Javanese Batik Textiles at Saint Louis Art Museum

 

Javanese; Woman's Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of Phoenixes, Flowers, and Leaves, late 19th- early 20th century; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes; 41 x 74 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. George O. Carpenter 900:1940

 
 

Javanese Batik Textiles

 

December 13, 2019 — June 7, 2020

This exhibition presents 20 hand-drawn batik textiles from Java, the most populous island in the archipelago nation of Indonesia. Batik refers to the technically and artistically demanding tradition of wax-resist dying as well as the cloth made using this technique. Hot liquid wax is applied to intricate designs on finely spun, tightly woven cotton or silk before the fabric is dyed; the areas covered by wax resist the dye. This meticulous, painstaking process is repeated numerous times until the desired pattern and colors are achieved.

Though practiced around the world, batik originated in Indonesia, and the artisans of Java are renowned for having mastered and refined the technique. The textiles in this exhibition include pieces made for royal and aristocratic clientele, ceremonial use, and everyday fabrics worn by men and women. These textiles, from the mid-19th century through the late 20th century, originate from the most significant centers of Javanese batik production, including the old royal courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta in central Java and Pekalongan on the island’s north coast. Drawn from the Museum’s collection, the works in this exhibition include the first batik textile that the Museum acquired in 1922 and a selection acquired in 2018.

Javanese Batik Textiles is curated by Philip Hu, curator of Asian art.

 
 
 

Watch Batik of Java: A Centuries Old Tradition.
Courtesy of Asian Art Museum, Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

 
 
 

Exhibition Preview

Javanese; Shoulder Cloth (selendang) with Design of Phoenixes and Floral Motifs, late 19th century; plain- weave silk with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (lokcan batik tulis) and natural dyes; 22 1/2 × 125 1⁄2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. George O. Carpenter 76:1941

Javanese; Woman's Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of the "Thousand Boxes" (kotak seribu) Motif, mid-19th century; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes and applied gold leaf (prada); 43 1/2 × 84 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 110:1922

Javanese; Ceremonial Lower Body Wrapper (kain dodot) with Design of a "Sprouting Growth" (sěmèn) Motif, late 19th–early 20th century; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes; 84 × 125 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 179:1926

Javanese; Ceremonial Lower Body Wrapper (kain dodot) with Design of White Central Field Surrounded by Anthropomorphic Firefly Motifs, 1950s-1960s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes; 110 5/8 × 134 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Heirs of Berenice C. Ballard, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, Gift of L. Guy Blackmer, and Bequest of Horace M. Swope, all by exchange 466:2018

Javanese; Man's Lower Body Wrapper (kain panjang) with Design of the "Ciptoning Wayang" Motif on a Diagonal Grid, 1950s-1960s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes; 40 15/16 × 98 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, by exchange 467:2018

Javanese; Woman's Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of Floral Bouquets, Birds, and Butterflies, 1950s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with synthetic dyes; 40 15/16 × 78 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Heirs of Berenice C. Ballard, and William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, both by exchange 474:2018

Javanese; Woman's Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of Floral Bouquets, Birds, and Butterflies on a Rice-Grain (beras wutah) Background, 1950s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with synthetic dyes; 41 5/16 × 37 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, by exchange 475:2018

Javanese; Girl's Breast Cloth (kemben) with Design of Polka-Dotted Central Field and Border of "Broken Dagger" (parang rusak) Motif, 1950s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) and stitch-dyeing decoration (tritik) with synthetic dyes; 13 × 53 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, by exchange 471:2018

Javanese; Woman's Breast Cloth (kemben) with Design of the "Brooding Hens" (babon angrem) Motif, 1940s-1950s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes; 21 1/4 × 102 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, by exchange 469:2018

Javanese; Woman's Handkerchief (saputangan) with Design of Flowers, Birds, and Butterflies on a Swastika (banji) Background, 1930s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with synthetic dyes; 18 7/8 × 20 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, by exchange 476:2018

K. R. T. Hardjonagoro (Go Tik Swan), Javanese, 1931–2008; Lower Body Wrapper (kain panjang) with Design of Graduated Bands of the Sri Sadono "Broken Dagger" Motif on a White Background, 1980s; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural and synthetic dyes; 40 9/16 x 114 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Heirs of Berenice C. Ballard, and Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Bixby Jr., both by exchange 479:2018; © Go Tik Swan

 

Special thank you to Saint Louis Art Museum, Philip Hu, and Jason Gray.