An Introduction

 

The age old unique craft of Batik refers to a technique of printing on cloth using molten wax. Though the motifs traditionally used in Batik have undergone a change over time, the method of printing remains the same. The word Batik has been derived from the Javanese words Amba, meaning to write, and titik, meaning dot or point. This article aims at studying the origin of the ancient craft of Batik, the method, the motifs and the major centres of the same.

 

The origin and chief centres

 

There is a difference of opinion among experts regarding the origin of Batik printing. Some experts opine that this beautiful craft originated in India, while others believe that it originated in Egypt. However, there also a mass, which considers that Batik printing started in Sumeria.

 

Apart from India and Egypt, this craft is also practiced in Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and some regions in Africa such as Nigeria, Cameroon and Mali. Cholamandal in South India is popular for Batik printing.

 

The popularity of Batik increased after it was adopted as a subject at the Shantiniketan University in Calcutta.

 

The craft of Batik became popular in Malaysia around 1913. It is now the primary revenue generator of the country.

 

Java in Indonesia is well known for its exotic motifs, while Malaysian Batiks are popular for their vivid colors.

 

The crew of Malaysias national airlines wears Batik uniforms. Batik clothes are popular souvenir in Malaysia.

 

The technique

 

A special type of resist-dyeing technique is used for Batik printing. Under this technique, parts of plain cloth are covered by wax and then the cloth is dyed. The cloth is later boiled to remove the wax. The areas covered by wax retain their original color, thus creating beautiful designs. Cracks are developed in the wax by crumpling the cloth, leading to seepage of the dye into the area covered by wax. This is one of the distinguishing features of batik printing.

 

Before applying wax on the cloth, the cloth is prepared by starching it. Then it is stretched on a frame and designs are traced on it. Generally, a combination of 70% paraffin wax and 30% beeswax is used for application. This is done because beeswax holds to the fabric and paraffin wax tends to crack, so that the dye can seep in. A lot of caution needs to be exercised while using the wax so as to ensure that overheating does not take place.

 

Initially, manual labor was used to trace the design on the cloth, but in the modern times, blocks are used for this purpose. Batik work is largely done using blocks in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia; however, artisans in Sri Lanka still prefer tracing the design manually.

 

There are various methods of applying wax on the cloth. The Splash method and the Hand-painting method are the most commonly used ones. In case of the Splash method, wax is poured on to the cloth, while in case of the Hand-painting method, a pen is used to coat the cloth with wax.