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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Sumatran Calligraphic Batik with Birds (Batik Tulisan Arab Burong)

Batik coffin cover or hanging Sumatra, Bengkulu, c. 1940 
Commercial cotton and dye, hand-drawn batik (tulis) 

A graphic dark blue Batik Tulisan Arab hand-drawn with the hallmark design of the genre of zoomorphic calligraphic figures. 3 squares containing calligraphic script are each surrounded by four birds that seem to be formed by the coalescing of the calligraphy. Large and imposing, they are drawn with vigorous expressive strokes, with wing and tail feathers and legs composed in calligraphic lines, and show a great deal of subtle variation of decoration and form within their overall symmetry (for instance the different internal decoration of the wings in the top right and left birds). The intervening spaces are filled with further calligraphic script that creates a flowing, vigorous graphic pattern. Small flowers scattered over the ground represent bintang (“stars”) shining in the sky of the sacred design. The centerfield is framed along the short ends by the traditional 3-fold borders.

Batik Tulisan Arab (or Batik Kaligrafi) developed on the north-eastern coast of Java and in Sumatra as a type of sacred cloth with talismanic power. The birds are a convention of this type of batik, apparently growing out of and metamorphosing from calligraphic script. However, less important than the content of the script is the text itself—Kerlogue writes that those who are not able to read it are still able to recognize the power and presence of Allah in the inscription, and the beauty and skill with which the calligraphy is embellished expresses the reverence in which the Word is held. In this sense, the calligraphic motifs served not as communication but as a symbolic affirmation of faith (124 - 135).

The piece is in excellent condition, with no stains, tears or holes. The blue is dark, and the white is creamy beige. The cotton is soft and fine. 

Width: 220 cm. Length: 112 cm. 

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Javanese Batik Wall Hanging with Wayang Figures

Jogjakarta, 1940 – 1960 
Commercial cotton, mixed dyes, hand-drawn (tulis) batik 

A dramatic batik hanging from Jogjakarta, hand-drawn with wayang kulit (shadow puppet drama) figures in the traditional colors of soga brown and white, with a few indigo blue highlights, on a black ground. The design presents the palm leaf shaped gunungan (mountain), the symbol of the world in Hindu cosmology, at the center as it is at the start of a wayang kulit performance, separating the 2 pairs of opposing figures. The mountain is internally articulated by a tree of life, at the base of which is a small building with closed doors guarded by mythical creatures.

The imposing scale of the human figures is enriched by the design and decoration of their clothing and headdress. They are drawn in the stylized manner of the painted leather puppets, their thin elongated arms, elaborate head-dresses, and angular profiles. The smaller figures wear the kris (ceremonial dagger), shown by the handles protruding behind the waist. The figures vary in feature, posture, and decoration, creating a richly animated design. Of particular note are the batik patterns they wear folded in the manner of the court costume dodot, creating a self-reflexive “batik within batik” effect!

The fine veining of the figures is created by a special technique for crackling the wax during the dye process to allow threads of dye color, and even a marbling effect, to appear on the undyed white ground. This gives added dimension to the graphic interplay of light and dark in the figures.

Context: The traditional batik of Jogjakarta can be distinguished by its bright white combined with a reddish soga brown, as opposed to the more muted combination of cream and golden brown in Solo. This graphic color composition enhances the Jogjakarta style of large, geometric motifs in a strong dramatic design.

Wayang kulit is a popular traditional entertainment shared by the court and ordinary people. The court puppets are beautifully painted, and the handles that manipulate their jointed arms made of horn. Their primary characterization and expression is created by profile, movement, posture and delicate openwork. It has been said that the design of central Javanese batiks expresses the basic aesthetic of wayang kulit, where elements are placed in layers, and project the chiaroscuro of light and shadow.

The textile is in excellent condition, with no holes, stains, or tears. The black is deep, the white is bright, and the soga brown is a particularly rich shade of dark red-brown. The cotton is densely woven, and of the slightly rough grade used for wall hangings rather than clothing, and has grown quite crisp with age.

Length: 186 cm. Width: 103.5 cm.

USD 95

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