Vintage Javanese Batik

Vintage Javanese Batik small scarf

A small screen printed scarf in the traditional colours and designs of batik.

Worn over one shoulder in formal wear

Colours: ivory, cafe au lait,  black

Size:  1.46 m x 32 cms.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Headsquare

This is batik square made to to be folded into a man's turban like hat called an "iket" which is worn for traditional occasions such as a wedding or court ceremony. There is a beautiful crackled central  diamond.

The designs are a diagonal "parang" on the edge and a tongue of fire "lida api" around the central diamond.

Colours: a very deep dark indigo , ivory white and caramel brown.

Size: 1 metre square

Vintage Javanese Batik - Compass Star deign

A beautiful soft vintage piece of traditional cap (copper stamped) batik fabric. 

Colours: ivory, caramel brown with hints of indigo on a black background

Washed and worn with some small areas of repair or wear

Vintage Javanese Batik Star Filled Curves Design

A worn and used genuine vintage Javanese batik cloth.

A design of large curving lozenges which contain smaller designs of stars ("truntum") rice spirit houses, eagle's wings and other auspicious symbols. This design makes it very suitable for wearing at an important life event such as a wedding or the naming of a child.

Colour: Chestnut brown with pale brown, white and faded blue/black.

Vintage Javanese Batik Eagle Wings on Stars Design

A really lovely vintage batik cloth from Java. This is a very well known design combining "Truntum" stars (meaning to guide or advise) and the powerful Garuda eagle's wing motif.

A cloth like this would be worn by a parent or an older relative at a family occasion - especially at a wedding.

Cream, yellowy-caramel brown, black and a beautiful deep indigo blue

Vintage Javanese Batik Flowered Diamond Design

A beautiful genuine vintage Javanese batik cloth. 

This cloth has been used and is in a lovely washed, soft but is in good condition.

Natural dyes - soga browns and indigo.

Colours: Pale creamy mushroom, black and accents of indigo blue

Vintage Javanese Batik Faded Flowers and Birds Design

A genuine vintage Javanese batik cloth with a powerful design featuring birds, rice stalks and grains,  eagles' wings and the sacred mountain or tribuwono. Filled with "ukel" hook motifs.

Generally good condition. A well worn piece with some signs of  wear and tear (small stains and holes)

Colours: A very pale buttercream background with indigo blue and a dark blue black..

Vintage Javanese Batik - Wedding Wishes design

A genuine vintage batik cloth from Java. This is a  very popular design called "sido mukti" wishing health and happiness and a design such as this one is specially worn at life events such as baby namings and weddings.

The diamond shaped lozenges enclose small symbols including butterflies, rice spirit houses and birds' wings.

Pale coffee cream, pale chestnut brown and deep indigo blue

Vintage Javanese Batik - Garuda Eagle design

A lovely worn cloth with a design of  dense "ukel" hooks in the background and graceful flowers and tendrils, intersperced with a full "Garuda" eagle motif. The huge mythical bird Garuds, has great significance in Javanese philosophy.

Some very slight damage and staining.

Very pale yellow with black and touches of indigo 

Vintage Javanese Batik - Sultan's Design

A genuine old vintage piece of tjap (copper stamped) batik dyed with natural dyes of indigo and soga brown.

The design is a wonderful and auspicious one featuring "sawat" big double eagle's wings (the Sultans' symbol of power) as well as laden rice plants (fertility and richness) foliage, and other symbolic motifs.

A design like this could be worn at a Rice harvest or rice field blessing ceremony.

Colours: Ivory, creamy pale yellow and deep indigo blue.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Rich Diamond Design

A beautiful soft vintage piece of traditional cap (copper stamped) batik fabric. 

Colours: A rich caramel brown with hints of ivory and accents of indigo blue.

Washed and worn with some small areas of repair or wear

Vintage Javanese Batik - Sacred Mountain Design

A wonderful vintage batik cloth which has been dyed using natural dyes. 60 - 70 years old. 

The design is one of the dozens of "semen"  designs which feature  dense and intricate floral designs. This one features both single birds and pairs of birds and laden rice stalks - all symbols denoting fecundity and strong fertility.

It could have been worn particularly at a rice blessing ceremony or at a wedding or birth,. 

Very good condition. The background colour is ivory with pale honey brown , black and touches of indigo blue.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Flaming Volcano Design

A genuine vintage stamped batik about 50 - 70 years old dyed using natural dyes (indigo blue and soga brown)

The design includes Garuda eagle's wings, rice spirit houses, and stylised mountain designs with flames atop - possibly representative of  Mount Merapi the active volcano which dominates the landscape around Central Java.

Very good condition apart from a stitched repair and tear along one hem.

Colours:  Ivory, palest yellow and indigo blue.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Indigo Design

An unusual hand drawn batik sarong - with a "village made" feel. The original brown coloured vegetable dye called "soga" has almost faded out with repeated washing and is now visible in patches and along the selvedge. The rest of the cloth has faded to the beautiful natural indigo blue.

The design is one of the "sido mulyo" type designs which are worn specially at life events like weddings, betrothals and births to wish the family a long and happy life.

Colours: Ivory white and deep indigo with some brown patches.

There is a stamped BATIK TULIS sign on one hem.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Pale Parang design

A beautiful soft vintage piece of traditional cap (copper stamped) batik fabric. 

This is a gorgeous piece in good condition and a very well known traditional diagonal design

Colours: A very pale taupe and deep almost black indigo blue on an ivory background

Washed and worn with some small areas of repair or wear

Vintage Javanese Batik - Chickens and Eggs Design

A genuine vintage second hand batik sarong cloth from Java. This is a hand drawn piece probably made by a village woman for herself or her daughter.

The design is of chickens with a background filled with eggs.  Designs such as this one represent the wish for fertility and could be worn or used at a ceremony around betrothal, marriage or birth.

Good condition. As this is a well used piece there may be some wear and tear.

Colours: All natural dyes. Pale yellow, caramel brown with deep blue indigo and black

Vintage Javanese Batik - Pale Diamond Design

A beautiful genuine vintage Javanese batik cloth which has been all hand drawn rather than stamped  (this is known as batik tulis). 

This cloth has been used and is in a lovely washed and soft with some wear and tear along the edges. Natural dyes - soga browns and indigo.

Colours: Pale cream, black and deep indigo blue

For more beautiful hand drawn batik, have a look here.

Vintage Javanese Batik - Diagonals and Diamonds Design

A lovely design of a small traditional diagonal pattern which is very common in Javanese batik and called "parang". On top of this are beautiful wavy diamond patterns with a compass design.

The colours are a honey yellow, creamy brown, black and little spots of deep indigo blue.

Very good condition

Vintage Javanese Batik - Indigo Butterflies Design

A lovely old piece of naturally dyed and hand drawn batik (known as batik tulis)

The design intersperces butterflies with wings of rice stalks - two powerful symbols.

The batik would originally have a had a tree bark brown dye (soga) but this has faded out with repeated washings and now the strong indigo remains - although there are still hints of the faded bron colour in the background.

This cloth has a little area of stain, and a couple of holes but is in good condition for its age (70 - 80 years old)  and has obviously been well loved.