About this artwork
Batiks were sometimes produced to commenmorate special events. One popular subject within the Indo-European community was the introduction of new means of transportation. The front or head of this skirt contains a large floral arrangement on a dark red ground. The body shows four views of a European steamship bearing the words “Krakatau Amsterdam” on the side. A 1930 photograph of the Dutch freighter Krakatau, named for the massive volcano that erupted in 1883, confirms it as the likely subject.
This is the only batik in the Art Institute of Chicago’s 2017 exhibition Batik Textiles of Java whose pattern was not hand drawn but applied with copper stamps (caps), a process that reduced production time but also the quality of workmanship.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Title
- Tubular Kirt (Sarong)
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Place
- Java (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1920–1940
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Medium
- Cotton, plain weave; stamp-applied wax resist dyed (batik cap)
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Dimensions
- 189.3 × 180 cm (74 1/2 × 42 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of E. M. Bakwin Indonesian Textile Collection
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Reference Number
- 2005.456
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
