Shoulder Cloth (Selendang)
Late 19th century
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; hand-drawn wax resist dyed (batik tulis)
Dimensions
256.6 × 52 cm (101 × 20 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
27481
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A shoulder cloth is a long, narrow cloth worn by women over the shoulder as a shawl or to carry a baby or market goods. This fine example was produced within the palace compound of a central Javanese court. Classic colors have been employed—blue, white or cream, and the soga reddish brown—and the major motifs of birds and paired Garuda wings have been symmetrically arranged on the field in an almost heraldic way.
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...