"A very fine batik shouldercloth hand-drawn in Lasem on the north coast of Java by Peranakan Chinese batik-makers with a beautiful design that closely follows the style and format of the typical Indo-Chinese sarong of the period. 2 flowering trees in the centerfield, each with 2 birds hovering in it, are executed in a flowing, curvilinear style enhanced by the use of different colors to make up each motif, and by the tiny white internal motifs that give the picture a rich, yet delicate texture. Setting off the main design is a �fish scale� (gringsing) background of overlapping semicircles with a dot in the center, a favorite traditional background motif in all the north coast towns where fishing was a way of life. Especially distinctive to Lasem is the rather solid, round form of the stylized birds, with slightly comical, expressive heads. The geometric end panels form a strong, dramatic contrast to the graceful movement of the centerfield by recreating the traditional head panel of the sarong, in which a row of alternate short and tall upright triangles are joined at the points to form a grid of diamonds between them�here, each end presents one half of such a head panel. The triangles are filled with sprigs and grain stalks, and the diamonds with small geometric figures, to create a dense collage of Javanese batik motifs. Especially interesting is the variation incorporated within the more or less mirroring design, for instance in the border panels separating the centerfield from the end panels, which contain a flock of birds in different colors on either side. The color composition of yellow ochre, rust red and blue is unusual, especially for Lasem batik, and identifies this batik as intended for (or at least influenced by the tastes of) the large export market in Sumatra or Malaysia. However, unlike many pieces made for export to Sumatra, this shouldercloth is unusually finely drawn on high quality cotton, possibly indicating that it was specially commissioned. A beautifully fresh batik of great vivacity and charm.This batik originates in the heyday of north coast Chinese batik on Java, from the workshops of the Peranakan Chinese batik makers in Lasem which were well known for their high quality. Its design format embeds the evolution of the traditional sarong design, which originally had separate end panels of a row of triangles on a plain ground, after the typical design of Indian batiks from the Coromandel coast. In the second half of the 19th C, these end panels were joined to form a single head panel, placed at the side or middle of the cloth, and eventually the geometric grid created by joining the points of the triangles took over as the dominant element of the panel. By splitting the panel into 2 halves at the ends, but retaining the richly decorated grid of diamonds, this piece shows both the development and the origins of the showpiece of north coast batik. The shouldercloth is in exceptionally fresh condition. There are no holes, stains, or tears, the colors are all vibrant and glowing, and the cotton is of the finest quality, smooth, waxy and crisp." 81" x 52"