When was batik started

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So, batik is actually a cloth that is traditionally made using a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. How is batik unique from other cloths? It is crafted in a way such that it has to undergo the delicate and repeated process of waxing dyeing and boiling. As wax works as a colour blocker in the colouring process, it will be used to cover every part of the fabric that does not want to be stained with colours.

Other sub-processes include preparing the cloth, tracing the designs, stretching the cloth on the frame, waxing the area of the cloth that does not need dyeing, preparing the dye, dipping the cloth in die, boiling the cloth to remove wax as well as waxing the cloth in soap. Since batik will be undergoing numerous process of applying wax, dyeing, drying and removing the wax, a more colourful batik fabric indicates it has been through more of the process.

To produce the pattern of figures that are desired, the process has to happen in a precise order along with the order of colours. Batik cloth is very versatile as it can be made into garments, paintings, scarves, bags, table cloths, bedspreads, curtains and other decorative items.

Traditional batik is synonymous with silk or cotton. However, the re-introduction of natural dyes and technique has expanded the scope to include unexpected fabrics like chiffon, velvet, georgette, cheesecloth and voile mostly for fashion apparel. As for batik painting, the most commonly used fabrics are cotton and silk with fabrics such as poplin, voile, rayon, habotai silk, crepe de chine, jacquard and satin.

Instead of being just a handicraft, batik has acquired the status of an art, a versatile medium that can be treated as an ideal hobby for an amateur or a medium of expression for an artist. Instead of being used for just dresses and tailored garments, modern batik is livelier and brighter in the form of murals, wall hangings, paintings, household linen and scarves.

In the hands of a professional, batik can also make your house or office unique and inviting. Batik should also always be kept in clean, tidy, neat and regularly swept environment. In recent years, the Westerners have picked up an interest in batik painting, usually produced in the Canting technique, which has become a highly accomplished art form. Second Period:.

Third Period:. Fourth Period:. Colonialism Era 15th — 19th Century The emergence of Islamic kingdoms influences the conception of Batik motifs and its philosophical meanings. Fifth Period:. Those inherent exceptional values are i Historical production technique, ii Cultural expression and socio-cultural meanings embedded in Batik motifs iii The special wearing rules, and iv Strong characteristics of social empowerment in the batik tradition. References Verlag, M.

Indiennes material for a thousand stories. Swiss National Museum ed. ISBN Idea Code Druding, S. Dye history from BC to the 20th century.

In: Bi-annual gathering of Weavers, dyers, and spinners. Hitchcock, M. Building on Batik: The globalization of a craft community. Routledge, Lestari, N. The most experienced artisans normally do first waxings. Filling in of large areas may be entrusted to less experienced artisans.

Mistakes are very difficult to correct. If wax is accidentally spilt on the cloth, the artisan will try to remove the unwanted wax by sponging it with hot water. Then a heated iron rod with a curved end is used to try and lift off the remaining wax. Spilled wax can never be completely removed so it is imperative that the artisans are very careful. If the cap method is utilized, this procedure is normally done by men.

The cap are dipped into melted wax. Just under the surface of the melted wax is a folded cloth approximately 30 centimeters square. When this cloth is saturated with wax it acts like a stamp pad. The cap is pressed into the fabric until the design side of the cap is coated with wax.

The saturated cap is then stamped onto the fabric, leaving the design of the cap. This process is repeated until the entire cloth is covered. Often cap and canting methods are combined on the same piece of cloth. Better quality batik may be waxed utilizing canting in one part of Indonesia and then sent to another part of Indonesia where the cap part of the process is completed.

On better quality cap fabric great care is taken to match the pattern exactly. Lower grade batik is characterized by overlapping lines or lightened colored lines indicating the cap was not applied correctly. After the initial wax has been applied, the fabric is ready for the first dye bath.

Traditionally dying was done in earthenware tubs. Today most batik factories use large concrete vats. Above the vats are ropes with pulleys that the fabric is draped over after it has been dipped into the dye bath.

The waxed fabric is immersed in the dye bath of the first color. The amount of time it is left in the bath determines the hue of the color; darker colors require longer periods or numerous immersions. The fabric is then put into a cold water bath to harden the wax. When the desired color has been achieved and the fabric has dried, wax is reapplied over the areas that the artisan wishes to maintain the first dye color or another color at a later stage in the dying process.

When an area that has been covered with wax previously needs to be exposed so that it can be dyed, the applied wax is scraped away with a small knife. The area is then sponged with hot water and resized with rice starch before it is re-immersed in the subsequent dye bath. If a marble effect is desired, the wax is intentionally cracked before being placed in the dye bath. The dye seeps into the tiny cracks that create the fine lines that are characteristic of batik.

Traditionally, cracks were a sign of inferior cloth especially on indigo color batik. On brown batik, however, the marble effect was accepted. The number of colors in batik represents how many times it was immersed in the dye bath and how many times wax had to be applied and removed. A multicolored batik represents a lot more work that a single or two-color piece. Numerous dye processes are usually reflected in the price of the cloth. Nowadays, chemical dyes have pretty much replaced traditional dyes, so colors are endless and much more liberally used.

For special occasions, batik was formerly decorated with gold lead or gold dust. This cloth is known as Prada cloth. Gold leaf was used in the Jogjakarta and Surakarta area. The Central Javanese used gold dust to decorate their Prada cloth. It was applied to the fabric using a handmade glue consisting of egg white or linseed oil and yellow earth. The gold would remain on the cloth even after it had been washed. The gold could follow the design of the cloth or could take on its own design.

Older batiks could be given a new look by applying gold to them. Gold decorated cloth is still made today; however, gold paint has replaced gold dust and leaf. Although there are thousands of different batik designs, particular designs have traditionally been associated with traditional festivals and specific religious ceremonies. Previously, it was thought that certain cloth had mystical powers to ward off ill fortune, while other pieces could bring good luck.

Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms as well as their families. Other designs are reserved for the Sultan and his family or their attendants. In general, there are two categories of batik design: geometric motifs which tend to be the earlier designs and free form designs, which are based on stylized patterns of natural forms or imitations of a woven texture.

Nitik is the most famous design illustrating this effect. Certain areas are known for a predominance of certain designs. Central Javanese designs are influenced by traditional patterns and colors.

Batik from the north coast of Java, near Pekalongan and Cirebon, have been greatly influenced by Chinese culture and effect brighter colors and more intricate flower and cloud designs. High fashion designs drawn on silk are very popular with wealthy Indonesians. These exceptionally high-quality pieces can take months to create and costs hundreds of dollars.

Kawung is another very old design consisting of intersecting circles, known in Java since at least the thirteenth century. This design has appeared carved into the walls of many temples throughout Java such as Prambanan near Jogjakarta and Kediri in East Java.

For many years, this pattern was reserved for the royal court of the Sultan of Jogjakarta. The circles are sometimes embellished inside with two or more small crosses or other ornaments such as intersecting lines or dots. It has been suggested that the ovals might represent flora such as the fruit of the kapok silk cotton tree or the aren sugar palm.

Ceplok is a general name for a whole series of geometric designs based on squares, rhombs, circles, stars, etc. Although fundamentally geometric, ceplok can also represent abstractions and stylization of flowers , buds, seeds and even animals. Variations in color intensity can create illusions of depth and the overall effect is not unlike medallion patterns seen on Turkish tribal rugs. The Indonesian population is largely Muslim, a religion that forbids the portrayal of animal and human forms in a realistic manner.

To get around this prohibition, the batik worker does not attempt to express this matter in a realistic form. A single element of the form is chosen and then that element is repeated again and again in the pattern.

Parang was once used exclusively by the royal courts of Central Java. It has several suggested meanings such as 'rugged rock', 'knife pattern' or 'broken blade'. The Parang design consists of slanting rows of thick knife-like segments running in parallel diagonal bands. Parang usually alternated with narrower bands in a darker contrasting color. These darker bands contain another design element, a line of lozenge-shaped motifs call mlinjon. There are many variations of this basic striped pattern with its elegant sweeping lines, with over forty parang designs recorded.

The most famous is the ' Parang Rusak' which in its most classical form consisting of rows of softly folded parang. This motif also appears in media other than batik, including woodcarving and as ornamentation on gamelan musical instruments.

Harsh chemical detergents, dryers and drying of fabrics in the sun may fade the colors in batik. Traditionally dyed batiks should be washed in soap for sensitive fabrics, such as Woolite, Silky or Halus. Fine batik in Indonesia is washed with the lerak fruit which can be purchased at most traditional markets. A bottled version of this detergent is also available at batik stores.

Be sure to line dry batik in a shady area and not in direct sunlight. Modern batik, although having strong ties to traditional batik, utilizes linear treatment of leaves, flowers and birds. These batiks tend to be more dependent on the dictates of the designer rather than the stiff guidelines that have guided traditional craftsmen. This is also apparent in the use of color that modern designers use.

Artisans are no longer dependent on traditional natural dyes, as chemical dyes can produce any color that they wish to achieve.