Batik Totally Explained

Everything about Batik totally explained

Batik (pronunciation: [ˈba.teʔ], but often, in English, is [ˈbæ.tɪk] or [bəˈtiːk]) is a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. Batik is found in several countries of West Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Mali, and in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. However, it's in Indonesia that it's considered a national art form.

Etymology

Although the word's origin 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's spelt battik. It is attested in the Malay of the Dutch colonial period in the various forms mbatek, mbatik, batek and batik. The word is now used in both contemporary Indonesian and Malay languages.
Batik is believed to have originated in China, or more specifically in Yunnan. Until these days, batik is still the main attire of the Yunnan women and they consider batik as one of their heritage. This maybe due to the weaving machine invented by the Chinese that spurred the production of fabrics in Asia, including batiks and sarongs before they made their ways to neighboring people in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia and finally Indonesia.

Culture

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.

Procedure

Melted wax (Javanese: malam) is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of bees wax and paraffin wax. The bee's wax 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 won't penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.
   Thin wax lines are made with a canting needle (or a tjanting tool), 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 precarved wooden or metal wire block and stamping the fabric.
After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it's dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called Batik Tulis (lit: Written Batik).
   The invention of the copper block or cap developed by the Javanese in the 20th century revolutionised 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 patern is called Batik Cap (pronounced like "chop").
   Indonesian batik used for clothing normally has an intricate pattern. Traditionally, wider curves were reserved for batik produced for nobles. The traditional cloth has natural colors (tones of indigo and brown) while contemporary pieces have more variety of color.
   Javanese batik typically includes symbols. Some pieces may be mystic-influenced, but very rarely used for clothing. Some may carry illustrations of animals.

References and further reading

Elliott, Inger McCabe. (1984) Batik : fabled cloth of Java photographs, Brian Brake ; contributions, Paramita Abdurachman, Susan Blum, Iwan Tirta ; design, Kiyoshi Kanai. New York : Clarkson N. Potter Inc., ISBN 0517551551
Fraser-Lu, Sylvia.(1986) Indonesian batik : processes, patterns, and places Singapore : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195826612
Doellah, H.Santosa. (2003). Batik : The Impact of Time and Environment, Solo : Danar Hadi. ISBN 9799717310

Further Information

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