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Source Description
Batik is an ancient technique that was practiced in India and throughout much of Southeast Asia. With the invention of the "canting" (a tool used to apply hot wax to fabric) in the 17th - 18th centuries, however, batik bacame a particular speciality of Java. This batik was produced in the central regions of Java where cloths were resist-dyed with traditional designs in white, indigo blue, and dark brown. The stylized wing and tail of the mythical bird Garuda and the sacred mountains seen here had cosmic significance and were reserved for textiles worn by nobility for ceremonial occasions or for dance costumes. The white, elongated diamond-shaped center is unique to batik shoulder cloths.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
97668
label
Slendang (Shoulder Cloth)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
97668
contentType
object
title
Slendang (Shoulder Cloth)
description
Batik is an ancient technique that was practiced in India and throughout much of Southeast Asia. With the invention of the "canting" (a tool used to apply hot wax to fabric) in the 17th - 18th centuries, however, batik bacame a particular speciality of Java. This batik was produced in the central regions of Java where cloths were resist-dyed with traditional designs in white, indigo blue, and dark brown. The stylized wing and tail of the mythical bird Garuda and the sacred mountains seen here had cosmic significance and were reserved for textiles worn by nobility for ceremonial occasions or for dance costumes. The white, elongated diamond-shaped center is unique to batik shoulder cloths.
date
1800s–early 1900s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79482264
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 271 x 53.3 cm (106 11/16 x 21 in.)
cul
Indonesia, Central Java, 19th - early 20th century
accession
1917.31
Source extras
tec
tabby weave, batik; cotton
tombstone
Slendang (Shoulder Cloth), 1800s–early 1900s. Indonesia, Central Java, 19th - early 20th century. Tabby weave, batik; cotton; overall: 271 x 53.3 cm (106 11/16 x 21 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. James J. Tracy, 1917.31
collection
Textiles
creditline
Gift of Mrs. James J. Tracy
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:15:47.477000
sourceId
97668
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
tabby weave, batik; cotton
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4415fd9c24c3a3ee