Batik --> On Wood

Textiil Wood Batik
Indonesian Wood Batik Tray

Many people are quite familar with fabric batik, but the first time we saw a display of wood batik it really made an impression. Masks are one of the more popular items  created with wood batik in Indonesia, but we found wonderful trays, bowls and a great selection of wooden pencils when a group of Indonesian artisans came to Kuala Lumpur on a trade mission.  The general process seems to be quite similar to batik on fabric, but the detailed explanation here, suggests additional complexity in working with wood. On my next visit to Yogjakarta I plan to explore more about the process of batik on wood.

Batik Motif --> Parang, A Royal Past

Textiil Batik Parang Rusak
Parang Batik

The parang, or sword motif of Central Java was traditionally meant to be worn only by the royal family. The pattern was designed to signify power, but the highly regarded Winotosastro batik makers say that the parang rusak motif also displayed the triumph of wisdom and nobility over earthly desires.  

 

One will find many, many versions of parang pattern from small to large, but I like the feel of the large patterned piece from Cirebon, (pictured here).  It looks great as a hanging panel.  Large or small, the parang rusak will always have the continuous wavy pattern, always on the diagonal. See another example of batik rusak from the Australian Museum collection.

More --> About Songket

Textiil Example Songket
Kraftangan Songket

Last week we took a brief look at the introduction of songket to Malaysia and Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah, an organization working to preserve this woven art with training and support for the weavers, along with with modernizing motifs and applications. 

 

This week we’ll look at the family-owned business Bibah Songket. Habibah Zikri is the award winning lead designer who got her start with Kraftangan and went on to create her own thriving business. Habibah’s husband also worked with Kraftangan (Malaysia’s government organization overseeing craft development and promotion) for many years. Their daughter Sabrina is now the business manager based in Kuala Lumpur.  

 

I had the pleasure of meeting with the family in their Kuala Lumpur showroom and talking with them about their work and their efforts to find a wider audience for their stunning songket products.  (Protective of her unique designs, the image shown is from my collection –  it is not a Bibah songket).  At Bibah Songket they pay their weavers a monthly salary, not per piece nor commission on goods sold.  You can learn much more about the history, design structure, and motifs of Malaysian songket at the Bibah Songket web site.

 

Good to Know --> Malaysian Songket

Textiil, Malaysian Songket
Malaysian Songket

Songket is a beautiful woven textile from the brocade family. It is most often made from cotton or silk with a portion of the motif woven in metallic threads. Traditionally, this luxurious fabric was used for costumes on ceremonial occasions.  


Scholars are still debating where the craft originated, with evidence of Chinese, Indian, and Cambodian influences found in the materials, motifs and process. It is believed that the textile has been part of Malay culture since the 15th century.


To ensure that the tradition of songket weaving survives, the queen of Malaysia established a foundation to support weavers with training and to provide the weavers they work with a liveable wage. Read about YTNZ and learn more about Royal Terengganu Songket.


Our first tablerunners are made from songket from a small business in Terengganu. We selected a simple geometric Bunga Dalam (Flowers Within) motif. The runners add wonderful color to your table and work well with simpler patterned plates.


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Read All About It --> Eyes of the Ancestors

Batik - 75 Selected Masterpieces
75 Selected Masterpieces

One of the premiere collections of Indonesian traditional arts can be found at the Dallas Museum of Art. This summer look for "Eyes of the Ancestors" from Yale University Press, a book of photography and essays by international scholars exploring a selection from the Museum’s collection of textiles and arts from the islands of Indonesia, Sarawak, and East Timor.  

 

What I’m reading now: Batik - 75 Selected Masterpieces (The Rudolf G. Smend Collection). Essays, textiles, and photos along with a basic, useful glossary. The images are beautiful, including a great example of the European-influenced batik sarong -- illustrating the fairy tale Cinderella! See another example of a  fairy tale batik and read about it here.

 

Motif --> Mega Mendung, Clouds

Textiil Pillows, Batik Mega Mendung
Batik Mega Mendung Pillows

Time for summer.  With that in mind, I am thinking about the beautiful cloud pattern batik originating in Cirebon.  There are so many color variations of this seemingly simple pattern.  It is one of my favorites -- perfectly blending the traditional, with a distinctly modern feel. 

 

Chinese settlers arrived in Cirebon (on the north coast of Java), Indonesia in the 16th and 17th centuries. The cloud pattern was found on ceramics and textiles they brought with them to Indonesia - but probably rounder than what is now the traditional batik expression of the form.  The rain cloud motif, suggesting fertility and life,* is generally horizontal and the clouds oval, with tapered ends.  Textiil has some beautiful mega mendung batiks with 5 gradations of color --  a nice green if you are looking for Emerald the Pantone color of the year, a stunning, traditional, dark blue on deep red -- and even a grey/black mix! See them in our gallery.

 

For more on the batik process for this motif,  see this interesting piece at 

The Language of Cloth.

 

 * Batik, Fabled Cloth of Jave, Inger McCabe Elliott, p.74

Good to Know --> Kraton by Auguste Soesastro

Kraton, Auguste Soesastro, Cita Tenun
Presentation at FIT in NYC

On April 18th, FIT hosted "Preserving Asian Culture through Fashion and Textiles." One of the truly beautiful collections featured was Kraton, by the Indonesian designer Auguste Soesatro. He is using some of the fabrics from Cita Tenun Indonesia - a group seeking to provide resources and training to weavers in various parts of Indonesia - in the hope that the the weavers can increase their productivity and reach a broader market.  The clothing and the textiles are stunning. Hopefully in the near future you will see the collection here.

Go --> Washington DC Textile Museum

Textile Museum final exhibit
Textile Museum final exhibit

 

April in Washington DC is just beautiful - the cherry blossoms were a very welcome sign that spring is at last, really here.   The final exhibit at the Textile Museum in its current location is:  Out of Southeast Asia: Art that Sustains. Historical textiles from the collection along with wonderful contemporary works by batik artists Nia Fliam, Agus Ismoyo, and Vernal Bogren Swift, and weaver Carol Cassidy. If you are in the area --> Go!

 

The Textile Museum will close in October to relocate and reopen in fall 2014.



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