Turn Of A Century

One of my favorite pages of the book 'Batik, Traditional Textiles of Indonesia, from the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper Collections'. What a Batik Statement! A Batiked Portrait! 

Signed 'Be Jan Khing Banjoemas 26 juni 1931'

Don't know what it is with the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that makes it so captivating for me. Maybe it is many things, maybe too many things. Maybe it is the fast progress the world was in? Everything was in development, yet the world was still wild and unexplored somehow. Discoveries were made every day. It was the beginning of entrepreneurship as we admire today. Artists practiced many disciplines at once. Ranging from free art to applied art without using Design as terminology. 

Walking through Jan Toorop's overview at Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, I was in awe of the body of work, the quality of it and the different techniques he mastered. He was so talented and it's inspiring to see how he could use this talent in so many ways while keeping a true and clear person style. 

In another part of the museum were the always lovely 'Edith' by Schiele and the fierce 'Judith' by Klimt. Walking through an exhibition I was going to skip, my head filled with so many great pieces from the beginning of the 20th century, my eye fell on a dark painting of a wilted Sunflower. A work by Wojciech Weiss from 1905. 

This turn of the century was a time in which life began to move faster and marked the beginning of the times we live in now. The wheel kept turning and we spinnend out of controle. We now know the costs of this development. The western world on his high horse destructed as much as it created. I now wonder if we can stop the wheels from turning, I envy the artists that lived more then a century ago. The endless possibilities, the dreams of far away exotic lands and the developments of new technology. While Van Gogh was painting his Sunflowers in Arles, the Batik industry overseas flourished.

In Januari I visited Galerie Smend in Köln (Germany). I saw some pictures online, but that hadn't prepared me for seeing so many high quality Batiks from around 1900s. It was a selection of the Batiks featured in the new book 'Batik, Traditional Textiles of Indonesia from the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper Collections'. I believe there were about 15 Batiks on display. How lucky these ladies must have been, rocking these sarongs while drinken tea in their backyards. And what a pity it is that today Batik Tulis isn't worn like that because it is considered such a luxurious good. It was a luxurious good then, so you can imagine how high that horse was.

The Batiks in the book are of a wide range of marker and customer. Chines, Arabic and Indo-European workshops are mentioned and the question rises; where there also many Indonesian workshop that altered their designs for a different market?

The Batiks in the book with no workshop specification are more traditional Javanese. So concluded could be that every workshop worked for their specific target group. However these target groups are of such a wide variety that it is sometimes hard to tell for who it was or by whom it was made. 

Details from Sarong, probably made in an Arabic workshop in Pekalongan, early 20th century

At Galerie Smend

There are two Batiks in the book that are "probably made in an Arabic workshop". The unsigned kains show a city view with mosques & cars and a rural view with bridges around a house. The colour use doesn't differ much from Batik Belanda style that was populair in Pekalongan. The big difference are the faces. All people and even some of the animals have abstract flower like faces. This is called 'Aniconism'. 'Aniconism' is the absence of material representations of the natural and supernatural world in various cultures, particularly in the monotheistic Abrahamic religions. It may extend from only God and deities to saint characters, all living beings, and everything that exists.

This is practiced in many different religions, but best known in Sunnism (Sunni Islam). And 90 procent of the Indonesian population practices that religion. 

In the text in the book is also mentioned that there were 130 batik workshops run by members of the Arab Peranakan in the late 1920s and that in Pekalongan many batik workshops were run by Indonesian Arabs. A little wikipedia to help us out: "Arab Indonesians are citizens of Indonesia of Arab, mainly Hadrami, descent as well as would include those of Arab descent from other Middle Eastern Arabic speaking nations. Restricted under Dutch East Indies' law until 1919, the community elites later gained economic power through real estate investment and trading. Currently found mainly in Java especially West Java, they are almost all Muslims.'"

Apparently this group consist of Indonesians with roots in the Middle Easts, roots in both China and the Middle East and new comers from the Middle East. This whole community was forbidden till 1919 to join certain schools, were restricted from traveling and had to settle in special Arab Kampoengs. 

I'm familiar with what I though were Batik for and by Arabic people with checkered motifs in blueish black filled with arabic inscriptions and symbol. But thats only one type of Batik profiled for a group that varies in descent just as much it varies with personal taste. The Batiks in the book are of such a different style that it makes you wonder if Peranakan Arab ordered a Batik in Pekalongan in which she wanted two worlds combined, but the makers had to be creative with the faces. Or was it a Indo-European who ordered a Batik in her taste at a Arab workshop and the markers had to make something they normally wouldn't make. Interesting stuff that can make you dream and wonder all afternoon long. 

Sarong, made in an Indo-European workshop, Pesisir area, 1870-1880 

The cloth is decorated with the tree of life, commonly found in chintz textiles from India's Coromandel coast and were populair with Indo-European women in the East Indies.

At Galerie Smend

Details of Ceremonial hanging made in a Chinese workshop, 19th-20th century. Look at those beautiful roosters!  This hanging was probably used to hang above the nuptial bed in a Peranakan home. The cloth indicates a wish for many sons.

At Galerie Smend

Detail of sarong, made in a Chinese workshop, Pesisir area, 19th-20th century.  On the Batik a so called zoo design, 'drintin'. Animals are placed among the floating seaweed pattern, 'ganggeng'. Of course I made a picture of the most unclear animal of the bunch...

At Galerie Smend

Details of Sarong Buketan, signed "M. Coenraad. Pajitan", Pacitan, 1890-1900. 

The Coenraad sister opened a batik workshop in Pacitan in southwestern East Java around 1880. They are known for their indigo blue with sogan brown floral motifs. The chrysanthemums (not in this photo) indicate it was for a Chinese customer. 

At Galerie Smend

Details of Sarong Buketan, signed "E. Coenraad. Pajitan", Pacitan, ca. 1900-1910. 

An unusual Batik for the Coenraad sisters, which I very much liked. The Art Nouveau style of the flowers, the bright red, the wonderful pattern on the background.  

This was part of one lucky girls trousseau!

At Galerie Smend

Detail of Sarong Buketan, signed "E v Zuylen", made in  Mrs Eliza van Zuylen's (1863-1947) workshop, Pekalongan, ca. 1920-1930

At Galerie Smend

The typical Van Zuylen bird. Detail of Kain Buketan, signed "E v Zuylen", made in Mrs Eliza van Zuylen's workshop, ca. 1930. My photo is somehow bright red, but in the book it is much darker. In the text is noted that the dark colours indicate that this cloth was suitable for an older woman.

At Galerie Smend

Details from sarong from Lasem or Semarang, second half 19th century. 

At Galerie Smend

Detail of sarong made in the Masina family workshop, Trusmi, near Cirebon, late 19th century. Wheras in Central Java a sarong is considered to be an everyday garment for commoners, in West Java it is also worn by the nobility. The motif on this sarong indicate that is was made for a member of the Kesepuhan or Kanoman Sultanates of Cirebon. Admire the background, it is flawless!

At Galerie Smend

Details of sarong dlorong buketan, signed "Nja Lie Boen in Koedoes", made by Njonja Lie Boen In, Kudus, 1920s. Lie Boen batik production was rather limited (which I can image drawing those fine lines in wax) and her clients were mainly members of her extended family.

At Galerie Smend

Sarong, made in an Indo-European workshop, Pesisir area, ca. 1860. 

Very clearly based on Indian chintz from the 17th and 18th century.

At Galerie Smend

The collection of Batik shown in the book 'Batik, Traditional Textiles of Indonesia from the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper Collections' and of which I could observe a selection up close, shows that Batik at the turn of the 19th century, where made by and for a wide range of people who used this technique to express their wide range of interests, beliefs and roots.

And I hope that during my visit to Java later this year I can still find theses different styles and expressions in a cloth that was used by so many to set their mark, to express who they were and what they stand for. And just wanted to look beautiful while doing all that!

For more:

- Website of Galerie Smend www.smend.de

- You can order the book 'Batik, Traditional Textiles of Indonesia from the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper  Collections'  on the website of Galerie Smend or at Tuttle Publishing

The journey to Batik

First let me start by wishing you a great Hari Kartini! May all your equal rights come true!
Seven years ago I started this blog, my journey to Batik. I was preparing a literal journey to visit different places on Java and to learn as much as possible about Batik. The journey didn't stop after my visit in October 2009. I continued on this blog sharing my new found knowledge and the great stuff I found about Batik. I gathered as much as I could here in the Netherlands and in the process learned a great deal about Dutch history and culture.
Every 7 years is a new cycle and I remember being really bumped out I had to celebrate the 5th and 6th anniversary of my blog without being able to return to Java. Because I don't believe in coincidence, but do believe in synchronicity, I think it is really special and it is the perfect moment to announce my second journey to Batik.
My first post on this blog was my announcement on 21 April 2009 of my upcoming journey to Java in October. I added a picture of my bird, a Ricebird or Java sparrow, who was my muze for almost 10 years. I called the little bird Batik because of his roots in Indonesia. At that time I wasn't busy with Batik yet and I still only made paintings on paper.
My feathery friend changed a lot. I got him months before my graduation and he somehow represented the start of my art career. I left my love or better said, I stayed where I was and I chose to stay with my bird and a standing lamp (Ask me if you meet me).
In the beginning of 2007 I made my first ricecarpet which I named 'Ricebird'. Experimenting with patterns in my temporary carpets, wallpaper installations and works on paper made me want to explore outside of the Western artworld. I started looking at Persian carpets, different folk arts, including Dutch ones and Batik. I was a free artist now and the set of rules given by the teachers of the Art Academy were no longer rules, but guidelines.
Batik (the Indonesian fabric) was already a part of my life for many years, maybe always. My grandparents made their first journey to Indonesia in the seventies and I grew up surrounded by Batik fabrics, Wayang dolls and wood carvings. It was much later that I learned that not every Dutch person was surrounded with Indonesian things. I always found it logical that we were, because of our shared history and heritage.
At the end of 2008, living with my two wonderful men, the bird & the man, I shared my thoughts and quest with Fonds BKVB (now Mondriaan Fonds); how to communicate with the patterns I make. I told them I wanted to visit Java and learn Batik. At that time I was still focussed on learning the technique. They thought it was a good idea and I got the grant. I started making my arrangements and in October 2009 I visited Java for one month. When I arrived, on the 6th of October, I was told: Why weren't you here on the 2nd if you are here for Batik? I wasn't there because of my birthday and the birthday the next day of my father. It turned out Batik was officially the UNESCO Heritage of Indonesia and they celebrated that on the 2nd of October. Since 2009 my birthday is also the Batik Day of Indonesia.
I learned during my one month visit that there was much difference between mastering the technique and the philosophy of Batik. The technique is passed on many generations from mother to daughter and I realized I would not be mastering this skill like girls that started at the age of 8 with their mother, Master of the Artform, as their teacher. I was welcome at many places to return and learn, but when I got back in the Netherlands a lot happend. And it was just not possible for me to go back.
Because I couldn't return, I started focussing on what I could learn here. It turned out I could learn a great deal. Especially about the philosophy of Batik, the language of the symbols and colours. This philosophy was what I was missing in my work and with Batik I learned to create symbols and patterns in my own technique.
After years with different projects around temporary carpets and installations, I decided to focus this year on Batik again. Also because by the end of this year I will be working as an artist for 10 years and my bird would have been in my life 10 years. The saddest thing happend and I'm still a recovering under cover over lover, recovering from a love I can't get over, as Erykah Badu would sing it. Our sweet friend, my muze, my inspiration passed away 1 February.
At first I thought, I can't dedicate this year to Batik now, but I realized that there is no better way to honor my little bird and his influence on my work.
This year is a new beginning in many ways. I live in a new city. I'm making a new website so you can see what I made these past 10 years and my blog will be still about Batik, always, but there will be more room for my work, about what inspired and influenced it.
In September I will be traveling to Java to make a project about the wonderful art of Batik. I'm going to collaborate with different artists I met there in 2009 and online. I still have to prepare a lot, but I will keep you posted through my blog and if you already want to know more, please send me an email sabine{at}sabinebolk.nl.

                                                                                                 **

* Batik Statement 'The rise of Batik' made in January in our new garden. I'm wearing layers of fabrics Batik and Batik-inspired. In my right hand my own Batik from Jeruk, in my left a Batik from Lasem 
** Me in front of my own Batik. Designed by me, made in Jeruk.

Firm Lady

Such wonderful news today, I have been captivated by it all day. It sounds like a treasure hunt, the researches themselves say its like finding something in a hidden room, but it is even better.
In August 2014 divers found textile near a known ship wreck in the Wadden Sea near Texel in The Netherlands. Among the textile finds are a near perfect silk dress, an embroidered etui and never worn stockings. The spectacular news of the find was kept secret till now, so researches had time to explore and make sure what the find was. It now turns out that the ship wreck is dated to be built around 1600. The ship is made of boxwood and by using the tree rings they are pretty sure about this dating. Among the finds is a Jacobs staff, a tool for navigation, with the date '1636' written on it. So these clothing found by the divers are from beginning of the 17th century. That means they were laying on the bottom of the sea for 400 years. One of the divers says in a clip online: "Normally you only read history and now we added something to it".

These two fragments of fabric were found, both embroidered and very well preserved, on the bottom of the sea. Stills from trailer of the exhibition 'Garde Robe'

I can't believe it. I think they took their sweet time coming out with the date because: What?!
I was at a lecture in the Rijksmuseum last year and a researcher specialist in Silk from China kinda frustrated explained that they didn't really know what the designs looked like, because weren't any left. So I wonder how she feels about this find. Maybe there is still hope in the sea near China...
The ship probably got covered very quickly by sand and therefor the cargo is still intact near the ship. This makes it an unique find, next to the well preserved textiles of course. They found crates with Mastic (a kind of resin), well smelling things from Turkey of Greece, pottery from Italy and a silver goblet. This collection of objets gives a very interesting insight in this part of history.

The Silk Damast woven dress from begin 17th century

The high light of the find is a Silk Damast woven dress. The pattern is still very visible from what I can tell on the photos. The dress was probably one colour and probably red. The linen inside of the dress had vanished like the pages of an also found bookcover. Only the leather outside of the book is preserved. It gave the researches a good clue to whom these luxury goods belonged. They think it is  from/for royalty of the House of Stuart. And they think it belong to one firm lady, based of the size of the clothing which has all the same size.

Embroidered etui from begin 17th century

Some of the finds are now on display till 16 May in Museum Kaap Skil on Vlieland.
After the exhibition the objects go to an archaeological center in Noord-Holland for further research. I will try to visit and share some more here.

Read and see more on:
- www.kaapskil.nl/garde-robe
-www.dutchnews.nl (in English)
- www.uva.nl
- Pdf publication "Onderwater­ archeologie op de Rede van Texel"

Here some things to put the finds above into historical context though other objects. And to show how well preserved the textiles are:

Painting 'Dutch ships at the Rede of Texel' by Ludolf Bakhuysen

From 1671

Collection Rijksmuseum

Engraving of 'Elegant Lady' by Adriaen Matham 

From 1619 - 1652

Collection Rijksmuseum

Part of jacket made in England

Linen embroidered with coloured silk, silver and silver-gilt thread

From 1620-1640 

Collection V&A

Band of lace made in England

Needle lace, worked in human hair, with thicker outlines possibly in horsehair

From ca. 1640 - ca. 1680 (made)

Collection V&A

First Journey to Batik-tutorial ever!

As you might have noticed it has been quiet on my blog lately. With everything that is going on in the world I find it hard to write about the pretty stuff. But maybe we need some pretty stuff. And maybe not just to watch, but to make yourself. 

I present my first ever Journey to Batik-tutorial!
As an artist I love making things. Not only Art works, but also little presents and fun sustainable things I spot online. Making things, makes you relax, happy and focussed. We don't need to create big artworks to achieve this feeling, just let your hands create.
With this tutorial I hope to share my joy of making and to stay in theme with this weekend my first tutorial will be about Easter Eggs. And not any kind of Easter Eggs. Easter Eggs based on Pysanky, inspired by Batik. With a Tie-dye finish.
Last year I gave a workshop with Easter creating these eggs. It was a fun day and the results were all lovely. So time to explain how you can make these Easter eggs. And if Easter is not your thing, I'm sure it is a nice way to decorate eggs just for fun or another special occasion like Batik Day.

To make these Batik Tie-dye Eggs you need the following items:

- hardboiled eggs (note: check the label, to make sure you buy eggs from happy chicken)

- colour tablets for Easter Eggs (if you want to make these eggs in another season, make sure to buy some extra!)

- vinegar 

- 5 containers to mix the colours in

- yarn

- crayon (note: you can use any coloured crayon, but with the colourless one you get the nicest Batik effect)

- spoons

- old newspaper / old towel

Step 1

Boil the eggs and let them cool off. Put one tablet in each container (usually you have 5 colours: yellow, orange, red, green and blue), add the vinegar (2 tablespoons) and boiled water (1/4 liter). Stir until the tablet is dissolved. 

Draw on the eggs with the crayon. If you use the colourless you won't see clearly what you draw until you put the egg in the dye. So it is easier to make lines, circles and dots first to try-out the effect. The first drawing you make will stay the colour of the egg. 

Step 2

Dye the eggs a first time. They have to stay in the dye for about 5 minutes. In this time you can draw on new eggs, depending on how many eggs you want to eat on Sunday. 

Use a clean spoon, or a spoon for every container, to take the eggs out. In this way the colours won't mix and your hands stay clean. You can wear gloves to handle the freshly dyed eggs, but for drawing on them the gloves are not so handy. Let the eggs dry before starting with Step 3.

Step 3

For this step you can do three different things. Draw again on the egg with the colourless crayon. Remember that this line will now hold the colour of its current colour. You can play with adding lines next to where you have drawn before. It is easier to see were you started, if you follow the drawing in white. 

Instead of drawing on the egg, create a colour effect with yarn. Wrap yarn around the egg. Don't make it to tight, because you can break the shell. Don't make a knot, this makes it easier to remove and to re-use the yarn. And make sure to add enough layers. 

Or combined these two, draw first with the crayon and then put some yarn around the egg. 

Time for colour layer number two. You can put the egg in any other of the colours.  You can play with matching colours, like orange/yellow-red, or green-blue. Or mix it up with red-blue or yellow-blue.

Step 4

After 5 minutes remove the eggs from the dye. Dry them of, especially the ones covered with yarn. Let them dry a little before removing the yarn. 

When they are dry, repeat Step 3. By adding more yarn or more crayon you keep the colours you put on before. If you are already happy with the effect of two colours, another dye bath is not necessary. 

Step 5

Congratulations you made your own Pysanky inspired, Batik based, Tie-dye Easter Eggs! If you work like me your hands will be now of a festive colour as well. Don't worry the dye comes of with a good scrub. Enjoy this long weekend! And if you do not have a long weekend, still enjoy these eggs! Would love to see your results! Bye!

The rise of Batik

Blue Monday

Blue, bluer, bluest

What is better on Blue Monday then to dive into some blues from the Summer.
Last Summer me & Koen went to a Wedding near Staphorst. On the way back home we visited Staphorst (NL) just to have a look and some eggs. It was a weekday so everything was open, so we made a little walk.
I spotted a sign for the local museum and apparently there was a clothing auction. Well to stick with the blues theme, this happens once in a blue moon. Really.
Only when someone dies in Staphorst it happens that an auction is organized to sell their traditional clothing collection. And it was already two years ago that an auction was held.
Totally unprepared and totally excited I found myself surrounded by clotheslines filled with traditional Staphorst folkwear. Skirts, apron, caps, bags, handkerchiefs & headscarfs with traditional dot stamps and printed patterns. On the last rows where only indigo coloured headscarfs with matching handkerchiefs. Oh nooooo, I wanted one, I wanted all. But I never been to an auction, and I know only a little about Staphorst textiles. So before getting our savings into trouble, we found three ladies in traditional wear kind enough to show us what was what. The Indigo coloured headscarfs were the highlights of the auction and were saved for last. There were some from 1920-1930, some from the 50s. All hand stamped and some newer from 1960 and up, that were printed. They told us the old ones will make at least 120 euro, sometimes more. The one I liked instantly, was old, but not that old, probably from 1950-1960. It was hand-stamped and a very nice example of stippelwerk (dot-work). With mordant ('beits') a white with light blue pattern is made on the cloth. In the outer edge the stamp was maybe dropped onto the cloth, so a part of the pattern is visible in white. The dots created by a stamp made of nails on a piece of cork have such a nice Batik dotted feel to them. I needed this cloth for my collection, so much was clear to me.
The auction started and we were told that we needed to sign up now if we wanted to bid later. I run to the stage and signed up will the first black wollen skirts and Staphorst dot works were being auctioned away.
I was so nervous and didn't dare to bit for anything. A row in front of us was a well known Staphorst dot-artist I know and a row before that a lady with a list who knew exactly what she needed. The ladies in Staphorst bid fearless and I wonder how I ever could make that headscarf mine.
Sticking to my true blue, I kinda squeal when my cloth was going under the hammer. So there went my pokerface and the auctioneer said: "You can offer 50 now and just own the cloth". I was like, no, I want to play, so the bidding begin. A lady in traditional wear behind me wouldn't let the cloth go so easily, but finally kinda let me have it. I was totally in heaven. Only when the matching handkerchief arrived on stage together with another one from a different headscarf, she wouldn't let me have it.

Auction at Staphorst (NL)

Ready for the auction

Clothing lines filled with Indigo coloured headscarfs

1920's Staphorst hand stamped headscarf, beautiful!

Empty clothing line in front, the indigo cloths in the back

The one I wanted

Nice crowd 

Going once, going twice, sold to this lady

My cloth was thrown to me like this too

Bidding number and my headscarf!

Till around 1960, you started wearing traditional folkwear from birth. The traditional wear from Staphorst looked for a boy or girl quite similar. For women the folkwear consists of some layers of skirts with on top a black wollen skirt and an apron. The hair was covered with a headscarf or cap, like a bonnet with the Staphorst dot work and over the shoulders a woven red with blue scarf. For men it was a dark coloured woolen trousers and a long sleeved shirt.  

Today the folk wear is still worn by about 500 women, but not by any men or children. The colours in the clothing show which day of the week it is, or at least on Sunday the colours are less and less bright.  

For mourning blue is worn. They say, how deeper the blue, how deeper the grief. The mourning period was a long one, sometimes for life and sticking to the dress code was partly a reason why traditional wear lost support in the Netherlands. Staphorst is pretty unique for still having so many women wearing folkwear and for practicing their traditional folkart, Staphorst stipwerk (dot-work).

For more about Staphorst see:
- Previous blog post 'Traditional costumes in modern living'
- Short video in Dutch about Staphorst folkwear 'Klederdracht omdat het mooi is'
- Website of Stichting Staphorst Stipwerk