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Indonesian Javanese, Java Cirebon

Iket Kepala (Man's Headcloth), ca. 1850-1900

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Indonesian

Title

Iket Kepala (Man's Headcloth)

Year

ca. 1850-1900

Medium

Cotton plain weave with wax-resist indigo dye (batik)

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

Length: 92.7 cm (36 1/2 inches)

Place

Java; Cirebon

Type

Credit

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates

Object Number

13.100

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

It Comes in Many Forms

October 23, 2020 - December 18, 2021

Animals and calligraphy decorate this iket kepala (man’s headcloth), its interior square filled with pseudo-Arabic words and the name Allah (SWT). Encircling the center are four doves and eight medallions, each made up of abstracted, unintelligible words. Patterns of marks resembling small letters float in the background.

Made by applying wax to resist the dye, batik textiles are commonly used as headcloths, sarongs (wrapped lower garments), wall hangings, and furnishing covers. Batiks were traded between Southeast Asia and East Africa long before Dutch colonialism began in the early 1600s. During the 1880s, Dutch traders exported wax prints (see the Malian boubou on the opposite side of this case) and other textiles to West Africa.

Sartorial Sanctuary

December 19, 2008 - April 26, 2009

Since at least the 13th century, Islam has enjoyed a prominent place in Southeast Asian culture. Over time, the region’s ancient and flourishing textile tradition has synthesized Hindu, Buddhist, and animist motifs with design elements traceable to the influence of Persian, Mughal Indian, and Ottoman Turkish arts. Most of the region’s textiles do not exhibit overt Islamic references, but instead have responded in form to the drive for modest dress and in pattern to the ornamental aesthetics, such as stylized floral and tendril motifs, seen in the greater Islamic world. The head cloth (iket kepala) here presents a rare example of Islamic imagery used both to publicly signal the wearer’s faith and to offer him spiritual shelter. The swirling, stylized calligraphic notations, largely illegible, provided a sense of protection, an auspicious layer of meaning that would guide the wearer to good fortune and behavior.

Tradition and Innovation

June 15 - October 7, 2001

Cirebon, on Java's North Coast, was a center for artisans specializing in designs based on Arabic calligraphy. Carved in stone or wood, or drawn on textiles in the batik technique, these images ranged from quotations from the Koran to purely decorative elements derived from Arabic script. Cirebon was famous for its "calligraphic zoomorphs," such as the stylized doves formed by script-like flourishes in this textile. Islam had spread to Java in the 14th century, and by the 17th century was the dominant religion.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Iket Kepala (Man's Headcloth) with the accession number of 13.100. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.