Javanese batik piano runner for the western market, 1915: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Javanese batik piano runner for the western market, 1915. Long narrow silk rectangle, batiked with a repeating pattern of birds in profile and frontal positions, against a ground of plant forms. Border on all four sides of scrolling vine, and outer border of plain dark blue. 47" L x 6" W. Original cataloging identifies the design as "Django djarat." Tan, light and dark blue, white details. Price listed on the catalog card as: 12F., $2.80 - this is not consistent with some of the other price comparisons. 12 F. would be $4.80. An example of the use of traditional Javanese technique and patterning for a form meant for the European or Western trade. One of 22 finished batik textiles, together with 14 process samples, made by prisoners in Java for exhibition at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1914-1915
• Object Name: Sample, Printed
• Object Name: piano runner, batik
• Object Name: piano runner, batik
• Physical Description: silk (overall material)
• Physical Description: plain weave, batik (overall production method/technique)
• Measurements: overall: 47 in x 6 in; 119.38 cm x 15.24 cm
• place made: Indonesia: Javanese
• related event: Panama-Pacific International Exposition
• ID Number: TE.T02935.000
• catalog number: T02935.000
• accession number: 59191
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.