Malaysian Batik 2

Malaysia- Batik 2

Batik is a method of design using wax resist. The origins of this design technique remain unclear. We know this process dates back to Egyptian times, nearly 2,000 years ago, from samples found in Egyptian tombs.  Some believe SE Asian batiks originated in India as India produced the fine cotton necessary for the fine detailing of the designs.

The word “batik” comes from Malay “tik” meaning spot,dot or drop.  There are over 3,000 batik designs, which are grouped as follows:

1. geometric: garis miring, ceplokan, kawang, tumpal, and tambal miring (a kind of patchwork design believed to have magical properties.)
2. non-geometric: semen (swirling foliage with stylized animals and birds, cloud designs)
3. isen : simple, repetitive  background designs found in the less expensive batiks

Motifs were inspired by culture, religion and nature.  There are few contemporary batik motifs, instead the tradition continues with the continued use of traditional designs.

One method of applying the resist is the use of a “canting”(Tjanting), a small copper vessel with a spout, resembling the bowl of a pipe with an attached handle.  Cantings may have more than one spout in parallel.  The bowl is filled with the molten wax (made from beeswax and paraffin) and holding the tool like a stylus the artist draws the design with the wax flowing from the spout.  This type of batik is referred  to as Tulis, meaning to write or draw. Since true batik is reversible, the waxing process must be repeated on the reverse side. The artist draws freehand and, therefore, Tulis batik may be very intricate.

Because producing designs with a canting is very time-consuming, batik artists may use a metal block made of strips of thin copper set upright soldered to a metal base with a curved metal handle. Using this metal tool (called a “cap”) dipped into molten wax, a single worker could stamp up to 20 lengths of cloth per day as each cap consists of the entire design element.  Several caps of different sizes and shapes could be used, with as many as ten pairs of caps needed for complex designs

After the waxing, the first dying is done using a combination of chemical and natural dyes.  After the initial dying, wax from the areas next to be dyed is scraped away or reapplied for additional dyeing.  Once all color has been applied the fabric is washed and soaked in as fixing solution.  Thorough rinsing follows and a boiling water bath melts remaining wax, which is then saved.

Malaysia Batik

Spring Break – Malaysia  Batik 1

My first introduction to batik production, many years ago, was in the Indonesian archipelago.  Trips to Ubud, Bali were planned around visits to the textile shops of Rai Rupini.  This lovely woman patiently answered my many questions and graciously showed me countless examples from her inventory of thousands of vintage Indonesian hand-made textiles.  I guess Rai is responsible for my out-of-control textile collection. From her I learned the value of the most humble textile and the beauty of the most elaborate.

 Rai Rupini

Homage to Balinese Women, The Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, 1994

Photograph by Beth Van Gelder

Although I purchased many, many types of Indonesian textiles, my favorites were always vintage batiks: their wonderful patterning, their natural dye colors, and the soft hand of much loved, much worn and laundered fabric.  

It is a fact that many textile enthusiasts ignore the textile traditions of mainland Southeast Asia, which are closely related to those of the Indonesian islands.  Our visit to Malaysia this spring reinforced my view that peoples of Asian cultures developed similar textile traditions and variations could possibly be due to cultural and religious differences.  Because of the close proximity of these countries it is often difficult to determine where certain textiles originated and which textiles were a result of the high amount of trade between these regions although all may share common beginnings.  The east coast of the Malay Peninsula also produced cotton as did Indonesia and India.

Batik Design, Pepin Van Roojen, Shamhala, Boston, 1997

Textiles and the Tai Experience in Southeast Asia, Gittinger & Lefferts, The Textile Museum, Washington,1992

Batik fabrics and clothing are abundant in Malaysian markets.  Instead of purchasing vintage, I bought many contemporary fabrics and caftans of vintage batik design.  The cost was enticing and the selection amazing.  While I would hesitate wearing clothing made from my vintage fabric collection within miles of spaghetti sauce, blueberry pie or red wine I happily wear my modern reproductions.     

Next blog will discuss the technique of batikdesign.              

Cloth for Taxes

It’s Tax Time!

I don’t think there is anything that inspires more dread than filing tax forms, unless it is an envelope from the IRS with an audit notification inside.

Face it!  Taxes have been around forever and aren’t about to go away anytime soon.

There are many examples in textile history about cloth used as tax payments as far back as the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.  I thought I would share a few examples from other cultures with you today.

In Hawaii, before the islands were “discovered” by westerners, commoners worked the land owned by their chief and paid taxes to both their local chief and the king.  Tax payments were in the form of food and clothing.

In China (500BCE-1500 CE) taxes levied on each household were paid in grain and cloth, one bushel of grain equaled one bolt of cloth.  The state levied taxes in “new textile” (cotton) which was grown in the north.  The raw cotton was sent to the south to be made into cloth and re-exported back north where taxpayers bought the cloth to pay their taxes.

In 17thC Spanish Peru cloth was the most valuable commodity.  It was used as a form of currency and for the payment of taxes.

One of the most interesting tax stories I have read comes from Korea in the late 1600’s.  It seemed Korea faced a problem with the minting of coins for their cash currency, which was used for personal and government debts.  Somehow the principle of a monetary economy was somewhat lacking and the minting of coins became so rampant that the people started melting the coins for the base metal itself.  In other sectors, the coins were hoarded as they were expected to increase in worth beyond their face value. For centuries cloth had been used as a tax payment, now with “cash” as the acceptable form a serious problem arose when certain citizens were unable to pay in “cash” if they couldn’t sell their crops for a reasonable return..  This started a political debate about whether cloth or cash were preferable.  It went so far, that in 1726 a proposal to eliminate cash for taxes and reinstate cloth or grain was instituted, however this lasted only a short while and was discontinued some six months later. (probably after everyone used their cash to purchase cloth, as in ancient China).

So, I guess I should be grateful that I can file electronically, use my credit card to pay the damages (while gaining air miles) and not have to worry about spinning, weaving and sewing my payment.

National Textile Museum of Malaysia

Spring Trip- Malaysia 1

While visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia we happened upon the National Textile Museum of Malaysia.  Located a short walk from the Central Market, The Textile Museum is housed in an elegant, historic, colonial building of Moghul-Islamic architecture.

The museum’s role is to “ collect, conserve and document and display the diverse national textile collection, especially the traditional handwork of the multi-ethnic society of Malaysia comprising Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli  and the indigenous peoples of Sabah and  Sarawak”.

The museum’s five galleries artfully display their beautiful textile collection with informative didatic panels. There is also a small video room, unfortunately the film is not in English but the visuals can be enjoyed nonetheless.  Also within the building is a small café and gift shop.

Admission is free and the museum is open daily from 9am –6 pm.  Anyone visiting K L should plan on spending some time there.  A cool stop for a usually very hot afternoon.

For those not fortunate to be visiting the capital city and the museum check their website.

http://www.jmm.gov.my/ms/museum/muzium-tekstil-negara

Blogs in the near future will explore the treasures of this institution.

Spring Break

Well, I’m just back from a short spring vacation: 10 days in Malaysia and 10 days in the South Pacific.  A long way to travel for a short time.  I will share textile adventures with you as soon as I Photoshop some pictures.  This vacation I didn’t concentrate on buying vintage textiles as I have a very large collection of vintage batiks, ikats and songhets from trips to Indonesia.  Instead I hit the markets for clothing for me and for gifts.  Nothing can beat the selection (and prices) of markets.  In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the Central Market was the place to bargain and was conveniently located a 20 minute ride on the city “hop on” free bus from our hotel.  Although I had vowed to purchase only for others, I couldn’t resist purchasing a “few essentials” for myself.  Also visited were KL’s Chinatown markets and the various markets of Penang (an island off the coast which we also visited).  My only restraint was the thought of the over-weight baggage fees for the return flights.  For caftans, scarves, tee-shirts and batik fabrics the markets could not have been better.  However, for shoes, that is another matter.

If you have followed this blog you know I really, really love shoes.  The selection of gorgeous, reasonably priced, footwear is astounding in Malaysia.  So a trip to the large city malls was in order.  Store after store of shoes, sandals, flip-flops, boots of every description.   And talk about bling!!  Crystals and rhinestones are the usual embellishments in Asia, but this was simply over the top.  It was as if a thousand workers manned with those “bedazzler” tools went  berserk and decorated every surface of silk blouses, scarves, tee-shirts and, wait for it, shoes.  Displays of jeweled shoes sent light beams across the stores.  Encrusted flip flops called my name.  Unfortunately I am not expecting an invitation to a royal wedding and here in Santa Fe they might be considered over the top.  Therefore I begrudgingly settled for a pair of coral and tan leather loafers and one pair of lovely sea-foam green suede flip flops with suede flowers.

The great misfortune of this trip was missing the Malaysia International Shoe Festival.  I cannot even begin to imagine what wonders one might have encountered.  But rescheduling our home reservations seemed excessive (besides, I was outvoted).

Victoria and Albert Museum

In my work I have visited many, many museums.  In general, I nearly always leave with a feeling that something was lacking.  Museums should not be only repositories of objects but a source of education.  These institutions are a perfect venue to provide educational opportunities in which the public can attend lectures, examine collections and experience the actual exhibits.  Textiles are perfect subjects for such a learning experience.  Sadly, many institutions have a very poor record when it comes to their textile collections.  Today, many objects are poorly stored, the extent of the collections unknown (as many textiles remain uncatalogued) and the curatorial staff not experts in textiles.  The public deserves better, but the public is generally unaware of this situation.  So it is up to us, textile lovers, to spread the word and request more opportunities for public inspection and interaction.

There are, of course, many institutions that do a very good job of presenting their collections to the public.  One of my very favorite museums is the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, England

Over many years I have had the opportunity to visit their galleries and examine their textiles.  Their galleries are extremely user friendly with educational didactic panels.  A policy that  is becoming more routine in many museums, photography (without flash) has been permitted in the V&A (with a few exceptions) for the many years I have been visiting.  Costumes are displayed on mannequins in vignettes of daily life so that it is apparent that these are articles of daily life, or articles for formal occasions.  In the textile galleries there are hundreds and hundreds of fabrics in glassed flat panels that can be taken to study desks to be leisurely examined.  The lighting is good , the chairs comfortable and the staff well informed.  It is a pleasure to study there.

The history of the V&A began with a committee appointed by Parliament in 1835.  The Select Committee on Arts and Manufactures set about to determine the best methods to extend knowledge of arts and design. . In1851 a Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations selected their exhibits on the basis of their workmanship or art quality.  These exhibits were then  acquired with government funding and combined with collections of various schools of design to become The Museum of Manufactures under the patronage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Victoria opened the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) to the public in 1857.

The V&A is considered to be the largest museum of decorative arts and design with the largest collection of textiles in the world and the most comprehensive collection of costumes and fashion in Britain.  This massive museum has 145 galleries and a collection of over 4.5 million objects. 

The V&A has a large list of publications featuring the collection.  I have several of their textile books which feature lovely plates of the textiles, an educational introduction, glossary and additional specific information (for example, in volume Embroidery In Britain from 1200 to 1750 there is included a technical illustration of embroidery stitches).

If you are fortunate to be visiting London, you really must include a lengthy visit to the V&A.  Their website will acquaint you with their current and upcoming exhibits as well as a list of their publications. www.vam.ac.uk

An Important Fashion Accessory - Shoes!

Shoes

If you read my blogs you will note one of my favorite inspirations is the Personal Journal section of the Wall Street Journal.  In an article regarding Fashion Week, Wednesday, Feb. 12, Elizabeth Holmes wrote her headlines ‘The Season of the Shoe” and “Shoes Go From Runway Prop to Style Influencer”.

Well, I could have told you that years ago.  You see, I LOVE shoes and must admit to owning dozens of pairs.  I mean that includes winter boots, casual clogs, hiking boots, gym shoes, sandals and flip-flops in all colors and styles.  Also, I must add a few pairs of dressy shoes, and, I forgot, many pairs of slippers. To my chagrin, I have donated many pairs of “trendy” shoes when they weren’t “trendy” any longer, only to have the circle of design have them re-emerge years later. 

When I travel, I find I check out my fellow travelers’ wardrobes, especially their footwear.  There are those folks who need to wear sturdy shoes for medical reasons (their podiatrists would be proud).  But, honestly one can surely find comfortable footwear that is more attractive than those huge sneakers!  Even athletic shoes are more stylish now, in bright colors and lightweight to boot (no pun intended).  Does everyone really need to go clomping around in shoes the size of a shoe box?  And when was the last time they were really white? And talk about heavy…when you must pay for the weight of over-loaded luggage! No wonder carry-ons are the size of steamer trunks.

Traveling, aside, have you noticed what is worn around town? Please…Actually, cloddy sneakers are the best part of some outfits.  It doesn’t take a boatload of cash to purchase  attractive, fashionable clothes and accessories.  So look down!  And see if you can do a bit better for this Season of the Shoe.

I found these ads in Standard Mail Order Co. catalog, July-August, 1915.
 Very trendy for their time and note the prices!