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A TOTAL of 366 pieces of Indonesian batik is one of the largest collections of the Anthropology Museum in Austria, the World Museum in Vienna. Founded in 1876, the museum is located in the Hofburg Palace and houses more than 400,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
Hundreds of batik collections, both in the form of sarongs and long cloths, stored in the museum come from various regions in Indonesia, including Cirebon, Yogyakarta, Solo and several other areas in Central Java.
According to a press release received by antaranews on Saturday (09/280, 2024), this batik collection was obtained through an expedition to Java, a gift from Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono and various gifts given to this museum. The oldest batik collection was acquired in 1838.
The representative of the World Museum Vienna, Dr. Jonathan Fine, was amazed and appreciated the process of batik making which is full of philosophical meaning.
“That is why it is appropriate for the Vienna Museum to collect it so that the world can see beautiful works,” he said.
In the future, Fine hopes that various collaborations with the Wastraprema Association can be further improved, not only in the batik collection, but also in various wastras in Indonesia.
On the same occasion, Wastraprema Association Chairman Neneng Iskandar said that the many historical objects, including batik, in foreign museums are a source of pride. In this way, the world community can get to know Indonesia through the collections exhibited in the museum.
Neneng said that batik is one of Indonesia’s cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO and has always been a special attraction for the international community. Therefore, it is in line with Wastraprema’s vision and mission to continue to preserve Indonesian textiles, including batik.
In addition, the Wastraprema Association, as part of the celebration of the National Batik Day on October 2, will hold a discussion on textiles, especially batik, which is a collection of the World Museum Vienna with various speakers, which took place on Saturday (28/9) at the Jakarta Textile Museum. The event was also attended by the Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, DR. Thomas Loidl. [antaranews]
