‘Signature’ of the creative mind

It was common for the signature of the batik maker to be included in the product during the 1900-1910. The signature not only proved the authenticity of certain batiks for the buyer, but also served as a sign of approval in quality control by the batik boss and presumably as a mark that the craftswoman could not use the cloth for another patron. However, in reality many batik designs were copied and reproduced.

As we know, this batik is signed ‘J. Jans’. Different collections house batiks signed in this same way, but, there are also batiks that originate from J. Jans’ batik workshops that have slightly different variations of the name (see the images above).

Veldhuisen theorized in his book “Batik Belanda” that the different signatures also functioned as a timeline of J. Jans’ batik production. He writes that the signature “Wed. J. Jans” was used after 1885 - after the death of J. Jans’ husband. However, she returned to her original signature, just ‘J. Jans’, in 1900 or early 1901.

There was a rising demand for batiks during the era, and the craft was of great importance to the community. Batik became a collector’s item and fashion statement - both locals and foreigners enjoyed wearing batik to show they were part of the community. An extensive collection meant there was an appropriate sarong for every occasion. Women invested their money in batik and jewelry, items that could also be pawned for emergencies or given as a gift.

It was rumored that women in that time would display their cabinets full of batik collections and show the details and signatures from the manufacturers. The extensive amount of batik in their cabinets reflected their social position and wealth - some patterns and type of kebaya could even imply a specific social class and ethnicity (but that’s for another story).