Author: Indriwati Gondowinoto & Dyah Merta, Edisi ke 3, 2026. 153pgs. (Indonesian). Hardcover
Publisher: Global Pustaka Utama, Yogyakarta
The author is a fourth-generation descendant of the Gan Sam Gie lineage, a family historically renowned for its highly successful batik atelier in Pekalongan. Following the passing of the third generation, however, the enterprise experienced a marked decline in production and was ultimately discontinued. This volume is composed in commemoration of the Gan ancestors, who inaugurated the batik enterprise in 1870. Although Indriwaty is not a batik artisan herself, she undertook the preservation of residual tools and paraphernalia salvaged from her ancestral home, including original design sketches created by her father, Gan Tjiang Liem. Her research extended internationally, encompassing visits to prominent institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the United States and the Wereldmuseum of World Cultures in the Netherlands, as well as consultations with private collectors in Indonesia, all in pursuit of her family’s batik legacy. This book holds particular significance as it illuminates Peranakan batik as a medium of cultural syncretism, representing the acculturation of Javanese and Chinese traditions. Indriwaty underscores the enduring truth inscribed on one of her father’s batiks: “Without ancestors, we do not exist.” Thus, the work functions not only as a biographical chronicle of the Gan family but also as a tribute to batik as a tangible manifestation of intercultural fusion within Indonesia.
Author: Lee Chor Lin, 2007. 144pgs. (English). Softcover
Publisher: The National Museum of Singapore & Editions Didier Millet
This volume conceptualizes batik not merely as a textile, but as a semiotic medium that embodies cultural identity, philosophical outlook, and socio-historical continuity. Within the Javanese tradition, batik functions as a visual articulation of cosmological principles and ethical values, encoding philosophical orientations toward life through its motifs, colors, and symbolic structures. Simultaneously, the text situates batik within the evolving modern Indonesian and Singaporean social context, thereby highlighting its adaptive role in transnational cultural exchanges and contemporary identity formation. The author provides a systematic overview of stylistic variations and popular batik forms prevalent during specific historical periods, thereby offering insight into the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation. Furthermore, the book foregrounds the contributions of individual batik artisans, emphasizing both the technical sophistication and creative ingenuity inherent in their craft.
Author: Brigitta Hauser-Schāublin, Marie-Louise Nabholz-Kartaschoff & Urs Ramseyer,1991. 143pg. (English). Softcover.
Publisher: Periplus Editions, Singapore
The authors commence their work with a comprehensive introduction to the cultural universe of the Balinese people, subsequently presenting the island’s diverse corpus of textile traditions. These include the intricately patterned weft-ikat Endek; the opulently adorned Songket, distinguished by its supplementary weft decoration; the gilded Perada, embellished with gold leaf; the ritualistic Bebali, integral to ceremonial practice; the archaic Keling, associated with Nusa Penida; the dualistic Poleng, embodying the symbolic interplay of black and white; the sacred Cepuk, venerated in both Bali and Nusa Penida; and the protective Geringsing, renowned for its apotropaic qualities. As one of the earliest and most authoritative reference works on Balinese textiles, the book continues to serve as a seminal resource in the field to this day.
Author: Maria Wronska-Friend. 2015. 135 pg. (in English and Polish)
Publisher: Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland.
The book is associated with a Balinese textile exhibition taking place in Łódź, sharing the same title.
Author: Michael C. Howard, editor. 2006. 309pgs. English. Softcover. Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia Series no.10
Publisher: White Lotus, Bangkok
The volume presents the first comprehensive survey of Southeast Asian bark-cloth traditions. It opens with chapters that examine the archaeological evidence for bark-cloth production and use across the region, with particular attention to the holdings of the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden, the Netherlands. Subsequent chapters provide detailed analyses of bark-cloth practices in Vietnam, southern Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Kalimantan, and Papua, thereby situating these diverse traditions within a broader comparative framework.
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