Batik Sarong

Maroon and crème design

A sarong is a large, lightweight piece of fabric wrapped around the waist and worn as a skirt by both men and women. The term originates from the Malay word sarung, meaning “to cover” or “to shealth”. Traditionally, it is tied into a tube-like garment and worn for daily activities or religious ceremonies.

This sarong is decorated with a batik technique. Batik is a wax-resist method of dyeing fabric to create intricate designs. Artisans stamp designs onto fabric using either metal and wood patterned blocks or special pens designed to hold hot, liquid wax. In dyeing, the wax then resists the color, leaving waxed areas untouched. The process is repeated with sequentially darker dyes. The wax is then boiled off, revealing the pattern.

• Title: Batik Sarong

• Date: 1985

• Geography: Kerala, India

• Medium: Cotton

• Dimensions: H. 63 in.  W. 44 in.

• Provenance: Gift from Iranian fellow traveler in Alleppey, India

• Inventory Number:  IN.32