Batik is a method of decorating fabrics practiced for centuries by the natives of Indonesia using a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. Remnants of clothing found in Java indicate that the same or similar patterns have been in use for about 1,000 years and are passed on in families. Certain designs were traditionally reserved for royalty and high officials. Motifs are geometric or are based on conventionalized natural objects. Cotton cloth is generally used, and some silk. Batik was first brought into Europe by Dutch traders. In the 19th century Western artisans adopted the art.
Javanese traditional batik, especially from Yogyakarta, has special meanings which are rooted to the Javanese idea of the universe. Traditional colours include indigo, dark brown and white, which represents the three major Hindu Gods and certain design, can only be worn by royals. Other regions of Indonesia have their own unique design. Design similar to Indonesian batik are also found in several countries of West Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Mali, and in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma, which shows the influence of the Indonesian batik internationally.
Although the word’s origin of Batik is Javanese, its etymology may be either from the Javanese amba’ (’to write’) and titik (’dot’ or ‘point’), or constructed from a hypothetical Proto-Austronesian root *beCík, meaning ‘to tattoo’ from the use of a needle in the process. The word is first recorded in English in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1880, in which it is spelt battik. It is proved in Indonesian Archipelago of the Dutch colonial period in the various forms mbatek, mbatik, batek and batik
Batik has been both an art and a craft for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the artist may use etching, discharge dyeing, stencils, different tools for waxing and dyeing, wax recipes with different resist values and work with silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper or even wood and ceramics.
Melted wax (Javanese: malam) is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.
Thin wax lines are made with a canting (also spelled tjanting or tjunting), a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. Other methods of applying the wax onto the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax on with a brush, and applying the hot wax to pre-carved wooden or metal wire block (called cap) and stamping the fabric.
After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colours and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called Batik Tulis (Hand Painted Batik).
The invention of the copper block or cap developed by the Javanese in the 20th century revolutionized batik production. It became possible to make high quality designs and intricate patterns much faster than one could possibly do by hand-painting. This method of using copper block to applied melted wax pattern is called Batik Cap (pronounced like “chop”).
Source: Wikipedia and Britannica
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