Smend Batik collection on show in Cologne Museum<\/p>\n
By Kunang Helmi-Picard<\/p>\n
COLOGNE, Germany (JP): When Yogyakarta's Sultan Hamengku
\nBuwono X opened the Smend batik show at the Rautenstrauch-Joest
\nMuseum fur Volkerkunde in Cologne, Germany on June 21, everyone
\nfrom the collector, Rudolf Smend, to the mayor of Cologne and its
\ncitizens were delighted.<\/p>\n
The sultan and his consort were greeted by the sight of two
\nsuperb large royal Javanese ceremonial hipcloths, displayed
\nprominently in the entrance hall of the museum. Later that
\nevening the soothing tones of the Cologne Kyai Sangu gamelan
\norchestra entertained guests.<\/p>\n
A fine selection of Smend's exquisite batik collection will be
\nexhibited here until October 8, including more choice pieces of
\n"Javanese and Sumatran Batiks from Courts and Palaces" to admire
\nat the Smend Gallery near the museum.<\/p>\n
The German-Indonesian Society (DIG) in Cologne, with its long
\nhistory of promoting good relations between the two nations, was
\nalso active in helping batik collector Rudolf Smend and museum
\ncurator Brigitte Khan Majlis organized the opening and the show.<\/p>\n
Countless international experts and lovers of Indonesian
\ntextiles together with members of the Indonesian community in
\nGermany gathered here for the opening event.<\/p>\n
Little did Rudolf Smend realize when he traveled extensively
\naround the Indonesian archipelago in the early 1970s that he
\nwould eventually become a passionate batik collector and gallery
\nowner.<\/p>\n
Even less obvious was the fact that he would eventually earn a
\nliving through his favorite pastime. As Smend told those
\nattending the opening: "I was approached in Yogyakarta by a
\ngentle, smiling woman selling some batik, and I bought one -- how
\ncould I guess that it was actually the first step heralding a
\nlifelong passion!" His wife Karen has been instrumental in
\nencouraging his idea of an extensive show of his collection.<\/p>\n
Most of the batik on show dates from the period between 1880
\nand 1930 when the art of batik in Java reached its peak. Batik-
\nmaking concentrated around Central Java and the North Coast of
\nJava.<\/p>\n
The pieces of batik in the show can be roughly divided into
\ntwo groups, those coming from the sultanates of Central Java and
\nthose originating from the collections of rich Chinese traders
\nwho also showed a penchant for Indo-European batik style besides
\nthe myriad motifs depicting Asian mythology.<\/p>\n
Many European visitors were amazed to discover some textile
\nthemes which were familiar to stories from their childhood, like
\nSnow White and Little Red Riding Hood.<\/p>\n
In addition to the batik pieces on display, about twenty
\nvintage photo prints from the Leo Haks collection indicated which
\neach batik was and how it was worn in the royal court and other
\noccasions. Most of these prints had never been shown to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
In one photograph taken about 1920, three female batik
\nartisans drew batik patterns in hot wax with their copper canting
\n(a wax-filled pen). Other prints depict a royal prince wearing a
\nbeautiful wayang wong (Javanese traditional dance outfit) in
\nbati
\nk or Javanese aristocrats in their batik finery. Still others
\nshow concubines from about 1870, an Indo-European family and a
\nDutch colonial family circa 1915, all wearing the appropriate
\nbatik dress.<\/p>\n
Two oil paintings acquired by Smend depict stately Chinese
\nmatrons wearing their typical batik costumes at the end of
\nthe 19th century.<\/p>\n
Central Javanese batiks<\/p>\n
As many Javanese know, in the 17th century an elaborate and
\nrigid system of dress codes was established in the Javanese royal
\ncourts. It was then that soga brown was added to the typical two-
\ntoned range of blue and cream in the traditional batik patterns
\nworn in the royal court.<\/p>\n
Certain designs were strictly reserved for the sultan and his
\nrelatives. These included the diagonal parang rusak design, the
\nkawung motif, formed with circles and with stylized depictions of
\nthe garuda (bird), which are found in some batik pieces in the
\nshow. Furthermore, several exquisite kemben (chest wraparounds
\nworn by women) of which many of the central sections were covered
\nin brilliant dyed silks, are also on show.<\/p>\n
The two dodot (wraparounds), at the entrance of the show were
\nmentioned earlier.<\/p>\n
These special wraparounds, which are four times bigger than a
\nnormal wraparound, were worn during court ceremonies. The central
\nsection was usually reserved for only one color, such as white,
\ngreen or dark violet, or it was covered in silk.<\/p>\n
The outer edge was generally decorated with batik or gold
\napplication. For instance, as Khan Majlis points out in her
\nvaluable contribution to the illustrated catalog accompanying the
\nshow, the bride and groom wore a dodot during most of the wedding
\nceremony as they were considered to have exceptional status on
\nthat occasion.<\/p>\n
Fine samples of the square batik cloth used to cover male
\nheads known as iket kepala (headdress) together with some kain
\npanjang (long cloth) were included in the Cologne exhibition.<\/p>\n
North Coast of Java<\/p>\n
The seaports of the north coast of Java have been trading
\ncenters for centuries. In particular, Indian textiles were mainly
\ntraded for spice, besides enjoying a robust trade with China.
\nThrough intermarriage with Javanese women, a large
\nChinese\/Javanese population known as Peranakan evolved as well as
\nArab\/Javanese and Dutch\/Indonesian communities, which all left
\ntheir distinctive mark on the batik clothing produced in the
\npesisir (coastal) areas of Java.<\/p>\n
Wonderfully preserved examples of sarongs, wraparounds and
\nkain panjang, each with characteristically styled motifs and
\nsignatures of famous batikmakers, are on display.<\/p>\n
Even several wide-leg batik trousers worn by Dutch men of the
\ncolonial period during their domestic lives are displayed beside
\nelaborate Peranakan pieces with their vivid color combinations.<\/p>\n
Also on show are special ceremonial textiles used by the
\nlatter as door covers and altar cloths.<\/p>\n
The exhibition also shows interesting samples of Javanese
\nbatik, specially produced for the Moslem population of South and
\nSouthwest Sumatra, which included kudhung (large head scarf) worn
\nby women.<\/p>\n
Pieces made in Cirebon and Lasem in Java with their
\ncharacteristics of deep red and strong blue tones, together with
\nexamples of batik calligraphy round off this exciting show.<\/p>\n
For those unable to attend the show, there is an excellent
\ncatalog available at a reasonable price.<\/p>\n
Richly illustrated and with valuable contributions from Rudolf
\nSmend, Donald Harper, Brigitte Khan Majlis, Harmen Veldhuisen and
\nPeter Wenger, complete with photos and documentation from the Leo
\nHaks collection, this is a must for serious lovers of the art of
\nbatik.<\/p>",
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