From about 1840 onwards, batiks found their way from what was called the Netherlands East Indies, then under Dutch colonial rule, to the Netherlands, where they were kept in private and public collections. Owing to Holland's great interest in Batik, Amsterdam's Tropenmuseum now owns a collection of over 3000 pieces. Many represent the major batik centres that emerged on Java, Madura and Sumatra. This book is a rich source of study for scholars interested in the art of batik and the society in which it developed to its high level of perfection.