Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
97613
label
Sarong
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
97613
contentType
object
title
Sarong
description
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.
date
mid-1800s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79482153
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 106 x 192.4 cm (41 3/4 x 75 3/4 in.)
cul
Indonesia, Java, North Coast, mid-19th century
accession
1917.26
Source extras
tec
Cotton: plain weave, wax-resist dyed (batik)
tombstone
Sarong, mid-1800s. Indonesia, Java, North Coast, mid-19th century. Cotton: plain weave, wax-resist dyed (batik); overall: 106 x 192.4 cm (41 3/4 x 75 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. James J. Tracy, 1917.26
collection
Textiles
citations
citation
Larsen, Jack Lenor, and Bob Hanson. <em>The Dyer's Art: Ikat, Batik, Plangi</em>. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1976.
citation
Wessing, Robert. 1986. "Wearing the Cosmos: Symbolism in Batik Design". <em>Crossroads : an Interdiscliplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies</em>. 2, no. 3: 40-82.
citation
Maxwell, Robyn J. <em>Sari to Sarong: Five Hundred Years of Indian and Indonesian Textile Exchange</em>. [Canberra?]: National Gallery of Australia, 2003.
citation
Khan Majlis, Brigitte. <em>The Art of Indonesian Textiles: The E.M. Bakwin Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.</em> [Chicago]: Art Institute of Chicago, 2007.
citation
Kumar, Prakash. <em>Indigo Plantations and Science in Colonial India</em>. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
citation
Adam, Tassilo. <em>The Art of Batik: Weaving and Dyeing in Java</em>. [United States]: Read Books Ltd, 2016.
creditline
Gift of Mrs. James J. Tracy
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:15:36.059000
sourceId
97613
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
Cotton: plain weave, wax-resist dyed (batik)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b264c5799b103b8d