The Flight of Swallows on Cloth

A sayut cloth is used as a carrying sling for a child or to carry baskets of food from the field. The structure of the cloth is a representation of the agricultural rice growing landscapes. The macrame fringes are made after the cloth is waved and before the cloth is batiked.

The motif on this batik handspun textile is sri gunting is like a swallow with a split tail like a scissors. This motif symbolizes agility, purity, and energy as forces for improving future prospects. These qualities as embodied by the swallow that flies with great speed and skill, always expressing purity. It is hoped that by wearing this motif, one will be able to emulate the bird’s qualities.

Threads of Life is working to recover the indigo dye recipes with this village in Tuban, Java. Waxed patterns in handspun textile are sent to Bali where the Threads of Life dye studio dyes them and removes the wax.

Information about the makers will be supplied with each cloth.
Batik hand drawn, single panel with macrame and fringing, handspun cotton. Woven and batiked in Tuban, dyed by the Threads of Life Dye Studio in Ubud, Bali, 2019. Size 328 x 53 cm / 129 x 21 in