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

The palette and design details of this man's headcloth differ from those of the four pieces shown to the left (1926.24, 1926.22, 1926.5, and 1926.4). Here the overall effect is darker, thanks to the deeper red tone of the soga . Also, there are numerous bracket-like white lines arranged in a radially symmetrical fashion, which suggest mountain peaks. These form a pleasing pattern in their own right and provide welcome contrast to the otherwise somber palette. Such differences may well indicate production at a different central Javanese court.

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