Batik

What is it? Specific patters were only allowed to be warn by nobility, such as wider strips or wavy lines of greater width indicated high rank. This was a way people could determine the royal lineage of a person by the clothing he or she was wearing. Batik is the art of dying fabric using a wax resist. The Javanese used the traditional colors of Indigo, dark brown, and white. These three colors represented the three major Hindu Gods

Where is Batik Found?? Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore. Different regions of Indonesia have unique original patterns that usually focus on themes from everyday lives. They tie in patters such as nature, flowers, animals and people. The coastal cities of northern Java display colors of persisir which are especially vibrant. These colors are influenced from the Javanese, Arab, Chinese and Dutch cultures. In the colonial times, persisir batik was a favorite of the Peranakan Chinese, Dutch and Eurasians.

Batik and Wax Dyeing History The type of dyeing which is used in Batik is called using a way resist. This technique in fabric is an ancient art form. This type of art has been discovered to trace all the way to Egypt in the 4th century BCE. Then it was used to wrap mummies; linen was soaked in wax, and scratched using a sharp tool. This technique was also practiced in China during the T’ang dynasty, in India and Japan during the Nara period, in Africa by the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, Soninke and Wolof in Senegal. Historians are not sure when Batik came into existence, but evidence suggest many different possibilities. These possibilities extend to legends such as the story that tells of Laksamana Hang Nadim who was ordered by Malacca Kind, Sutlan Mahmud, to sail to India to get 140 pices of serasah cloth (batik) with 40 types of flowers depicted for each. Unable to find any that fulfilled the requirements, he made up his own. On his return, his ship sank and he only managed to bring four pieces, earning displeasure from the Sultan.

What Kind of Tools are used? Tools called a Tjanting or canting which is pictured below is used to apply the hot wax to the fabric. It is used to create a small thin and precise line and pattern it has a wooden handle with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps.

Technique Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dy. It is very common for artist to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The reason for this is because the beeswax has the ability to hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax allows cracking, which is a huge characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped into the fabric, the dye will penetrate. Thin wax lines are created with a canting,. After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. After it has dried then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax. Many times it is also ironed between paper towels to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character.