Shoulder Cloth (selendang) with Design of Diagonal Bands of Animal, Vegetal, and Geometric Motifs

This silk cloth has a rarely seen yellowish-green ground featuring diagonal stripes containing dragons, phoenixes, and leaves. The Chinese-inspired motifs are dyed in an indigo blue so dark that they almost appear black. There is a meander border outlining the central design and imitation fringed ends as well as real fringes of fine threads. This cloth was made in Gresik (known in historical sources as Grissee) near the city of Surabaya in East Java province. Since the 11th century, Gresik has been an international trade center visited by Chinese, Indians, and Arabs, who brought many cultural influences. The silk for this textile was made in China and imported to various ports along the north coast of Java during the 19th and early 20th centuries.