Art Institute of Chicago

Headcloth (Iket Kepala)

Indonesia, Central Java

Date

Late 19th century

Medium

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

Culture

Java

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Here is another variant of the semen design favored at the central Javanese courts. The bodies of large-winged birds, referring to Garuda, along with smaller birds, fruit, and flowers, are arranged radially against a ground of finely dotted foliage and vines. The palette is dominated by the characteristic reddish-brown soga dye, made from the bark of the soga tree.

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