The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-06
1900 ENJOY EXHIBIT
OF BATIK ART WORK
Great Interest Shown in Java
nese Textiles ut Bush Ter
minal Building.
MANY FINE COLLECTIONS
Wonderful Results Achieved
by Native Methods of
Dyeing.

"I didn't know that people were so
interested in art" said a man at the
rooms Of the International Buyers Club
on the third floor of the Bush Terminal
Sales Building. Forty-second street near
Broadway. last night as he looked out
over the 1900 men and women who had
come to the opening of the exhibition OF
batik art work. Hot as the night was
they kept streaming into the place, ex-
claiming with delight over the wonder
full pieces spread on the walls.
A quaint and exotic art II was they
looked upon, an art demanding in Its
exercise wondrous care and patience,
such as Is born of the leisure known in
the far of island Of its birth, Java. The
pieces in this exhibition were made in
America after the Javanese method, but
there are certain differences due to our
desire to hurry up and experts last
night declared that your true Jayanese
would not care to wear garments OF
our batik art work-except perhaps the
very poor Javanese, who would not mind
certain coarseness of line and execu-i
ton.
Nine Tombergen, a graceful little
Dutch woman-you would never guess
from her looks that her name means
ten mountains" to guests
the process Of batik work
How Cloth Is Dyed.
She had as her exhibition several
pieces showing the cotton cloth which
the Javanese always use for this pur-
pose In the various stages OF develop
ment. When the cloth, of their own
weaving. is finally ready the design II
drawn. and those parts which are not
60, oh ~a1 a.
put on most carefully and evenly, with
infinite pains. Then the article is i'm
mersed In cold vegetable dye. This nm
ished the wax is boiled Off in water, ana
the other colors desired are given by
repetitions OF the process of waxing and
dyeing. AS many colors as are needed
can be used on one piece; II is only n
question of waxing all the surface which
is not to take the dye used in each new
immersion.
American batik artists use all sorts OF
| materials, silk, gauze, velvet. &c. There
are some gorgeous wall pieces at the
exhibition which are like finer sort of
tapestry fiat, smooth tapestry with
no stitches showing, but with figures
wonderfully instinct with life.
Perhaps the most effective example Is
Hospitality" by Arthur Crisp. loaned
by the Hotel du Pont OF Wilmington,
Del 1t is very large. with life size fig-
ures, and not only the humans In the
symbolic design. but even two small
black dogs prancing in the foreground
and a cat setting UP her back at them,
show an action so striking that II Ia
difficplt to realize that a process of dye
ing evolved them. Quieter In tints but
more lovely Is the Sore .ress," done by
Pieter Mijer and Mr.. Crisp.
Exhibit to Last Ten Days.
Innumeraole articles are in GUIDED in
| the exhibition, which will last ten days.
| There are charming smocks OF myster-
| ious and haunting desiCns-Creenwich
Village idealized--and GOWNS OF such
| flmy gauze that one wonders how they
could ever go through the process. Bags.
pillow tops. table runners, fans, every
| thing imaginable is there
Among the exhibitors are the Amer
lean Museum OF Natural History; Nine.
Eva Gauthier. the singer who not only
| sent wonderful collection gathered
| during her years in Java but came her.
self last night and sang a number of
Javanese folk songs; Arthur Grips, the
| Van Dyke Studios, the Ruthana Weavers,
Mrs. Helen c. Reed, the Noank Studios,
| the Stillwell Rug Company, the Daven-
| ports of New Hope, Pa: the Flambeau
Shop, Elna NJ. de Neergaard and Ellis
abeth Laffon.
| The Gauthier collection was perhaps
the most interesting, for II included fine
| original pieces OF real Javanese Batilt
work and one gown given her by the
| Sultan OF Java. Mime. Gauthier was in
Javanese costume as she sang her pro-
| gramme of folk songs-strange wailing
songs with the sound Of another world in
l them