(SOLD) Sapanti / Peksi Wijoyokusumo Batik K.R.T. Hardjonagoro "Go Tik Swan" Very Rare (P 0054)

P 0054

Kain Panjang Batik tulis halus "KRT Hardjono Go Tik Swan" Sapanti / Peksi Wijoyokusumo

Provenance: Java, Solo
Technique: Hand-drawn wax resist on machine-woven cotton

Motif: Floral bouquet, bird 
Circa: 1950-1960
Dimension: 2.54m x 1.05 m

Condition: Used, soft touch, good, no torn, 1 tiny hole

Price: SOLD

This motif is on the book "Wastra Batik Karya Hardjono Go Tik Swan 1956-1966" dan Sang Maestro

Go Tik Swan was born into a Chinese family in Solo. His maternal grandfather had four batik workshops in town and the young Go Tik Swan often played with the craftsmen and craftswomen and children who worked in the workshops. From them he learned a lot about Javanese art and culture.

He continued his education in Jakarta. Although his parents hoped that he would study economics, he instead entered the Department of Literature of the University of Indonesia. There he studied Javanese literature. One of his professors, Prof. Dr. R.M.Ng. Poerbatjaraka, organized Javanese dance lessons at his home, and Go Tik Swan joined in. The group performed at
 University of Indonesia’s anniversary commemorations and the young Chinese-Indonesian’s performance made an impression on Sukarno who attended the ceremonies.

Having learn that Go Tik Swan came from a family of batik manufacturers, the President who was obsessed with the notion of nation building suggested that he develop a new kind of batik. Although the batik would still clearly be identified with Java, but Sukarno thought that Indonesia had a wealth of cultural elements that could become a source of influence for a “national” batik. He called it “Batik Indonesia”.

This indeed moved Go Tik Swan. Upon his return to Solo, he immediately focused on learning more about batik. Through Prince Hamidjojo, a son of Paku Buwana X and a specialist on Indonesian studies who graduated from The University of Leiden, who lived not far from his grandfather’s house, he was able to study the ancient patterns from the mother of Sunan Paku Buwana XII. He studied them carefully and then developed them into new designs or recomposed them with new colour combinations which became known as “Batik Indonesia”.

Go Tik Swan did not stop there. Adopting the Javanese name of Hardjono, he became a cultural caretaker of the Surakarta Court. He developed the Radyapustaka Museum in Solo to allow the general public access to knowledge about the court’s history and culture. He was knighted KRMT Hardjonagoro and later Panembahan Hardjonagoro. Privately at his home he also continued to make efforts in conserving traditional Javanese culture, maintaining workshops for the production of keris and batik. This batik workshop continued to produce various batik designs until half a century after the establishment of Batik Indonesia.