The Chinese phoenix in the Sawunggaling motif

The Chinese phoenix in the Sawunggaling motif as expressed by the late Go Tik Swan, Panembahan Hardjonagoro in his Batik Indonesia creations from the mid 1950s at the behest of Ir. Soekarno, the founding president of the republic.

This was supposed to represent the sacred bloodletting of a cockfight in Bali which Hardjonagoro ingeniously adapted in the form of a Chinese phoenix spread over the standard size kain panjang.

The earliest versions had plain backgrounds, while subsequent versions had banyu mili, or multiple small dots forming the background.

A contemporary Sawunggaling with that same touch from the Hardjonagoro atelier today.

A rare pair of miniature Solonese Bedhaya cupboards / lemari bedhaya

A rare pair of miniature Solonese Bedhaya cupboards / Lemari Bedhaya

teakwood, goldleaf gilt and pigments

circa 19th century

Dimensions: Height 99 cm x Width 43 cm x Depth 24 cm

Such cupboards are usually used in the sacred space within the central bay of a Javanese house known as the senthong and are placed one on each side of the krobongan structure.

They are used to store incense used for offerings and fragrant herbs known as ratus which (when burnt and the resultant smoke) forms part of the ritual preparation of a Javanese bride. They may also be used to store heirloom textiles and betelnut paraphernalia which are included as offerings before the krobongan in the dalem of the house.

Please inquire.

Interested/Berminat: Hub:

Sojourner Antiques

Works of Art

Bogor, West Java

Email: tjhiebk@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +6281378137283

All that glitters is not gold - Fake Batik?

This was a post made previously in Bahasa Indonesia as part of my personal observations on some unscrupulous traders and their equally unscrupulous and dishonest practices.

It involves the authentication of and precautions one has to undertake on "signed" batik cloths; ie. with a mark, stamp and/or signature.

The authenticity or the lack of, thereof; of a signed batik cloth cannot be solely assigned to or relied upon on the singular basis of a signature, ink stamp or similarity in trademark motifs...

In this time and age, the classical hand-drawn works from the older well-known ateliers such as van Zuylen and Oei Soe Tjoen have begun to be more frequently faked, therefore one should exercise due diligence to be better acquainted with the individual characteristics, types of motifs peculiar to the atelier, the quality and intricate skill on the application of the work.

In a nutshell... Caveat emptor! (Buyer beware!)

A translated excerpt taken from a published interview from the current heirs (Widianti) of the Oei Soe Tjoen atelier of the Kedungwuni district, Pekalongan, Central Java...

"Due to the fact that batiks by the Oei Soe Tjoen atelier have become collector's items, and with the unfortunate consequence of many fakes cloths signed Oei Soe Tjoen. Widianti (sic), is able to differentiate the authentic works from the family workshop, from the fakes; not only on the basis of mark/signature but also on the quality of the hand-drawing peculiar to their atelier."

My personal interest or ire on the matter was stirred up by the emergence of mediocre quality batiks this year in mid 2015 which had been stamped with the apocryphal mark of Hardjono GoTikSwan with the old address in Dutch spelling, in a rectangular box rubber stamp shape at the edge of the cloth in question.

In the case of Oei Soe Tjoen and other well-known ateliers, the fakes are manufactured from the start copying both the motif and design and with the final touch of the added fake signature... 

But these newly appeared counterfeits of the Hardjonagoro batiks are quite creative, using mediocre unsigned hand-drawn / combination type batiks of uncertain age (not brand new) with both stamp and hand-drawn finishing, and then given an added rubber stamped atelier mark as described above.

The design and motifs on these fakes are irregular and while some are casually resembling known motifs used by Hardjonagoro, none are of the regular pakem (standard layout) of the atelier...

And to remove all ambiguity, there are no known examples of genuine Hardjonagoro batik bearing such a brown rubber stamp imprint as described above. Most of his work is unsigned and some bear a signature usually in Javanese script or askara jawa and these were usually mementos to friends or associates; but there were a small number which were sold commercially at select boutiques during the 1970s bearing a different elongated name stamp...

However, most batik collectors who are familiar with the motifs, peculiarities unique to the atelier, the intricate quality of the hand-drawing and the characteristics of an aged or antique cloth are mostly restricted to the classical works of the Northern coast of Java, whereas the Hardjonagoro batiks are typically bearing aspects of an inland design or called Vorstenlanden (the princely territories) and the information as to the motifs and characteristics of this batik may not be as well disseminated as the other class of signed classical batiks from the coast.

Hardjonagoro as he was later known from 1972, after having been bestowed a noble title from the Surakarta court was the progenitor of the Batik Indonesia motif from the 1950s when he became acquainted with the founding president of the Republic, Soekarno and was tasked with creating a new genre of batik which would encompass all aspects of the batik tradition as being national and no longer specific to region.

Thus, after some inspiration, Hardjonagoro created the Batik Indonesia motifs by intermarrying designs from the coast with the background of inland motifs; and an eclectic mix of bright chemical dyes, bending the rigid sombre colour schemes normally adapted for use in the interior, colours such as indigo (blue), sogan (brown/yellow) and the cream or white spaces.

It is hoped that collectors and beginners in batik would take heed and exercise precaution when acquiring these works and familiarise themselves with the characteristics peculiar to the atelier; combining this with their eye for intricacy in the hand-drawing and traits of a genuine batik of the atelier.

Not all that glitters is gold and not all batiks bearing a stamp attributed to the atelier, is necessarily genuine or in good faith.
Once again, caveat emptor!

A unique Cirebon-styled lamp stand jodog carved in the form of Bima.

A unique wayang character lamp stand, jodog carved in the form of Bima,

Cirebon, West Java, circa 20th century

70 cm height

Sold

Interested/Berminat: Hub:

Sojourner Antiques

Works of Art

Bogor, West Java

Email: tjhiebk@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +6281378137283 

A 2 1/2 Wilhelmina Gulden 1932

A 2 1/2 Gulden Silver Coin

Wilhelmina - 1932

with seahorse privy mark

Diameter 38 mm and weight approximately 25 grams

Please inquire.

Interested/Berminat: Hub:

Sojourner Antiques

Works of Art

Bogor, West Java

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A 2 1/2 Willem III Gulden 1861

A 2 1/2 Gulden Silver Coin

Willem III - 1861

with sword privy mark and belongs to a scarce production year (847,104)

Diameter 38 mm and weight approximately 25 grams

Please inquire.

Interested/Berminat: Hub:

Sojourner Antiques

Works of Art

Bogor, West Java

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WhatsApp: +6281378137283 



A pair of Cirebonese silver Hapsara

A pair of Cirebonese silver hapsara
circa 19th century, on hand hammered repousse silver sheet
depicted the Javanese styled winged angels with stylised crown, holding a floral bouquet and sporting a kawung motif waistcloth
16 X 9.5 cm
combined weight 99 grams

Detail of the left hapsara with a frown

Detail of the right hapsara with added curves to the lips denoting a smile

Sold

Interested/Berminat: Hub:

Sojourner Antiques

Works of Art

Bogor, West Java

Email: tjhiebk@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +6281378137283