Extension: Getting to know the person behind it…

Acquisition Leidsche Katoenmaatschappij (“Leiden Cotton Company”, LKM for short)- 1932

Written by: Sabine Bolk

This batik was entered into the collection of the Wereldmuseum (“World Museum”) in 1932. According to the museum's annual report of that year, these and other purchased batiks were “chosen as a typological addition to the very large Museum collection from the property of the Leidsche Katoenmaatschappij made available for this purpose." According to the former curator of the museum, Alit Djajasoebrata, the cloths date from the last quarter of the 19th century. She writes in a report about this collection that the Leidsche Katoenmaatschappij (LKM) brought them together to serve as examples for the production of export cotton intended for Java. The Batik of J. Jans is, however, nowadays dated 'ca 1930'. According to my findings, both dates are incorrect.

Ca. 1930

The sale of the batiks coincided with the end of the LKM. The LKM was officially liquidated on July 28, 1936, but production at the factory had already stopped in 1932. Read more about this in the story ‘Batik production process in six cloths’ If the batik signed J. Jans is from ca. 1930, when was the batik purchased by the LKM? And when was it made by J. Jans?

In Arlene’s story we can read that J. Jans sold her batik factory between 1911 and 1915 to a certain 'Mrs Wiler'. Mrs Wiler would go on to sell the batik factory to Jacqueline van Ardenne in 1915, according to Veldhuisen in his book 'Batik Belanda'. Unfortunately, there is no other source on this besides what was written by Veldhuisen.

It is known that many batik factories halted production between 1914 and 1930. First of all due to the scarcity of material to be able to make batik at all during the First World War and then due to the subsequent years of financial crisis.

Regardless of whether Mrs. Jans sold her batik factory: she also departed for the Netherlands. We don't know exactly when. A newspaper advertisement from Het Vaderland shows that Mrs. Jans, or Adelheid Johanna Paulina Veenstra, widow of Theodorus Hendrikus Jans, died in The Hague on December 2, 1933. It is therefore more likely that the batik is from before 1930. But when was it made?

Last quarter of the 19th century

First of all we want to know when it was even possible to purchase a batik signed by J. Jans. We do not know exactly when she started her batik business, but there are sources that give us an indication.

Veldhuisen dates batiks signed by J. Jans as early as 1870. Hence the 'last quarter of the 19th century' date of Djajasoebrata for this batik. A newspaper article from 1897 states: “when left behind as a widow in wretched circumstances with five young children, she {the Widow Jans} was the first {European} who devoted herself to that profession and who brought it to the greatest height.” She only became a widow around 1885, according to Veldhuisen. The article also states that there is "no more welcome gift for female relatives' birthdays" than a batik from Jans. This is also evident from the advertisements that appeared from 1890 in various newspapers published in the former Dutch East Indies. See also the ad in Arlene's story.

The Soerabaiasche Kunsthandel (“Surabaya Art Dealer”) states that Sinterklaas (“Saint Nicholas”) purchases can best be done there, because they have batik products from the “well-known and famous batik factory richly decorated with gold and silver”. Link

Jans was therefore certainly active at the end of the 19th century, but we do not yet know exactly when she started. Now the question remains: when was the batik made and bought? A letter from the Erfgoed Leiden (“Leiden Heritage”) collection gave me the hint for a possibly different and even more precise date.

Dear Brothers

“Visited Mrs. Jans' batik factory, which produces peculiar colors through the interaction of mixed kudu, indigo and soga. She {oils} her cloth for 40 days and I will send you a sample of it.”

Thus written by Peter August Driessen (1871-1935) on April 19, 1902 to his 'Dear Brothers'. This letter comes from a folder that is kept at Erfgoed Leiden. The bundle reads: ‘Reports Dr. PA Driessen Indies Journey 1901/2'. The letters, which can also be seen as reports, similar to the letters sent by his brothers, were sent from various destinations around the world. This letter was written on stationery from the 'Jacobson, van den Berg & Co' company, a company that traded among other things in imitation batiks in the former Dutch East Indies. Read more in the story 'Fake Batik' Sometimes he signs with P. August Driessen, sometimes a composite AD or a simple August. August Driessen was a professor in Chemistry and later also worked for the German manufacturer Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik (BASF), which produced various synthetic dyes.

August had 9 brothers, some of whom died young and some of whom were not employed by the LKM. With ‘Dear brothers', I think August is addressing his older brothers, the joint directors of the LKM, Felix Hendrik August (1855-1936) and Carl Theodorus Driessen (1858-1936). His brother Felix is particularly interested in dyeing processes. Whether he sent him a sample of the oil or a piece of cloth has not yet been determined.

But the assumption is that the batik of this story was also bought at that time. After all, Jans' batik has the natural color composition that August describes, with the red coming from mengkoedoe, blue from Indigo and brown from Sogan. In addition, around that time a visit to, with a subsequent purchase at, Mrs. Jans was no exception. In 1903 Jans herself advertised with the message that a visit to her factory was recommended (see image). In 1912, the governor-general visited the batik factory. The Dutch newspaper reported on 'The Journey of the Land Guardian'; “After a tour of the workshops, Mrs. Jans led the important visitor into one of the large rooms, where several neat batik works were exhibited. Z.E. further proved his interest by choosing some beautiful works of art in white, including a few table runners, among which so-called prada, a batik decorated with gold. The adjutants also took this opportunity to take a memento of Pekalongan with them.”

It therefore seems that the batik is from after 1900, and it is therefore proposed that the official dating of this batik should be around 1900.