This sarong belongs to the Peranakan Chinese and would have been worn with a blouse known as a ‘kebaya’. It features a ‘kepala’ (‘head panel’) of alternate green and red diagonal stripes with foliage and floral designs. The rest of the body is decorated with curled tendrils and floral motifs which fill every part of this fabric. Peranakan Chinese batik is noted for its gay colours—such as shades of orange, yellow, pink and mauve—made possible by the use of imported chemical dyes from Europe beginning in the 19th century.
