Javanese pictorial batik, "Wayang" scene; Sie King Goan (factory); 1927
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1927
name: label: maker
content: Sie King Goan, Solosche Batikkery
notes: label: Description
content: Javanese pictorial batik, "Wayang" scene; Sie King Goan (factory); 1927. This is a long rectangular wall hanging with figures laid out horizontally along the selvage of the cloth, representing historical drama of early Java, as follows: Kolo Denla, the king of the Wild men, or giants, with a crown of ivory, receiving the tree of peace from the Kristeno dynasty, represented by Bratasena, the Strong man of Java, 2nd son of Krisno, the first king of the Kristeno dynasty. Djojodrolo, the son of the Strong man, who was able to fly, accompanying his father for protection. Gadamana, another son of the Strong Man, able to traverse the sea and earth, also helping his father. The decoration across the top of the hanging represents the ceiling and corners, each man being near a corner, of the court room of the Giant. At the bottom is the representation of a cement floor inlaid with square marble slabs, of three kinds, carved. Between the two sons is a pot of flowering plants, much prized by the Javanese. Note the characteristic armlets, bracelets, and anklets and necklaces. Colors are: Nilo (indigo), Bang bangan (red), Koedoe (brown), poedih (white or flesh). The donor described the batik-making process she observed at the factory of Sie King Goan (proprietor and name of the factory), Solosche Batikhandelaar, street address: Kanggotan, Solo, Java. First, the plain cotton cloth, which she described as muslin, is bleached in castor oil and lye water for about 15 days. Then it is boiled for about 2 hours to remove the oil and prepare it for waxing. The wayang figures representing historical accounts of early Java were drawn in pencil by men. Women traced the pencil drawing with the tjanting, which deposits the wax for the resist-dyeing. They use beeswax, which is melted in an oven. The blue and black dyes are from indigo, obtained from a plant which the Javanese call "nilo." The cloth must be in the dye bath for the indigo for from 10-30 days. After dyeing the cloth is boiled to remove the wax. The cloth is then rewaxed for the next dye bath. For the brown dye the root of the koedoe tree is used. The bark is crushed and the juice diluted. In this bath the batik is dipped twice a day and immediately dried, but not in the sun, because the heat of the sun may melt the wax. Dyeing takes 10 to 15 days. The dyed cloth is then again boiled and rewaxed. The red dye, bang-bangan, is a mixture of about a dozen different kinds of leaves and flowers that give red coloring materials. The length of time to be kept in the bath depends upon how deep the color is wanted. The dyed cloth is again boiled and rewaxed. The yellow dye is from Koeningan, obtained from a tree. Branches are chopped off into small pieces and boiled for 5 or 6 hours. The batiks are boiled in it for at least 2 hours. Starch may be used to stiffen the batik. Usually the hard press of packing serves to iron the batiks.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Indonesia: Jawa Tengah, Surakarta
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Javanese Batiks
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. C. D. Walcott
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T05648.000
label: catalog number
content: T05648.000
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Fabric, Printed, Batik
label: Object Name
content: pictorial batik
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plain weave, batik (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 106 in x 42 in; 269.24 cm x 106.68 cm