This contemporary batik sarong in the "mega mendung" Chinese cloud design holds a special place in my heart. It was purchased at a fair in Jakarta in June 1998, when the economic crisis was in full swing and the rupiah eventually crashed to all time lows around 16,000 rupiah to the U.S. dollar. I spent 300,000 rupiah for this beautiful piece from Cirebon in Java, which was probably made in the same year. As a collector, I am not too obsessed with old pieces because good quality traditional Indonesian textiles also deserve recognition.