java dresses

By Gunadi in Java, this set of four ornaments celebrates traditional handicrafts. Carved from wadang wood in the shape of hearts, these ornaments are decorated with colorful floral motifs using the batik style; the designs are applied with a wax resist before the colorful dyes are added. Afterward, the wax is boiled away.

Carved from wadang wood, six hexagonal coasters with a matching holder make a wonderful addition to any home. Gunadi presents this set from Java, featuring intricate truntum batik motifs that are painted by hand with a wax resist before the wood is treated with colorful dyes.

Two women beat an intricate cadence on the gendang, the large drums present in the gamelan orchestra of Bali and Java. Dressed in the traditional costume worn for performances, they are serious and skilled musicians. Purwadi works in oil on canvas to create this beautiful and expressive portrait.

Java’s Hasan Agus Wiratomo uses recycled teak to craft a delightful set of four nesting dolls or matryoshkas that will bring colour and cultural significance to your environment. The petite figurines that can be stacked on top of one another boast exquisite hand-painted batik motifs that are distinctive from the Sleman Regency in Yogyakarta.

Java's Hasan Agus Wiratomo uses recycled teak to craft a charming set of four nesting dolls—also known as matryoshkas—that will bring art and cultural significance to your interiors. The petite figurines, which can be stacked on top of one another, boast a stunning hand-painted batik pattern in a palette of blue, black and red hues, imitating textiles that are distinctive to the Sleman Regency in Yogyakarta.

Java's Wahyu Sulistiani designs a versatile travel set that includes a jewelry roll, a cosmetics bag and a toiletry bag. Working with batik techniques on cotton, Sulistiani selects the parang sekar pisang motif in a palette of red, blue, green and cream hues. The parang sekar pisang blends two legendary motifs, the parang or dagger, once reserved for Javanese sultans, and the sekar pisang or banana flower.

The jewelry roll is decorated with tassels; the cosmetics bag features two pockets, and the toiletries bag has one.

The wax-resist dyeing technique of batik is found in many cultures, but nowhere is it as renowned as in Java. In this batik scarf from Melati’s Collection, a Javanese garden paradise of turquoise, black, and white flowers decorate a golden background of pure silk.

Melati presents this shawl inside a quality, custom-made gift box.

Yuni Kristina conjures lavish colors and classic Javanese batik patterns for the design of this silk shawl. They include the parang, or dagger, once exclusive to the courts of Surakarta and Jogyakarta. Also, they include the kawung, an eight-pointed rosette set within a square, rhombus or circle, formerly reserved for the sultan's use.

Yuni Kristina conjures classic Javanese batik patterns in mesmerizing shades of black, gray, and green. Stamped by hand on a luxurious silk shawl, they include the parang, or dagger, once exclusive to the courts of Surakarta and Jogyakarta. Formerly reserved for the sultan's use, flowers and the kawung,--an eight-pointed rosette set within a square, rhombus, or circle-- complement the parang.

Each motif is created by hand, as evidenced by the occasional pencil mark or slight color variations.

Gunadi's beautiful mask depicts a dancer dressed for Manuk Rawa, a traditional Balinese dance for women and girls. Using batik, a wax-resist dyeing method, the Javanese artisan creates colourful patterns that shimmer across the wadang wood mask.

In this whimsical and surrealist work Herlina presents a creative twist on the famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The artist is fascinated with the idea of Mona Lisa as a Javanese woman, painting a representation of the enigmatic woman in elegant clothing that exudes the traditional fashion of the island. She wears a vibrant red dress with a yellow-orange sash, her hair tied in a traditional bun.

This masterfully carved decorative vase from Sarwaedi of Bali was inspired by the Javanese legend of Naga Baru Klinting. The subtle application of paint and gilded accents give the vase the appearance of a treasured antique.

According to the legend, Baru Klinting was a dragon who promised a sage that he could circle the whole Merapi Volcano in Central Java to prove that he was the sage's son, but failed to do so. The dragon used his tongue instead, which enraged the sage, and the sage swung a sword to cut his tongue. The dragon fell to the earth. Then people living near the volcano cut up the dragon's body and took it home to make a feast. Suddenly, a midget appeared and put a stick in the earth, and said that he would take all of the dragon's meat if no one was capable of removing the stick. People tried because they didn't want to lose their chance for a feast, but none were able to do it. The midget then removed the stick from the ground, and suddenly in that spot water started to flood the whole village, turning the village into a spring that is present to this day. Later on, another sage revealed that the midget was the soul of the dragon, enraged with the people that tried to eat his body.