Batik is an identity of Indonesia

Indonesia is a multicultural country which consists of thousand islands and tribes. The differences of demography and geography cause cultural differences, including the outfits worn by each tribe. Batik is one of the outfits that are quite popular, and its popularity has been known worldwide.

If you watch TV and see the President of Indonesia talking in public or in international conferences, you may see him wearing such an ethnic shirt with unique motifs. That is what so called batik, the national clothes of Indonesia citizens.

In some occasions, Indonesian may wear their traditional outfits, such as kebaya, baju kurung, ulos, etc. But when they come to national events, batik talks much. This outfit is a symbol of unity. It is a uniform which is considered as a must. This is a way to show how proud they are to be Indonesia citizens.

Indonesian Batik has been claimed as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity for all the techniques, technology, motif development, and the cultural values needed to make a piece of it. It is because the process includes two factors: coloring techniques and the choice of the motifs. This step is not easy since every motif should have a characteristic.

Indonesian believe that the existence of Batik started in Majapahit era, and increasingly popular in the end of 18th century or he beginning of 19th century. Batik was actually purely handmade, but later on, as the technology has developed, it is mostly printed. What supports this change the most is the amount of orders. The handmade ones do need long time of painting, but the printed ones need shorter time.

Years ago, batik was only worn in formal occasions. At that time, Indonesian tend to choose batik instead of tuxedo or other formal outfits. But today, batik is even worn by students and employees as their uniform in certain days, such as every Friday.

In some families, Batik is even considered as a tradition. It makes them have their own motifs which are different from other families. It is like their identity, since the motifs can even show their economical status. Until now, the traditional motifs are still used by the family of Yogyakarta and Surakarta residence. Batik is probably the most unique outfit you have ever known. Where else you can find that brands do not talk much, but motifs do?

Indonesia batik scarf

The batik scarf has been becoming a popular fashion accessory in the modern world today. While both batik designs and the humble scarf is steeped in tradition, they combine to produce the batik scarf which can add an exotic touch to the wardrobe.

Batik products have their roots in a type of dye technique called the wax resist dye method. This technique was first seen in ancient Egypt where they were used to wrap the bodies of various mummies at the time. Today however, there are two main centers of batik production, India and South East Asia.

The main producers of the best products are from India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The most highly sought types are those that are produced in Indonesia. Indonesia has a rich history of batik making that can be traced centuries back.

Like Malaysia, batik products in Indonesia were traditionally worn by people from nobility and aristocrats. This is still seen today as batik is still a popular choice among politicians attending social functions as well as the respective nobility.

Batik shirts and attire are viewed as formal wear in Indonesia and Malaysia and is very much a part of their cultures. Undoubtedly, the most highly sought after examples are those that are produced in Indonesia. They have some of the best designs that are influenced by religion and culture from specific regions such as Bali and Java.

While batik products have never been widespread globally, they have become much more accessible to just about anyone from any country. One of main reasons for increased accessibility is undoubtedly the internet. Such goods along with fashion ideas travel through this medium increasingly nowadays which may be why the batik scarf has slowly been making inroads. While not very popular in the West, used correctly, the batik scarf can add glamor and sophistication as day wear or even during formal functions.

Batik Print

Batik has its origins in medieval Egypt but is currently seen Asian countries as a key center of manufacturing. In Indonesia, only members of the royal family used batik works of art in the old days because they are considered stylish to have a special meaning to their wearers. Despite the fact that the craft originated form Egypt, has traveled to other regions of the world such as Asia and Africa. This has provided any particular piece of batik with a unique and distinctive pattern or design of each region is very appealing to religion and culture, especially a typical city of Pekalongan.

Batik Print

Batik prints are not just used in various types of clothing such as shirts, scarves and dresses but it is also used for furniture, pictures along with wall hangings. Batik is usually a incredibly labor demanding procedure that produces gorgeous and distinctive patterns on permeable materials such as cotton as well as silk. At the start, cloth, normally white or cream in color is cleaned in boiling water to remove all traces of many other materials such as starch before the procedure commences.

Pattern of batik print

The preferred pattern is traced on the chosen material while areas of the material that are not be colored are lightly brushed with paraffin (melted) and also wax (Beeswax etc) to avoid them becoming blemished. This is done using an ordinary brush or sometimes, a traditional canting pen. The temperature of the wax is controlled at a specific temperature all the way through.

Color of batik print

Once the wax cools and hardens eventually, the dyeing procedure may then begin. This is done by putting the textile in the dye, with lighter color used initially before moving on to darker ones. If immersed for extended periods of time, the resulting color is intensified. The process carries on right until the specific color and desired intensity is achieved. Once this is done, the wax must be removed somehow. This can be done by using a hot iron.

The meaning of batik

What is batik?

I can safely make this statement that while many people know or have heard about this word, especially so here in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, but many people do not, or rather, have got a wrong misconception of batik itself.

In my discussions with friends and general public, many people have mistaken batik with batik design/ batik designs or even batik fabric.

History has it that batik is an old craft that dates centuries back. Batik is actually a hand-drawn and hand-painted technique, which uses wax.

The wax is a form of 'resist' method, and the purpose of this method is so that when colour is put on a certain spot on the fabric, it does not run to the other part. Let's take an example - an artist is is going to draw a floral motif and he wants the background blue eg. the motif of a flower (a yellow flower with a green stalk).

Now, imagine that the artist will be drawing on a white piece of cloth. The artist will first draw the outline of the motif (ie. the flower & stalk) with wax. And later, he will start to paint, starting with the yellow colour of the flower. What the wax does is to hold the yellow in place, so that it will not run to the green stalk. And when he paints with green next, the same thing applies, that is the green will not flow to the yellow flower. Finally, he paints the blue background.

And of course, the artist will later have to wash the wax off the cloth, hence leaving that part which was originally covered with wax back to its original white fabric colour. Hence, the white outline for the motif. And that is all it is to the meaning of batik.

However as mentioned earlier, a lot of people mistake batik with batik design/ batik designs especially if they see a traditional or floral type motif, or patterns on a cloth that have white outlines. These may or may not necessary come from the 'batik' technique, as it could come from modern day print.

In addition, just because these prints have the more traditional motifs/ patterns, don't mistake them to come from the art form of batik.

In fact, there are modern designs, which actually are made from the batik technique as well. But people do not know it is so because it does not have the traditional look and feel to it.

So my suggestion to you that if you appreciate art, and batik in particular, first be aware whether the fabric you buy really comes from the batik art. And secondly to be open minded to embrace the change in modern times that batik need not necessary relate just to old motif/ patterns.

Process of making batik cap

Introduction If you are passionate about textiles with exotic color and texture the chances are good you have a special love for batiks. It's easy to be captivated by these stunning color-saturated marvels. While there always seems to be a place in a batik lover's stash for a new "Bali" few of us know much about the fascinating, time-honored processes that are used to make our batik fabrics. In order to discover where the batiks in our local fabric store come from, let's take a virtual trip into an Indonesian batik factory.

Batik making process

Batik making is an ancient art for embellishing cloth through the use of wax, (or other media that creates resist), and dyes. While batik fabric is produced in India, China, Thailand and in several African nations, it is most renowned in Indonesia and Malaysia. In these areas there are two basic processes used to produce batik fabric; Batik Tulis (hand drawn batik) and Batik Cap (stamped batik). This article will focus on the production of stamped batik.

Batik cap process

Stamping, involves the application of molten wax to cloth with the use of a metal or wooden stamp called a cap, (Pronounced Chap). The cap is a cookie cutter-like devise that is created in the image of the batik motif that it intends to produce. The stamping process begins with the preparation of the cloth.

Nyolet or coloring process

Cloth Preparation and Application of Base Colors Raw fabric must first be prepared before it can undergo batik production. The prep involves the removal of impurities and starch. Often this is done by bleaching the fabric before it arrives at the batik factory. If the base cloth is heavily starched it may be washed to improve the penetration of the dye to those parts of the cloth left un-waxed. After fabric prep it's often necessary to apply base colors to the fabric before the wax is applied. The base colors fill the surface area inside of the motif positions that are eventually shaped by the wax resist (we can called this process nyolet). In situations when the base color must be applied the fabric is often placed on the factory floor.

Mopok Process

The Application of wax After the base colors have been applied to the prepped fabric, it's time to apply the wax. Usually the fabric is draped over a padded table which provides the necessary give to the pressure of the stamp. Before it is melted, the wax is in the form of blocks. The wax blocks are placed in an open pan called a Wajan that sits on top of a small barbecue-like stove. The wax is applied to the fabric after it is melted to the right consistency. The batik artisan dips the stamp into the pan until its surface is covered with molten wax and applies the stamp to the cloth (its called "mopok process)". The artisan must carefully dovetail the wax impression into the ones that have already been created to avoid unsightly gaps in the repeat of the motif.

Dyeing After the wax has been applied, the cloth is ready to be over-dyed. The dyes are color matched by staff members and than applied in large cement baths. Areas covered by wax will resist the dyes and will create the shapes of the desired motifs. The dyeing process is repeated several times depending upon the colors and complexity of the design. Occasionally a final application of black or other dark color is made to emphasize the design elements of the pattern.

lorod process

Removal of the Wax After the cloth has been rinsed and dried, the wax is removed entirely by dipping in hot water(called "lorod process". The wax is often saved and re-used. The cloth is then washed with a mild detergent, rinsed to remove excess dye and hung in the sun to dry. Creases may be removed by an electric press. The fabric is later rolled on tubes and packed for export.

New Frontiers While Indonesian batik-making has been ongoing for centuries it is undergoing a period of dynamic change owing to the needs and creativities of home sewing enthusiasts around the world. Old batik techniques are given new applications and new base fabrics expand the potential uses of batik. Western fabric companies now offer 108"-wide batik backing, batik flannel, silk batik and many new thematic groups of stamped batiks and hand-dyed batik. All-inall it's an exciting time of renewal for this ancient fabric making process.