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A work made of cotton, plain weave; hand-drawn wax resist dyed (batik tulis).

Tubular Skirt (Sarong)

c. 1900

Indonesia, Java, North Coast, Pekalongan

Java

Workshops in Pekalongan produced various types of pictorial subjects, including illustrations of Western stories. The story that is referred to in this sarong, now opened to its full size, has yet to be identified but is full of curious elements. In the center, on the white ground, four male figures wearing breeches pose and gesture in a declamatory way, like actors on a stage. They stand before a building and are surrounded by a rich assortment of angels, animals (including a camel) and birds, butterflies, and plants.

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

Textiles