Art Institute of Chicago

Ceremonial Hip Wrapper (Dodot)

Indonesia, Central Java

Date

Late 19th century

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; hand-drawn wax resist dyed (batik tulis); two panels joined

Culture

Java

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Ths batiks of the central Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta (also known as Solo) dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries consistently display certain features. They reveal a range of patterns restricted to the court, including the semen design (indicating sprouting and fertility) seen here, that presents elements of the Javanese cosmic universe—animals, birds, plants, scrolling vines, mountains, and pavilions. The wings of the mythological bird Garuda (see detail below), mount of the Hindu god Vishnu, was adopted in Java as a symbol of sovereignty. These textiles also have a distinctive and sedate palette. Batik Textiles of Java, April 21-September 17, 2017

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