Batik is an art medium and methodology for creating design, usually on cloth, by applying wax to portions of the material and then dyeing it, then removing the wax. This can be done to make vibrant colors and incredible designs.
Batik cloth may be divided into two principal groups according to its production method. The first and oldest method of production is called ‘Batik Tulis’ which involves the application of wax via a small copper tool called a ‘canting’ (pronounced chanting). Used somewhat like a pen, the canting has a small reservoir to hold hot wax which is then drawn directly onto the cloth. The second method is called ‘batik cap’ (pronounced chop) or stamp which is made from tiny strips of copper, welded together to form a design with a handle attached to the back. The completed cap is dipped in hot wax and repeatedly stamped onto cloth to form a pattern.
After waxing the cloth is dipped in liquid dye baths or handpainted on frames. In Malaysia exclusive batik is coloured by hand, with the wax forming a barrier between colours. The number of colours which can be applied on an intricate design is almost unlimited and the process of adding water and secondary colours to create shadowing is one of the most beautiful aspects of batik.
Indonesia, most particularly the island of Java, is the area where batik has reached the greatest peak of accomplishment. The Dutch brought Indonesian craftsmen to teach the craft to Dutch warders in several factories in Holland from 1835. The Swiss produced imitation batik in the early 1940s. A wax block form of printing was developed in Java using a cap.
By the early 1900s the Germans had developed mass production of batiks. There are many examples of this form of batik as well as hand-produced work in many parts of the world today. Computerisation of batik techniques is a very recent development.
