Cleveland Museum of Art

Sarong

Date

mid-1800s

Medium

Cotton: plain weave, wax-resist dyed (batik)

Culture

Indonesia, Java, North Coast, mid-19th century

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Batiks made in the North Coast region of Java, specifically in Pekalongan, were influenced by both Indian and European motifs due to the Dutch presence in Indonesia. In this sarong we see a mixture of Indian and European flowers including jasmine, lilac, and daffodil. Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique used throughout Java. Hot wax is applied with a tool known as a canting and a design is hand drawn with incredible skill. This sarong was then dyed with indigo, a well sought after and culturally important natural dye. Areas on the fabric with wax will not accept the indigo dye, hence the term wax-resist.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.