67 cm (vertical) × 124 cm (horizontal) × 40 cm (shoulder width)
Clothing not only showcases materials and craftsmanship but also embodies history and memory. This black jacket with gold embroidery, tailored in a European style, was actually worn by Javanese court men during ceremonial occasions in the 20th century. The reason why Javanese ultimately put on European-style clothing is explained below.
From the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established Java as a hub for Asian trade. Under Dutch colonial rule, the population was categorized into three groups: Europeans, Natives, and Foreign Orientals. Each group was required to wear its traditional attire, and Javanese people were prohibited from wearing Western-style clothing.
However, by the early 19th century, the Dutch East India Company went bankrupt, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands briefly came under French rule. Dutch King Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (1778–1846) appointed Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels (1762–1818) to govern Java. Daendels diminished the status of the Javanese aristocracy while granting them the Dutch royal coat of arms as a symbol of allegiance to the Kingdom of Holland. Daendels also introduced blue, high-collared, gold-embroidered uniforms inspired by Napoleonic military fashion. Initially, these uniforms were reserved for European civil servants. However, as Dutch colonial control solidified, the Javanese royal court gradually adopted European-style coats for official ceremonies, replacing their traditional court attire. By the early 20th century, European fashion had become widespread across Asia. Surprisingly, the design of this black jacket with gold embroidery traces its origins not to the Netherlands, which ruled Java for over three centuries, but to the brief French administration under Napoleon’s influence.