Patterns & music in Klingenthal

A week ago I went on holiday to Klingenthal in Germany. It was my third visit to this little town in the Vogtland region. Koen de Wit, my fiancee and partner in art crime, visited this region for the first time in 2000, this journey was his tenth time. We don't just go there for the beer and food (which is great and in the Berggasthaus 'Schönen Aussicht' they even have a vegetarian menu), we go there because Koen's clarinet is built in Markneukirchen. How Koen met his clarinet and its makers Winfried Otto Nürnberger and Nico Sämann at Fa. W.O. Nürnberger, you can read in his posts 'Vogtland Journeys, from Boehm to Oehler – Part I' and 'Part II'.

Koen's home away from home in the Vogtland, became an important part of my life as well.
This last journey we combined with the festival 'The International Accordion Competition Klingenthal'. We took along with us friend, artist and melodeonist Johanna Schweizer. Apparently there is a bit of a vendetta between melodeonists and accordionists, we didn't know, fortunately Johanna did like the concerts. We went to two concerts, the first by Duo Paris - Moscow was a mix of folk and classical music from France, Germany, Russia and other European countries. The second we went to Akkordeon-Landesjugend-orchester Baden-Württemberg, 21 accordionists between the ages of 16 and 27 brought a performance from Bach, to a modern composition by conductor Stefan Hippe, to 'Carmen'. At the moment they tour in Europe. In August (exact date is not yet known) they are in the Netherlands, it is really worth seeing and hearing them perform!

During my trips, holidays and walks I make a lot of pictures. These digital photos form my sketchbooks. My sketchbooks are collection of what might seem as random pictures but most of them (a pattern, or a subject, are an overview) eventually find their way in my work. My Vogtland sketchbook is becoming a nice collection of strange or special instruments, snow fun (first visit), wild life (nightingale, last visit), cute houses with their decorations and patterns. Here is a selection of mostly patterns I documented in the Vogtland, enjoy!

Johan Jacobs sketchbooks

My favorite part of the Vlisco exhibition 'Six Yards Guaranteed Dutch Design' was the table with the very old, beautiful pieces of Batik (see "Making notes") and Johan Jacobs sketch- and inspiration-books. His sketchbooks are full of fine detailed drawings. Little paintings of fabrics (mostly batiks), Persian carpets, Roman vases and other beautiful things. Small artworks made with craftsmanship and quality.

When Johan Jacobs was chief of the Vlisco drawing room he took his colleagues from the drawing department to different places for inspiration. A daytrip to the Volkenkundig Museum in Leiden or excursion in nature. All collected ideas were put in so called 'idea books' and were used for making new designs.*

Michel Duco Crops designs were mostly based on plants and flowers, Jacobs designs also involved wildlife. In hundreds of sketches Jacobs drew animals from his surroundings like chicken, roosters, turkeys, peacocks and rabbits. His love for animals in and around his house gave him inspiration for new motifs.*
Not only animals, especially birds, gave him inspiration, also foreign people with their exotic customs and costumes.
Johan Jacobs loved museums, together with nature it formed an unlimited supply for new works. He wasn't fond of modern art, he was more interested in ethnology and history.
For example in the Colonial Institute in Amsterdam (now Tropenmuseum) he saw jewelry with feathers, this gave him the idea to make a pattern of feathers for Vlisco.*

An inspiring artist who loved nature, especially birds (me too), ethnology (yes!) and history (check!). And who made beautiful designs with these inspirations. Great to get a closer look of the process towards classic Vlisco designs!

* Information from 'Johan Jacobs: Tekenaar pur sang' by Ger Jacobs in 'Johan Jacobs (1881 - 1955)'

Tour to Batik Belanda

Louise shows a batik that was worn by her grandmother

With my blog De reis naar Batik I write about Batik and other forms of art that interest me. Because my reach with blogging is limited, I try to come up with ideas to do more and different things with sharing my interest in Batik.
Louise Rahardjo, Assistant curator of Museum Nusantara, who I interviewed for De reis naar Batik (see Interview with Assistant curator of Museum Nusantara), told me she did a lot of research about the Batiks on display at the exhibition '"Sarongs van naam. Design in batik 1880-1940"' at Museum Nusantara in Delft. There was much more to be told then could be shown at the exhibition. I asked her if she wanted to give a guided tour sharing this information.

Batik with Chinese fairy-tail about a God riding a phoenix

On Thursday she give a tour at Museum Nusantara. I invited some people, we were with a small, but interested group. I'm planning to organize more of these kind of trips. Maybe in the future: "Batik daytrips in the Netherlands by the Journey to Batik tour operator!", but for now, if you are interested to learn more about Batik and live in the Netherlands, send me an email (see 'About me'). I will keep you up to date if I organize something like this again!

Batik from around 1890, signed by Wed. Jans, Pekalongan

Louise had some interesting intel about the Little Red Riding Hood Batik. The Batik is probable made around 1930. Cotton for Batik was imported from Twente, The Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch could maintain their position on the cotton market pretty good till the Second World War, but in the end of the First World War a difficult situation occurred. Due to submarine warfare the route to the Dutch East Indies was blocked for shipping. For a period only lower quality cotton was on the market in the Dutch East Indies. The Little Red Riding Hood is on a lower quality cotton than older examples of Batik Belanda, making it a 'newer' copy from after the 1920s.
Another nice detail, the Little Red Riding Hood batik was given as an engagement present. Little Red Riding Hood representing virginity and youth. For the wedding the peacock batik was given (see 'Opening "Sarongs van naam. Design in batik 1880-1940"') representing the the grown up (and full grown) women and the eternal fidelity of their love.

In this Batik a love poem is written. It appears to be written phonetic. At the time most Batik-makers were illiterate. They copied the text from handwritten papers which makes making mistakes or misspelling easy.
There are examples of misspelled names of important Batik entrepreneurs, also revealing copycats. Some important Batik entrepreneurs, like Eliza van Zuylen, only signed a Batik herself after she approved it.
When men had to leave for work (or to return to the Netherlands?) they gave this type of Batik to their sweetheart.

Detail with a phoenix

It was interesting to be at Museum Nusantara with different generations. Johanna and Corrie learned the names of all the islands of Indonesia on school. People had just returned from the Dutch East Indies and still believed they would return. Later our Indonesian history became the past, a sore past that was buried on attics and in basement.
Like Chester said, we have been in Indonesia for over 350 years. And not all was bad. Louise told us that now the younger generations unravel this history. She met with Rens Heringa, textile specialist and author of 'Fabric of Enchantment', who told her that she was receiving more requests by people asking to look at Batiks they found. Grandchildren find Batiks in boxes on the attics and in the basements of their grandparents who passed away. Not knowing about this heritage of us, they sometimes throw important parts of history away. Fortunately a lot of people know the way to places like the Tropenmuseum and Museum Nusantara to ask what it is they found. Batik Belanda is still pretty unknown in the Netherlands. Good thing more people are getting interested in this part of history, and not only people with Indonesian roots, but also the Belanda.

Do you want to learn more about Batik Belanda, the exhibition "Sarongs van naam. Design in batik 1880-1940" at Museum Nusantara in Delft will be prolonged till October. Louise Rahardjo, Assistant curator of Museum Nusantara, will give guided tours explaining more about Batik Belanda and the Batiks on display.
More information about the guided tour on www.nusantara-delft.nl (in Dutch and send an email to join the guided tour).

Also Louise Rahardjo will be giving a lecture about Batik Belanda on the Tong Tong Fair in Den Haag. On Monday 21st of May in the Bibit-Theater at 14.30h. It's going to be a Batikfull day at the Tong Tong Fair that monday with workshops making Batik and how to wear a Batik. There is an exhibition with photos of visitors showing their Batiks and the story behind it.
More information on www.tongtongfestival.nl.

The chicken and the egg

'La famille' by Ted van de Ven, 1952

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The same can be asked about symbols, which came first the pattern or the name/meaning? The meaning of a symbol is closely related to the wearer of the fabric. Certain Batik patterns can not be worn by anyone. It is not only about expressing, but also about being allowed to express it. Your roots and your status determine if the Batik (or Vlisco) is suitable.

Vlisco were given and still are named by so called 'Mama Benz', women who sell Vlisco on markets and because of that they can afford their favorite car, a Mercedes Benz. These 'Mama Benz' provides the Vlisco's of names, giving it its status and market value. But the real meaning of the Vlisco is developed by the wearers. Giving women a voice to express their thoughts, their political views, their discomfort about a situation, without actually saying it.

"They can't arrest you for wearing a pretty dress"- quote from 'Wearing Proverbs' by Susan Domowitz

I first came across 'La famille' in the Online collection of the Tropenmuseum. What a great design and I was happy to see it at the exhibition 'Six Yards Guaranteed Dutch Design' at MMKA in Arnhem (till 7th of May!!).
I was surprised to see more than one 'chicken' designs. Apparently chicken are popular in both Indonesian Batik as African Batik.

Detail of 'La famille' by Ted van de Ven, 1952

Detail 'La famille' by Ted van de Ven, 1952

"The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird."
There is still a lot of discussion about the origin of chicken. Most likely the first domesticated chicken are from India. "From India the domesticated fowl made its way to the Persianized kingdom of Lydia in western Asia Minor, and domestic fowl were imported to Greece by the fifth century BC. Fowl had been known in Egypt since the 18th Dynasty, with the "bird that gives birth every day" having come to Egypt from the land between Syria and Shinar, Babylonia, according to the annals of Tutmose III."*

Detail 'La famille' by Ted van de Ven, 1952

Different color print of 'La famille'

Chickens are important in Indonesia, as food, but also in rituals. This is probably why they are also found on many Batiks.
During the seventh month of a woman first pregnancy a feast of sacrifice, Tingkĕban, is held. After a ritual cleansing they let a chicken egg slide over the woman's body: Let the birth run as smoothly as the egg.
Also there is a lot of superstition surrounding chicken. A pregnant woman should not cut the meat of chicken, they believe it will harm, or disable the child.
Another one is that you should eat all the food on your plate otherwise your chicken will die (if you waste your food, you killed the chicken for nothing). If you don't have any chicken, someone else his chicken would die, which is even worse. In other places they said you should leave some food on your plate for the gods...
When I was in Indonesia William Kwan showed me what the patterns on a Batik from Pekalongan meant. It was full of unidentifiable forms for me. He explained to me that the pattern were parts of a chicken. Its wings, its comb, its beak, its claws. Chicken provide food, both in eggs as in meat. They give a family wealth. So by wearing a Batik with chicken on it, you hope to have good fortune or show that you already have.
In some Batiks only the wing is used as a pattern. In other ones the whole chicken is illustrated, abstract looking like a growing plant or more figurative. In others, like the one from Pekalongan, the chicken is shown in pieces.

In Africa the chicken on the Vlisco's have a different meaning. The Vlisco design 'La famille' (on the Gold Coast, in Ghana its called 'Happy Family') of a hen surrounded by eggs, chicks and roosters have two meanings. The first, for people unknown with the other meaning, the wearer says she is a devoted mother for her family. But the hidden message, only clear for those who know, is that the rooster, representing the husband, isn't capable to please the hen, wife, sexually. And that she is available for other men.
The design for 'La Famille' is from 1905 originally made by de Haarlemsche Katoenmaatschappij. In 1918 the design was added to Vlisco portfolio. It is still very popular and has been reprinted many times. Love to have a print for myself one day, with a different meaning to express!

'Village Molokai', Mari Althuizen, 1977

* from Wikipedia
** all photos are made by me at the exhibition 'Six Yards Guaranteed Dutch Design' at MMKA in Arnhem (NL)

Making notes

Koen and Surya at the entrance of 'Six Yards Guaranteed Dutch Design'

Sunday I finally went to the exhibtion 'Six Yards Guaranteed Dutch Design' at MMKA (till 7th of May) in Arnhem with Koen de Wit and his niece and upcoming artist Surya de Wit.
Great exhibition, but I didn't like the artworks. I think it was a bit easy, a bit related to our colonial history, but without making a point. I would rather have seen much more about Vlisco, history and now. I really missed the great marketing photos like the campaign 'Sparkling Grace' with Rodarte. The fashion designers who also made costumes for 'Black Swan', these dresses should have been there. I think, with all the Vlisco fans, who where there this Sunday and all the blogposts I came across these past weeks (see 'Berthi's Weblog' and 'Saskia's sporen'), about the exhibition, it should and it could have been more (or all) about Vlisco.

I made a lot of pictures, of course, and I decided to make three posts. First one is 'Making notes'. Pictures of details and handwritten notes on the sketches and designs. Great to see the process of Vlisco and to be so close to the creative part of it. Also the research part of Vlisco was shown with Sample books full of little pieces of fabrics and some really old, beautiful, pieces of Batik. These were apparently used when Vlisco first started. They formed the base for the imitation Batiks made for the Dutch East Indies.
Enjoy the pictures!

Notes on dessign * 'Fleurs de mariage' by Toon van de Manakker 1979

Dessign * '6 Bougies', 1940

*'Angelina', Toon van de Manakker, 1962

*'Village Molokai', Mari Althuizen, 1977

"Use the with red pencil outlines to make the fields, Drawing Room 367, 20-4-56"

Sample book

'Gingham'/checkered patterns sample book

Sample book

Part of Batik 'Batavia, 12-7-1862'

Batik sample

"For Batavia, Batik Ganah-Abang, 36/36 headscarf, v. Leeuwslonco (I think..)no. 296, 38/11 1862"

Batik sample

*Titles/names for the Vlisco's from the book 'Vlisco' by Jos Arts