Javanese, Java

The center textile displayed here illustrates one of Indonesia's major dramas - the wayang or shaddow puppet theater. Wayang translates to shadow or spirit, and indeed both Hindus and Muslims used shaddow puppetry to spread their religion. Motifs rendered on the other batiks here also address worlds beyond the physical - rings and curving lines are symbolic of the cosmos, for example. The cross-like pattern or kawang references a cross-section of a palm fruit and the simplified lotus pattern on the smaller batik is based on repeating squares, rectangles, ovals, and stars, which reflect the Javanese belief in a structured universe, or a universal source of energy.