Bundle of letters and batik

Before Felix Driessen, as the director’s son, would take on more tasks within the LKM factory, the ‘Leidsche Katoenmaatschappij’ (Leiden Cotton Company), he visited South-East Asia. He was charged with the task of mapping the local textile market.

He had to find out: which batiks – and, more importantly, which faux-batiks made by competitors – were sold? What did people actually wear and what remained as deadstock in the trading houses? Felix Driessen reports in the form of letters and starts a sample collection. A small selection is displayed here on the table of the study room of Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken.

Before we follow Felix on his journey, let us first give you some batik background, both about the real and the fake ones...