batik
From the Courts of Java and Sumatra
Rudolf G. Smend Collection
Contributors
Donald J. Harper
Brigitte Khan Majlis
Rudolf G. Smend
Harmen C. Veldhuisen
Peter Wenger
Historical Photos
Leo Haks
Anonymous 1934. Princes holding high positions at the palace of Yogyakarta. Raden Ario Djajanagoro (4th from left) Suryabrongta brother of Hamengku Buwono IX (fifth from left). Collection Leo Haks Amsterdam.
Published by Periplus Editions with editorial offices at 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167.
Copyright © 2000 2004 Verlag der Galerie Smend
First published 2000 by Galerie Smend,
Mainzer Strasee 31 50678 Köln Germany.
Tel: + 49 (0) 221/312047; Fax: + 49 (0) 221/9320718;
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.smend.de First Periplus edition 2004
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0695-6 (ebook)
Printed in Singapore
Distributors
Indonesia
PT Java Books Indonesia
Jl. Kelapa Gading Kirana,
Blok A-14/17 Jakarta 14240.
Tel: (021) 451 5351;
Fax: (021) 453 4987;
E-mail: [email protected]
Asia Pacific
Berkeley Books Pte Ltd,
61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12
Singapore 534167
Tel: (65) 6280 1330;
Fax: (65) 6280 6290;
E-mail: [email protected]
Japan
Tuttle Publishing Yaekari Building 3F, 5-4-12 Osaki,
Shinagawa-ku Tokyo 141-0032.
Tel: (813) 5437 0.171;
Fax: (813) 5437 0755;
E-mail: [email protected]
North America Latin America and Europe
Tuttle Publishing,
364 Innovation Drive,
North Clarendon VT 05759-9436.
Tel: (802) 773 8930;
Fax: (802) 773 6993;
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.tuttlepublishing.com
Editor's Note
Asterisks (*) against Batik Plate numbers indicate that further details about the textiles appear in "Notes on the Collection," pp. 83-85.
Photo Credits
Brian Brake (t) Auckland New Zealand: Batik Plates 8 23 32 33 34 35 38 40 41 45 51 54 60 61 62 66 69; Jo Firmenich Köln: Batik Plate 36; Anne Gold Aachen: Batik Plate 64; Bernhard Schaub Köln: Batik Plates 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 37 39 42 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 63, 65, 67, 68, 70, 71.
Riechan 1930. R. A. A. Soedoro-Soero Regent of Pemalang and his wife. Their dress imitates court style though the Regent's dodot is not draped in the traditional way. Collection Leo Haks Amsterdam.
Contents
Rudolf G. Smend
Javanese Batik: An Introduction
Brigitte Khan Majlis
Central Java / The Classical Style
North Coast / The Pasisir Style
Sumatra / Sumatran and Export Styles
Peranakan Batik / Straits Chinese Batik
Donald J. Harper
Peter Wenger
Harmen C. Veldhuisen
Rudolf G. Smend
Tassilo Adam or Chenan (Yogyakarta) 1923 or 1926. A Javanese prince from the Court of Yogyakarta dressed for a wayang wong performance. He is wearing a combination of imported double silk ikat and locally made batik. Collection Leo Haks Amsterdam.
Preface
Every textile collection every catalog and every exhibition has its own story. It is a story of people who have been helpful of people who share the same interests the same curiosity about faraway countries the same passion for textiles as well as the same concern for the preservation of textiles.
Who has inspired me most to put together the mosaic of my precious batik collection? Should I be more grateful to the specialist authors on batik or to the designers? Does Sir Stamford Raffles or J. A. Loeber deserve more thanks than Eliza van Zuylen or Lien Metzelaar? Do I owe more to the stubborn antique dealers on Jalan Surabaya in Jakarta than to the women patiently selling batik at