NATIONAL COLLECTION X MUSEUM MARTKET TEA TOWEL

50 x 70 cm

KANTHA EMBROIDERY WITH FLORAL MOTIFS

West Bendal, India 20th Century Embroidery

Collection of Indian Heritage Centre

2013-00525

Kantha is a form of quilted embroidery skillfully crafted by the women of Bengal,India. These artisans create a range of items, including bedspreads, wraps and book or mirrow covers, intended for domestic use or as thoughtful gifts. Kantha pieces draw inspiration form a diverse array of influences, encompassing rural scenes city life, modernization, mytho-logical narratives, and the incorporation of floral and vine motifs. Utilizing recycled cloth and yarn sourced from old saris, these intricate works exemplify a harmonious blend of tradition and sustainability. In this example, large floral motifs placed within squares from a repetitive pattern.

SARI

Singapore, mid-1970s

Textile

Collections of the National Museum of Singapore

2005-01258

Gift of Mrs Nalini C. Chenteley

An indian sari bearing swirls and rose motifs, a pattern reflective of the stylistic conventions of the 1970s. Typically worn over a blouse and petticoat, this particular sari is made of synthetic nylon fibres and is lighter and thinner than the traditional silk or cotton ones, allowing its wearer to enjoy a tighter fit.

MALAY BATIK SARONG

Singapore, mid-late 20th century 

Textile

Collection of the National Museum of Singapore

2000-07881

A Malay batik sarong with intricate phoenix and floral motifs. Used by both men and women, a sarong is a length of cloth with a myriad of practical uses, one of which is for wrapping around the waist as a garment.

BATIK SKIRTCLOTH WITH BIRDS, BOATS AND AEROPLANES MOTIFS

Pekalongan, northern coast of Java,1960s

Textile

Collection of Asian Civilisations Museum

2010-03486

This sarong is in style known as kompanie batik, one the most unique batik styles developed in Indonesia in the early nineteenth century, during the Dutch colonial period. The patterns and motifs blended Indonesian and European visual sensibilities. Modern images of aeroplanes and ships are portrayed in a fantastical style alongside birds and fish.

SARONG M.P SOERIDO

Java, Pekalongan, around 1910

Cotton (drawn batik)

Collection of Peranakan Museum

2011-02024

Scenes from "snow white" are depicted accross the badan (the main field of the batik design). European fairly tales became a popular subject for batik-makers in Pekalongan by the end of the 19th Century. The signature at the top of the kepala (a panel in a different pattern or colour from the badan) reveals that it was made in a workshop owned by M.P Soediro.

Made in Lithuania