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An authentic mid-century Indonesian batik kain panjang from Jogja(Yogyakarta), Indonesia, acquired from the Washington DC estate of former U.S.Ambassador to Singapore Harry Thayer, a noted collector of Southeast Asiantribal and ethnographic textiles.
This exceptional textile retains an unusually complete group of original retaillabels, including:
- colorful “Gunungan Batik Jogja” paper label
- original printed promotional label
- “Primissima” cotton quality label
- original retail inventory/price tag marked “R.95”
- black sewn fabric label that appears to read “Rina,” possibly identifying a workshop or artisan
The printed insert identifies the company as:
“Perusahaan Batik TIAP GUNUNGAN”
Jogjakarta
and contains original Indonesian-languagepromotional advertising describing the textile as fine batik tulis on premiumcotton. The insert emphasizes elegance, craftsmanship, quality dyes, andrefined appearance, offering a fascinating glimpse into Indonesia’spost-independence batik retail culture.
The “Gunungan” branding references traditionalJavanese symbolism. “Potong Panjang” identifies the textile as a full-lengthkain panjang cloth intended for traditional wear.
The “Primissima” label is especiallyimportant. Primissima was among the finest grades of tightly woven cotton usedfor high-quality Indonesian batik production during the mid-20th century.
The original “R.95” ticket likely refers tothe original retail selling price in rupiah, suggesting this was a higher-gradecommercial batik rather than inexpensive everyday cloth.
The textile itself features a beautifullybalanced repeating floral and medallion motif rendered in rich soga brown withdeep blue-black accents and cream wax resist detailing. The design hasexceptional rhythm and precision, with fine titik dot work and visible waxcrackling throughout.
This batik has many of the characteristicsthat add value to a collection:
- authentic wax resist technique
- premium Primissima cotton
- very rare original promotional and retails labels
- possible artist signature
- crisp resist detailing and rich layered dye work
- strong estate provenance
Condition: Excellent, unwashed,well-stored condition with strong color. Original labels remain attached. Minoredge wear and small irregularities consistent with authentic vintage batiktextiles.
A superb addition for:
- textile collectors
- ethnographic collections
- fashion or garment design
- museum study collections
- Southeast Asian art collections
Keyword Tags: indonesian batik, jogja batik,yogyakarta textile, gunungan batik, kain panjang, javanese textile, wax resistbatik, vintage batik cloth, primissima cotton, ambassador estate, harry thayerestate, tribal textile, ethnographic textile, batik cap, batik tulis,collectible textile, soga batik, floral batik, medallion batik, handmade cottontextile, textile collector, vintage indonesian fabric, museum quality textile,estate textile art
