Batik

Historical / Cultural Significance

The word batik is derived from a Malaysian word meaning a resist process. Little is known about the origin, however it is believed that batiks have been produced in Java since they were introduced from China or India in the 12th Century. Java is the only place where batik production is still widely practiced today. Batik prints have grown in popularity world-wide and are an important export product to the Javanese economy.

Batik clothing was traditionally worn by nobility and wealthy Javanese. The traditional methods of production involve intricate elegant hand-drawn designs that were labour intensive and time consuming to create. The cloth was very expensive and therefore not usually worn by the average Javanese.

Batik is traditionally done by men.

Principles and Elements of Design

Line, color, shape and form.

Techniques and Methodology

Hot wax design is applied to cloth over areas in which the original color is to remain. Depending on the type of cloth, both sides may need to be waxed. The cloth is then immersed in a cold dye bath. The cloth is then hung to dry and hot wax design is then applied to the cloth over the areas the second color is to remain. Cloth is then immersed in a second dye bath and again hung to dry. Wax and dye process can be repeated for as many colors as desired, usually only 3-4 colors are used. When a design is complete and the cloth is dry, paper is placed over the cloth and ironed to remove the wax.

For early and late primary, crayons can replace hot wax and watercolor can replace dyes.