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Batik Sarong (kain porselen) with Birds, Butterflies and Floral Designs - Image 1
Batik Sarong (kain porselen) with Birds, Butterflies and Floral Designs - Image 2

Batik Sarong (kain porselen) with Birds, Butterflies and Floral Designs

1867-1932

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Batik Sarong (kain porselen) with Birds, Butterflies and Floral Designs

1867-1932

Physical Qualities Cotton, 42 1/2 x 77 1/2 in. (108 x 196.9 cm.)
Credit Line Gift of Patricia Dallam, Joppa, Maryland
Object Number 2014.77
Partial sarong made from a panel of batiked plain-woven cotton fabric. The European and possibly Chinese influenced design consists of small birds, and large winged butterflies intermingled with floral designs with spiky leaves in two shades of indigo blue and off-white. These designs may have been produced partially by hand with a tjanting and partially with a batik stamp or tjap. The panel has two sections: one with an off-white ground and blue floral/insect designs; the other with a dark blue ground and lighter blue and white floral and butterfly designs. The sections are vertically divided by 2 undulating borders of flowers and leaves. This border also occurs along the lower edge above a 1/2" border of vertical dark blue and off-white lines. The same 1/2" border of vertical lines occurs along the upper edge. Under this border is a 1-1/4" border of dark blue ground with small flowers and leaves. The upper and lower edges are selvage edges. The side or short edges are cut. Sarongs were commonly sewn into a tube. The size of this piece compared with a complete sarong in the collection seems to indicate that little if any of the sarong was lost.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2014; Patricia Dallam, Joppa, MD; Henrietta Cowman George Price

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