Headcloth (Iket Kepala)
Late 19th century
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; hand-drawn wax resist dyed (batik tulis)
Dimensions
105.5 × 106.4 cm (41 1/2 × 41 7/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
27431
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The headcloth, worn only by men, is usually square and sometimes has an undecorated area in the center surrounded by evenly distributed pattern. The cloth is tied to form a turban. The principal design element is the royal symbol, the Garuda wing, arranged radially in pairs around the voided central diamond. It would have been worn with a long cloth bearing the same pattern.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...