Lower Body Wrapper (kain panjang) with Design of the “Broken Dagger on Dark Background” (parang curigo latar cemeng) Motif

One variation of the parang rusak (broken dagger) pattern decorates this plain-weave cotton wrapper. Such parang or dagger motifs were once exclusively reserved for royal families and members of the aristocracy in Surakarta and Yogyakarta. Today they can be worn by anyone outside the courts. The parang pattern can be traced back to the legend of Sultan Agung, the 17th-century ruler of the court of Mataram in central Java. It is said the Sultan had an epiphany about the curved wavelike design while meditating. The design is emblematic of royal power and cosmic energy.