This postcard was part of a collection compiled by Kano Kokichi (1865–1942), a Japanese anthropologist and educator. It captured the cultural "South Seas Customs" as viewed through a mid-20th-century Japanese lens.
Shown here three women from Sumenep (East Java) wearing traditional garments.
Kain Sarong: They wore vibrant, patterned sarongs (wraparound skirts) made of batik or similar traditional textiles. These are wrapped around the waist and reached to the ankles.
Breast Cloth (Kemben): Two of the women are shown wearing a kemben, a traditional torso wrap that covers the chest. In Javanese history, this was common everyday attire before more modest garments like the kebaya (blouse) became widespread due to Islamic and colonial influences.
Shoulder Cloth (Selendang): All three women use a selendang, a long piece of cloth draped over one shoulder. Historically, these were used both ornamentally and practically for carrying items or children.
NETHERLAND INDIES (now Indonesia) in 1943 during World War II issued a set of local motifs and landmarks, with the top inscription 大日本帝國郵便 (Dainippon Teikoku Yūbin) translating to "GREAT JAPANESE EMPIRE POST".
Stamps shown:
- 5 Sen (Green) depicted a traditional Javanese dancer.
- 10 Sen (Blue) featured the Borobudur temple, a famous 9th-century Buddhist monument in Central Java.
- 20 Sen (Yellow-Green) displayed a decorative emblem incorporating a map of the Indonesian archipelago.
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