lobsters, fish, or giraffes, but quite a number leave a great deal to the imagination, and seem to be metamorphosing from the plant-life, or vice versa. They are decorated with a range of small motifs—crosses, circles, spirals, lines of dots—and depicted with expressive movement in a delicate curvilinear drawing style. This style emphasizes lines and spots of color against a clear ground, creating a feeling of spaciousness typical of Cirebon batik. The repetition of similar forms in the creatures incorporates much interesting variation in detail, giving the design the aliveness for which hand-drawn batik is prized by the Javanese.

The blossoms of the vine include the carnation (celuki), the quintessential north coast batik flower. The end that would be displayed when the hipcloth was worn has a dramatic border of triangles marked off from the centerfield by a panel with fruits and the mythical bird lokcan, which derives from the phoenix.

Context: The only court city on the north coast of Java, Cirebon was much more eclectic and multi-cultural than the traditional courts of central Java (Solo and Jogjakarta), embracing the mixture of cultures that grew around the commerce of the Spice Islands trade route in the 19th c. The design of this batik shows an interesting mixture of elements: The vine wandering over the cloth in a free-flowing multi-directional movement is a traditional north coast batik format called lung-lungan (creeper tendril), and its flowers evoke the scattering of blossoms in rituals. The fantastical creatures metamorphosing into or out of plant life are a very old design from the Cirebon / Indramayu area. However, their regular placement and more distinct forms show the influence of the central Javanese alas-alasan pattern. Batik with blue and white designs were a type called kelengan, worn during mourning by Peranakan Chinese, but also traditional in Java and Sumatra. The border of triangles suggests that it was made for export to the large batik market of Chinese clients in Sumatra, where this format was popular.

The hipcloth is in excellent condition, There are 2 small 1.5 cm tears at the edge of 2 different corners—apart from these there are no holes, stains, or tears. The design is in a deep blue-black shade, and the ground is beige. The cotton is very smooth, supple and soft, and fairly heavy.

Length: 250 cm. Width: 105 cm.

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