Unknown Maker, Indonesian

This unusual pattern alternates a vignette of a woman in traditional dress speaking into a microphone with a scene of a woman and boy listening to an SRI national radio broadcast. It was created using a traditional technique known as batik, in which wax is drawn or stamped on cloth before it is dipped in dye.

Batik achieved international attention in the 19th century as it met new design influences from Java’s many trading partners, immigrant artisans, and colonial settlers, particularly from the Netherlands and China. These new influences brought colorful flowers, birds, and butterflies to batik design, which was previously dominated by the blue and brown geometrics favored by Javanese royal courts.