BatikFabric arts from Indonesia & India

What is Batik?Batik is the art of decorating cloth using wax and dye, and has

been practised 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.

The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means to

dot.

Evidence of early examples of batik have been found in the Far

East, Middle East, Central Asia and India from over 2000

years ago. It is conceivable that these areas developed

independently, without the influence from trade or cultural

exchanges. However, it is more likely that the craft spread

from Asia to the islands of the Malay Archipelago and west to

the Middle East through the caravan route. Batik was

practised in China as early as the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618).

They are decorated with trees, animals, flute players, hunting

scenes and stylised mountains.

The Javanese PeopleThe Javanese are the dominant ethnic group of Indonesia. The Austronesian

ancestors of the Javanese arrived perhaps as early as 3000 BC from the

Kalimantan coast. Apparently the island's agricultural bounty was renowned

from the earliest times: "Java" comes from the Sanskrit Yavadvipa ("island of

barley").

Javanese do not use surnames. They go only by a single personal name. Two

examples are the names of twentieth-century Indonesian leaders Sukarno and

Suharto, both Javanese.

Javanese recognize several classes of supernatural beings. Memedis are

frightening spirits. These include the gendruwo, which appear to people as

familiar relatives in order to kidnap them, making them invisible. If the victim

accepts food from the gendruwo, he or she will remain invisible forever.

The greatest spirit is Ratu Kidul, the Queen of the South Sea. She is believed to

be the mystical bride of Java's rulers. Her favorite color is green. Young men

avoid wearing green while at the Indian Ocean shore so that they will not be

pulled down into Ratu Kidul's underwater realm.

Another set of legendary figures are the wali songo. These are the nine holy

men who brought Islam to Java. They are credited with magical powers such as

flying.

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Javanese.

html#ixzz3DOLa1rHh

Dress & CuisineFor everyday wear, Javanese follow the Indonesian style of dress. Men

and women also commonly wear sarongs (a skirtlike garment) in public.

Ceremonial clothing for men includes a sarong, high-collared shirt,

jacket, and a blangkon, a head cloth wrapped to resemble a skullcap.

Women wear the sarong, kebaya (long-sleeved blouse), and selendang

(sash over the shoulder). The woman's hairstyle is called sanggul (long

hair in a thick, flat bun at the back—now achieved with a wig addition).

Handbags are always worn. Traditional dance costumes and wedding

attire leave the chest bare for men and the shoulders bare for women.

The most common meal ingredients are rice, stir-fried vegetables, dried

salted fish, tahu (tofu), tempeh (a bar of fermented soybeans), krupuk

(fish or shrimp crackers), and sambel (chili sauce). Favorite dishes

include gado-gado (a salad of partially boiled vegetables eaten with a

peanut sauce), sayur lodeh (a vegetable and coconut milk stew),

pergedel (fat potato fritters), and soto (soup with chicken, noodles, and

other ingredients). Dishes of Chinese origin are very popular, such as

bakso (meatball soup), bakmi (fried noodles), and cap cay (stir-fried

meat and vegetables). Common desserts are gethuk (a steamed

cassava dish colored pink, green, or white) and various sticky-rice

preparations (jenang dodol, klepon, and wajik).

The Batik ProcessStep 1:

The first wax is applied over the

penciled-in outline of the

pattern. Almost always the

original cloth is white or beige.

The Batik ProcessStep 2:

The cloth is dyed in the first dye

bath. In this case the first

dyebath is indigo blue. The area

of the cloth where the wax was

applied in Step 1 will remain

white.

The Batik ProcessStep 3:

Second application of wax is

applied. In this case it is a dark

brown color. A poorer quality of

wax is used to cover larger

areas of cloth. The darker color

helps to differentiate it from the

first wax applied. Any parts that

are covered with this wax

application will remain the

indigo color.

The Batik ProcessStep 4:

The cloth is dyed in the second

dye bath. In this case it is a

navy blue. Any areas that are

not covered by wax will become

dark blue.

The Batik ProcessStep 5:

All the wax that has been

applied thus far is removed. This

is done by heating the wax and

scraping it off and also by

applying hot water and

sponging off the remaining wax.

The Batik ProcessStep 6:

Wax is applied to the area of the

fabric that the artist wishes to

remain the indigo blue color.

The Batik ProcessStep 7:

Wax is applied to the area of the

fabric that the artist wishes to

remain white.

The Batik ProcessStep 8:

The fabric is submerged in the

final dye bath. In this case it is

brown. Any areas of the cloth

that have not been covered

with wax will become brown.

The Batik ProcessStep 9:

The finished cloth after all of the

wax has been removed.

The Batik Process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAm9Z_GMy3k

Uses for Batik● Clothing

● Furniture

● Tapestry

● Art pieces

Let’s Experiment!● Use white oil pastels to create areas of resist, and then

add a layer of watercolor.

● Once your watercolor is dry, add some more detailed

patterns using oil pastel.

● Add another layer of watercolor and observe the changes

you see!