Batik is an art that applies specialized method to dye the fabric, commonly
cotton or silk. The popular batik patterns are flowers, plants, birds,
animals, insects and some of the geometric forms. There are more than 3,000
of such designs or patterns. The invention of computer has added more new
and exciting patterns to the existing collections.
The word batik is believed to be originated from the word 'ambatik',
meaning 'a cloth with little dots'. 'Tik' also mean little dot, drop, point
or to make dots. It is also thought that, batik may have been derived from
the Javanese (in Java) word 'tritik' which means a dying process where the
patterns are done after tying and sewing the areas. It was similar to tie
dye techniques.
True origin of batik is a mystery. Evidence of batik has been found some
2000 years ago in Middle East, India and Central Asia. Batik is most
prevalent on the Indonesian Island of Java. The batik of Indonesia is unique
and unparalleled.
Today, Malaysia and Indonesia is leading in batik industry. The industry is
also thriving in the Philippines, Thailand, Germany, Dutch, China and some
of the African countries. The finest batik cloth is still made in Java,
Indonesia.
Batik Process
In the batik process, the area where the pattern is to be done is not
painted. Instead, wax is applied to the area which has to go pattern-less.
The fabric is then immersed in dye. The area, which is wax-free, gets
colored. The fabric is dried and then heated to remove the wax from the
fabric. The more number of colors the fabric has, the process has to be
repeated.
The ancient method of batik process involved drawing on the cloth with a
wooden pen and then wax it, known as 'canting'. But with the rise of
Industrial Revolution in the 19
th century, large copper stamps,
or 'caps' was developed, which allowed for large scale application of wax.
Previously, batik fabrics and garments were worn by upper class people only
but today it is available for general population.
Batik Methods
There are different ways to create batik. The splash processes of batik
splashes or pours the wax onto the cloth. Stencil is used in screen-printing
process of batik. The hand painting is done with the help of a pen filled
with wax. Scratch and starch resist is some of the other methods involved in
batik painting.
Uses of Batik
Batik is widely used to apparel, home furnishing, canvas, wall hangings,
tablecloths, scarves and household accessories. Batik sarees are very
popular in India as well as around the world. Batik paintings by artists
grace homes and offices.
