Title
Iket kapala prada
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Java, Indonesia
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 85.5 x 86.2 cm
Accession No.
2016-00354
Collection of
Iket kapala is a square batik cloth, folded to form a headdress for men. This piece is decorated with a blue and red grid of alternating rings and lozenges, framed by an elaborate border of abstract and flowering patterns. The entire surface is gilded with gold with the exception of the lozenge-shaped field in the centre, the tengahan, here created by the absence of gilding. Unlike Sumatran iket kapalas where the tengahan is decorated with a pattern different from the rest of the cloth, tengahan in Javanese examples are usually left bare. Gold gilding (prada) was used in the 19th century for batik intended for ceremonial purposes.
