Fabric of Enchantment: Batik from the North Coast of Java: From the Inger McCabe Elliott Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

239 pages, illustrations (some colour); 31 cm. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 31, 1996 to January 26, 1997. Firm binding, clean inside copy. Richly illustrated with colour plates. *** "The batik designs of Java's North Coast are particularly varied in both design and colour. With their fanciful, highly imaginative motifs and luminous tints, they are more immediately appealing than the sombre blue and brown batik of Central Java. It was a chance encounter in a Hong Kong antique shop that inspired photojournalist Inger McCabe Elliot to devote over three decades to assembling one of the world's finest collections, which she presented to the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art in 1991. This volume, published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museum, celebrates Elliott's gift and presents her collection. Essays by authorities on the subject examine the 82 featured batik textiles from historical, cultural and aesthetic perspectives. The essays are followed by biographies of some of the most distinguished batik designers and entrepreneurs and a descriptive catalogue of the batiks. Appendices document design formats and motifs, as well as the complete production process of North Coast batiks." - Publisher. *** CONTENTS: The world of the Pasisir, by Peter Carey; The historical background of batik on Java, by Rens Heringa; From home craft to batik industry, by Harmen C. Veldhuisen; Batik Pasisir as mestizo costume, by Rens Heringa; The role of entrepreneurs in the stylistic development of batik Pasisir, by Harmen C. Veldhuisen; Catalogue, by Rens Heringa, Harmen C. Veldhuisen. Traditional Pasisir style: batik in red and blue. Diversification: batik from Peranakan and Indo-European entrepreneurs. Pekalongan: stronghold of batik Belanda. Emblems of colonial power. Modifications by Peranakan entrepreneurs for Peranakan wearers. Return of the kain panjang. Additions to traditional Pasisir dress. Ceremonial cloths; Glossary, by Rens Heringa; Appendix 1: Design format and stylistic variations of the kain panjang and sarung, by Harmen C. Veldhuisen; Appendix 2: Placement of the kepala, by Harmen C. Veldhuisen; Appendix 3: Materials and techniques, by Rens Heringa. Size: 4to.…