The meaning of Batik
Batik is an ancient technique used for dye textiles This method is found in several countries such as Africa, India, Thailand , Malaysia, but is Indonesia the world leader in Batik production ,where is considered as national art. The word batik come 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 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.
Batik Process
The batik process is to produce a design on the fabrics though the use of a dye-resist. The resist ( hot wax) prevents the dye from penetrating the covered areas of the fabric, thus creating the design in negative (only the wax free area get dyed). The fabric is then dipped in a second dye bath. This process is repeated a number of times depending on the numbers of dyes involved.
After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry and then finally the wax is removed, the contrast between the dyed and undyed area makes the design of the fabric.
One of the best effects in the batik work is the ‘crackling’. During the process the wax cracks and let small quantities of dye through, adding an unexpected and interesting effect to any design.
The Cap
The more ancient method is Batik Tulis (the artist paints with a pen the wax ).In 20th century the Javanese people created the Batik Cap. This invention allowed to produce high quality batik designs much faster than hand-painting batik.
The cap is a copper handmade stamp which is used to impress wax patterns onto to the fabrics.It is made from copper strips which are meticulously soled together. The most popular designs are flowers, plants, animals and geometric forms.
The use of Batik
Batik is a fascinating craft to create beautiful rayon, cotton and silk fabrics It is widely used for produce dress, sarongs, scarfs, tablecloths, household accessories, bed covers, wall hangings, curtains, cushions. The use is never ending.
The sarong
A sarong is a large rectangular length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula , the Horn of Africa , and on many Pacific islands
Easy to wear and very sexy ,sarongs are becoming more and more popular all around the world. It is a favourite item for the beach like bathing suit cover–up, blanket, beach towel, beach wrap, dress, skirt, or just for relaxing moments around for the house .