The Research Center for Material Culture in Leiden is researching the Indo-European influence on Javanese batik making practices. Batik is a decorated plain fabric created using wax-resist dyeing techniques and was added to UNESCO's Intangible Heritage of Humanity list in 2009. G.P. Rouffaer and H.C. Veldhuisen noted an Indo-European influence on batik, with Von Franquemont's workshop being the oldest and most influential. The color scheme used by Von
Franquemont matched that of Indian chintz, and her green shade, known as Prankemon green, was particularly striking. The recipe for this green color was allegedly a secret that was lost after Von Franquemont's death. The conducted research is to determine what Prankemon green is made of and to attribute the colour to the workshop or debunk dyestuff myths surrounding its creation.
Studies of five cotton batik sarongs (collection: NMvW Leiden and World Museum Rotterdam) show that all the colors were made from natural dyes, most likely locally sourced.
Literature research provided insights on how the green colour was being made at the time Von Franquemont was active and before that date. There is no evidence that Von Franquemont invented the manner in which a natural green colour was produced. The dyestuff used for the blue colour is called Tarum (Indigofera tinctoria L.). Tegèran (Maclura cochinchinensis (Lour.)) and tarum (Indigofera tinctoria L.) were used for dyeing the green colours.
As in literature it was found that curcuma or mengkudu heart-wood was added to the indigo fermentation vat in some sarongs, this was done to protect it from insects and worms. For the ochre colours in the sarongs. Tegèran (Maclura cochinchinensis (Lour.)) alone is used. For red dyeing different kinds of menkudu’s (Morinda umbellata L. and/or Morinda citrifolia L) were used, either alone or in mixtures.
On the basis of the results there are strong indications that the investigated batiks were all made in different dyeing workshops. Indeed, different dyeing techniques and ingredients could be distinguished. This also applies for the green colors used for the making of these batiks, no synthetic dyes were used to dye this textile. They cannot be attributed to one workshop. It also can be establish that the sarongs were made in different workshops. Suggesting that the green
color could be achieved with local plant source in different (traditional) ways and that this colour is not an exception that could have been attributed to one batik workshop
Met medewerking van Sabine Bolk, kunstenaar, batikonderzoeker en Research Associate bij Research Center for Material Culture (RCMC) - Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen
