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Indonesian Javanese

Sarong, late 1800s

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Indonesian

Title

Sarong

Year

late 1800s

Medium

Silk; wax resist printed (batik)

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silk

Techniques

  • batik

Dimensions

Length: 172.7 cm (68 inches)

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

26.406

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Queen of the Insects

December 11, 2009 - May 9, 2010

While the butterfly serves as an auspicious sign in many cultures, it is equally revered for its decorative qualities. In this stunning example from Java, the butterfly
flits amongst floral sprigs on either side of the decorative kepala panel. This style of batik, known as tulis, is drawn freehand using a tool with a metal cup (canting) that holds the molten wax with which the resist pattern is created. After each layer of design is applied, the textile is submerged in dye vats, with the waxed areas of pattern resisting the dye, giving the process its name. The tulis freehand drawing is utilized to maximum advantage in this sarong, in which the intricate nuances of each scale of the butterfly wing are rendered with the utmost variety and detail.

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 Sarong with the accession number of 26.406. 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.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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