Chinese cultural influences on traditional and modern Indonesian lives are omnipresent, in areas ranging from food and architecture to textile arts. Brought by many generations of Chinese immigrants, here, in the new land, the cultural intricacies of mainland China trickled in and evolved; encountered the local cultures and hybridised.
In the realm of textile arts, the butterfly and phoenix emerged as two of the most prominent Chinese symbols to adorn textiles, ranging from altar cloths to wedding dresses and even children’s pants. The butterfly represents joy and longevity and the phoenix, benevolence and achievement.
Written by two batik connoisseurs, the book is the first documentary account to date to unravel the unique legacy of peranakan culture in Indonesia. With insightful introduction by Indonesia’s batik maestro, the late Iwan Tirta, another fascinating historical narrative of batik Indonesia is unfolded.
The book is illustrated by 200 images of textiles and costumes, making it the most comprehensive visual reference work in this category.