Tubular Skirt (Sarong)
c. 1900
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; hand-drawn wax resist dyed (batik tulis)
Dimensions
213.4 × 107 cm (84 × 42 1/8 in.)
Classification
weaving - printed
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
180395
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Workshops in Pekalongan produced various types of pictorial subjects, including illustrations of Western stories. The story that is referred to in this sarong, now opened to its full size, has yet to be identified but is full of curious elements. In the center, on the white ground, four male figures wearing breeches pose and gesture in a declamatory way, like actors on a stage. They stand before a building and are surrounded by a rich assortment of angels, animals (including a camel) and birds, ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...