Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-26
CRUDE JAVAPR|NTS
MAY SET NEW FAD
Civilization Expected to Copy
Barbara Designs of
Native Cloth.
WEIRD EFFECTS RESULT
FROM DYElNG METHOD
Valuable Collection From PAN
American Exposition Just Re-
ceived by National Museum.

CelVcu ny National museum.
Attention has recently been called to
the opportunities open to the style
creator lying within the arts of GER
tain quaint and little-known peoples.
says statement from the Smithsonian
Institution. Especially is this applica-
bic to the natives of parts of Java,
who dress in homemade costumes of
gayly printed cotton Their method of
dyeing or printing and their designs
and color schemes are both unique. and
may well be initiated and applied to
better goods for general trade rather
than the small distribution they re-
ceive at present.
The National Museum has just re-
ceived consignment of these native
garments obtained directly from the
Netherlands East Indies commission at
the close of the Panama-Pacific inter-
national exposition at San Francisco.
Being under the government of the
Netherlands. the arts of the Javanese
were well shown at the exposition, and
the museum was able to select from
the many specimens on view at San
Francisco just the pieces and the de-
signs most desirable and of greatest
interest to Americans.
The exhibit just installed in the divi-
sion of textiles in the older National
Museum building includes several diff
ferent types of JaVanese dress deco
rated by what is known as patchwork.
Besides the finished pieces there is
also shown a series of fourteen exam
Piles of this work in course of progress.
depicting graphically the complicated
and tedious methods now emDloved bv
these natives.
Javanese Batik Process.
The Javanese batik process is very
crude and yet is possibly the origin of
the advanced method of resist printing
followed today in various civilized
countries. 1t is closely allied to the
stencil method both in principle and
effect. The handmade Javanese batiks
are produced from common cotton
sheeting. the only cloth procurable in
into more or less standard sizes to
make the several styles of articles
manufactured. Nearly all of them are
rectangular in shape, varying in size
from five yards long and two yards
wide to a few inches.
After being washed. to extract all
the starch. and then oiled. washed and
starched again. the individual piece to
be colored Is pegged securely to fiat
board. which Is usually held on the
workers knees. The design is drawn
or traced upon the tightly stretched
cloth in melted wax by means of a
sharp-pointed funnel-shaped container.
called "fjanting." in Java. The body
ground is next blocked in solid with
wax wherever white or color other
than that to be used in the hrst dye
bath is desired. The whole cloth may
now be either put into the dye pot. or
the unwaxed portions may be painted in
hot dye with brush After standing
in the dye several days. the wax is
steamed out in hot water. and the
cloth is found to be coiored only in
the outline of the design. with the
broad masses still remaining in the
creamy-white ground tint of the cot
ton fabric. Very often, however. the
blank places of the design are matted
with a sort Of marbled effect due to the
fact that the wax cracks and allows
. the color in the dye pot to penetrate
to the cloth itself. leaving light. ir-
regular. veinlike tracings. which. how
ever, are not serious blemishes. since
they are sometimes covered by the
next application Of dye. and at best
lend a certain characteristic touch to
the whole effect. The entire process is
then repeated. the worker next cover
ing the printed parts with wax, leaving
exposed only those spots and lines
where the next color-is desired. which
system is repeated until the fabric is
completely covered and dyed to the
liking Of the maker. usually COM
prising three operations. each of which
consumes eight or nine days. however.
All Dyes Are Homemade.
-Four main coiors are to be used in
this work-indigo. red, tannin brown
and rather strong yellow. They are
sometimes allowed to overlap, which
results in the additional color effects
of black. green and orange. All the
dyes are of home manufacture, made
from native ingredients. The manufac-
ture of the dyes takes considerable
time also, and when it is considered
that from one to three weeks is re-
quired to complete the application of
each color of the three to be employed
and that each step of the process has
to be repeated on the other side 1t is
seen what long tedious and ex-
pensive process this native method is.
IT is reported that more advanced
method has been tried successfully In
Holland, where a similar system of
eoioring has been applied to pushes.
silks and veivets. Strangely enough,
the natives of Java seem unable to
improve their methods even with Eu-
ropean advice and assistance. and are
unable to work more accurately or
rapidly, and cannot be made to give
any attention to symmetry or care.
Among the articles of native manu-
facture are the pajamas and the head
cloth, or oedeng. for the men; the sa-
ronK. or long straight piece used as a
girdle. skirt and general cover by both
sexes, and the slendang, indispensab BILE
10 the Javanese women, used as a
shawl or scarf. In carrying her load, or
wound about the upper part OF her
body. Modern demands have added to
the scope of this work, and now batiks
are also employed for wall hangings.
table covers, book covers. cushions.
tea cozies and many other things for
which the somewhat weird and semi
bsrbaric coiors and designs prove suit
able No one. can tell how soon this
comparatively newly discovered and
but little appreciated method of deco
ration may pern1eate civilized fashions
and become another rage.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.