The History of Wonderful Batik from Indonesia

When we discuss about clothes, we talk about something that cover our body and become the important factor of the look that we have. Yes, by wearing attractive clothing, we also get beautiful look. Today, yow will discover many kind of fashion art. They all  are wonderful. but, there’s one fashion art that make all people that wear it seems more stylish, traditional as well as natural. The fashion art that we’re discussion here is batik. This is one of the old fashion artwork from Indonesia. But now, batik is generally known as the world heritage. And, lots of people all over the world, including Hollywood celebrity, wear this wonderful art of fashion.

JLA Brandes and F.A. Sutjipto, both of them are archeologist from Dutch and Indonesia, said that the story of batik in Indonesia started in 6th to 7th century. Although the system to use wax on fabric was found in Egypt  in the 4th century ( for fabric that use to wrap the mummy) and similar method that also found in India, batik in Indonesia is the original art from Indonesia. It’s not just many ancient kingdom that use batik clothing as the royal clothes, but, there’re many areas and island in Indonesia that also has this fashion art. Therefore, the opinion that says that this art was brought by merchant form India and Sri Lanka can’t be true. The first batik pattern that has been found and named was “gringsing” pattern. It was found in Kediri in 12th century. Then the Europe knows about Batik for the first time in 1817. It was promoted by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles with his book “History of Java” that published in London. Batik also brought to other country by Javanese immigrant. They introduce this artwork in 1920 in eastern coast of Malaysia. Today, this art grow in that country. And then, batik has become known world-wide, when Dutch and English trader brought it to the Africa in 19th century. In 1970, batik was introduced to aboriginal community in Australia. And today, bajubatik and batik art become one of world heritage and known as the original art from Indonesia.

The growth of batik fashion art was decreasing in earlier 90’s. It’s because most of people in Indonesia prefer to choose western style clothes. So, the traditional batik almost became extinct at that time. Many batik industries closed down their business because there’re no demands. But, now, the industry has recovered and reaches its rapid growth. It’s all because, many fashion designer from Indonesia aware about the batik art value and try to protect it by apply it on their design, such as kaos batik and pakaian batik, which is t-shirt with batik pattern that many teenager love. And we can gladly say that now, batik is safe for the future.

It's Simple To Make A Special Batik Clothes

Do you know batik? Yes, it’s one of wonderful fabric pattern that comes from Indonesia. Batik was used for many purposes in the past, like show your social status. But, today, batik is used for fashion purpose. You can add it on your clothes for making it seems beautiful or use it as accent. The Indonesia government use batik as their formal clothes. But, there’re also many companies that product batik for non-formal occasion, such as batik in t-shirt and even batik shoes. But, one thing for sure, batik is beautiful art that you can put on your clothes. If you like it, you can purchase it online. Now, you can find many online stores that provide this product. Or, you can visit Indonesia embassy. They often held an event that promotes Indonesia culture. At there, you can find and buy batik that you want. However, if you’re one of DIY person, you can make your own batik. Here’re few things that you need to make your own batik.

There’re several materials that you need to prepare to make your batik clothes. Don’t need to worry, all of them are simple material and easy to get. First is cloth. You can use silk, cotton or mixture of polyester fabric. Next is pencil for drawing the design. Canting for painting batik on the fabric, Gawangan for hanging your fabric (you can use anything to put your fabric, as long you can paint the batik easier), small pan and small stove. The paint material is just liquid wax and solvent dyes. You might think that’s one of hard material list to get. But, don’t need to worry. Internet has they all  and they’re also inexpensive. Now, let’s move to the process to create batik. First, you need to create pattern with pencil. Don’t make your own pattern yet, if this is your first time. It would be better, if you use pattern that already exist. So, when you can draw batik better, you can create your own pattern. Next, melt the wax and use it with the Canting to draw by following the pattern that you have made on the fabric. Use it for detail section and brush for larger section and for colorless section, you need to cover it with wax, so, when you dye the fabric, it won’t get dyed as well. After you finish all that process for making pakaian batik, you need to put it in the solvent dye. After that, let it dry.

Now, after it’s dried, you need to boil it in hot water. It’s for removing the wax. And last step, you need to wash it clean, before you wear it. Now, you have your own fabric for making kaos batik or scarf. It’s pretty simple, isn’t it?

Beautiful Batik Design from All Region in Indonesia

There’re various beautiful art that comes from ancient time that we can find throughout the world. One of them is Batik clothing. This is the beautiful painting methods on fabric that comes from Indonesia. Nowadays, you can discover this methods used on many type modern trendy clothes. But, the usage of Batik isn’t limited on the scarf or fabric as the main material to make clothes. But, Batik clothing also used as the accent to modern clothes. It can become a very interesting point of view of clothes or Batik also can give traditional, natural and even elegant touch on clothes. In Indonesia, where Batik comes from, there’re a lot of type that you can find. But, you might only know this art from Java. Actually, other area like Bali and Sumatra has its own Batik design. It’s not so surprising. As we all know, in Indonesia there’re more than hundred different tribes and culture.

The Batik from Bali has great influence from Java Batik. Although Bali is known with its great sculpture art, the art painting also becomes one of the important cultures in this island. It uses same wax like Java Batik to create clothes. But, there’s one different wax that used in Batik Bali. It’s called, ikat or tie dye. The Batik Bali with using this wax has bright and vibrant color. There’s also gradation on the pattern. It’s simple, but, very fascinating. In Sumatra, there’re a lot of kinds of Batik. There’s Jambi Batik. This pattern has same style with Batik that you can find in Malaysia. There’s also Minangkabau Batik. It’s unique technique, where the artist uses clay for painting batik pattern. The pattern that uses in this style mostly is animal and plants. In Java itself, there’re also a lot of types of Batik style you can find. But, they all  can be categorized into two groups. The first group is Priangan or Sundanese Batik. It’s the batik design that can be found on the western part of Java Island. Most of batik pattern that used in this style is swirling plant and animal, especially peacock and butterfly. They’re visualized this batik pattern style with natural style. So, you really can find picture of animal or plant on the fabric. The other group is Java Batik. Mostly it can be found in Eastern part of Java Island. There’re many pattern style in this group, such as Kraton style, which only wear by royal family, Java Hokokai, which is pakaian batik that has great influence from Chinese and Japan, and many more.

However, if we want to count how much batik style in Indonesia, it will need lot of time. As we all know, batik industry in Indonesia is starting to move. There’re many new batik clothes, like kaos batik, and also new batik pattern that created by fashion designer from Indonesia.

Several Type of Batik Clothing in Indonesia

Do you know batik? Yes, it’s the most beautiful arts on fabric that you can find in Indonesia. Batik gives your clothes some attractive, natural and traditional design. But, batik also can be used to make your clothes looks elegant. Actually, if you apply batik in some way, you can make any appearance that you want. Therefore, it’s the art of painting on fabric that we need to protect. In Indonesia, batik was originally created for royal family clothes. But, that was in the past. Today, batik are available on many media, from clothes, t-shirt to the product packaging. If you look at the pattern on batik artwork, you will find a lot of kinds of them. But, there is actually the difference between the styles that used on batik art with the purpose of the clothes where the batik was placed on.

The first type of batik is “Kraton” type. It’s batik pattern that used for royal family who live in “Keraton” or palace in Javanese language. This batik type uses geometric pattern. This pattern is symbolized the wisdom and high spiritual thought. And like mentioned before, this batik category used by royal family. If commoners dare to wear this pattern, they will be punished. Fortunately, that rule was gone hundred years ago. Nowadays, we can wear this type of batik and other batik type that we like. No need to worry about punishment. In Java there’re two types of Batik Kraton. There’s Surakarta that use brown and indigo blue pattern and Jogjakarta also use brown and indigo blue, but, there’re several part that left in white. Next category is Batik Pesisiran. It’s combination between Kraton type and flora fauna motif. It got great influence from Chinese merchant that comes to Indonesia. Therefore, the pattern also has some oriental feeling in it. There’s also Batik Saudagaran. It’s batik that used by merchant as the product that they sell. Using Kraton type batik combined with flora, fauna and figures motif. And the last type of batik is the Batik Petani or Farmer Batik. This is the batik clothes and style that wear by commoners. Most of this batik is not as ideal as other type of batik. But, it’s inexpensive and because of that, most people in low level society can get and wear it. Unlike the Kraton type, this type was considered as merely clothes. So, it doesn’t show the status of someone that wears it. Therefore, it can work with any people who love baju batik.

The entire rule on wearing kaos batik and also many type of batik that mentioned above was only existed in the past. Today, when batik is widely known not only in Indonesia, but also the world, people can get any type that they want. And even, many batik artists have succeed to created new kind and pattern.

Talk about ways of making batik clothing

Making batik clothing through several processes that must be done. Not too difficult to make batik. To make batik then at first must be prepared cloth. Cloth is a plain white-colored fabric. Cloth is used a basic fabric in the manufacture of batik. Cloth can be found easily in many places that sell cloth. Usually in the wholesale market that specifically sell the cloth as a base for making batik. Cloth is one type of fabric made from cotton.

Cotton is a kind of part of the cotton plants are often found in the tropics. Cotton can be found easily in the tropics. As the development of manufacturing technology of batik clothing the basic fabric that can be used to manufacture batik not have to use a cloth made of cotton it. People who make it can use other materials that could be used as a basis for making cloth batik. Other material used as the base fabric in the manufacture of such it is silk. Silk fabric is very nice and has a high selling price. Usually, used as a manufacture of silk cloth of batik is to provide demand for those who have a high economic capability. That's because the price is expensive for batik clothing made from silk fabric.

The liquid wax is a material used to form the motif on it. The use of liquid wax is something unique that used in the manufacture batik. It gives additional appeal to the it so many people are interested in buying it. Usually people who want a distinctive characteristic of the clothes they wear. There are a variety of motifs used on batik. The use of wax with the aid of a canting is a means used to create subtle motif. It is a technique used since a long time and can produce good work and high artistic merit.

Canting is a special tool used in the manufacture batik and not used in the manufacture of other types of clothes than batik. As for the motive of large size than can use other tools besides canting. Another tool that is used as a maker of large patterns is a brush. By using a brush then a batik maker can make a big motifs with ease. By using both types of tools are then its makers could absorb the wax on the fabric used as material for making batik. This can be done easily by using both these tools. If not found these two types of tools that then its makers will find it difficult when making pakaian batik.

Staining performed after the liquid wax on batik. Staining is done by using a dye by dipping it in water that has been given dye. In this way then the color can be done easily without using a lot of time to do it. Of course it is a good technique and is widely used by makers in making batik. Young Colors is a color that is usually used by the early makers of it when it started to give coloring to the base fabric. By using the color of the young baju batik makers could easily give other colors that are brighter and provide attraction for users of it. With the use of bright colors are attractive it will be able to provide a specific characteristic of a good and adds to the appeal for these products.

Talk About Style of Batik Clothing

There are various shades of batik clothing that we can meet in the market. In addition to the various shades of its kind in batik also there are also different colors, too. There are several possibilities that cause a wide range of patterns and colors in batik clothing. One that might be the cause of differences in style and color batik is the presence of foreign influence, both directly and indirectly. If there is no foreign influence from the style and color of various kind of batik are not as now we see. That's because at first it just has a style of batik and colors are limited to certain types and did not like at this point that has been exposed to the influence of foreigners.

At first batik style and color are not fully used by all classes. At first only certain shades and colors in batik that can be used by certain groups. It was very different from today. At this time all the style and color may not use any kind of batik without any restrictions must be obeyed. That is something that's a different thing between states in antiquity to the circumstances at this time. There are several types of batik that became the beginning style and color changes caused by the presence of foreign influence. One type of foreign-influenced batik is batik coast.

This type of batik clothing is a thing that has a sign different from the others due to the existence of foreign influences which give the change in style and color. With the coastal batik clothes then we can know there is something very special that has artistic value and much liked by people, especially the batik wearer. There are some foreign parties that may become party to give effect to the change in style and color of coastal batik. One of the foreigners who have an influence on the style and color of coastal batik is a foreign trader. Foreign traders can come from various countries or kingdoms at once. They carry a variety of colors and patterns that lead to the influence of the typical coastal batik. In addition, the influence of foreign traders was influence from other parties including the foreign invaders who've colonized. They have many influences that resulted in a change in style and color pakaian batik that has a particular characteristic of various kinds.

There is batik that has a red color as a characteristic that attaches to a particular type. It was actually the result of foreign influence. The red color is influenced by the works made by people from the Chinese. Usually people from the Chinese use red as the color used on their clothes. It gives an influence on the characteristics possessed by red batik clothing. In addition to the influence of the red color turns the using of Chinese also gives effect to the type style used on certain batik.

The style which is a result of the influence of the Chinese is a phoenix pattern. The style is characterized by a different hue and many other types attract many people. With the shades of the phoenix is then opened another variation on the pattern and changes the state of baju batik that have limited previously to have no limitations in terms of style and colors used.

The History of Indonesian Batik

Long ago, in the ancient period around 1500 years ago, the dye resist designs on the cloth were present in Egypt and the Middle East along with the two major countries, samples are also present in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa around hundreds of years ago. In the present date, Batik is highly developed kind of art found on the island of Java, Indonesia. In the 17th century, the fabrics were highly decorated with Dutch transcripts, by it is often believed that complicated designs in Java were possible when the finely woven imported cloth that was from India to Indonesia in 1800s and then from Europe in 1815. The similar Batik designs that were completed on textiles earlier are noticed on stone statues that are beautifully sculptured on the walls of Javanese temples like Prambanan AD 800, but then it is not yet confirmed that the cloth was Batik. These designs could be produced by weaving techniques . However, by the 19th century became greatly developed kind of art in the cultural life of the Javanese.

Batik is an artistic technique of dyeing a cloth by using a wax-resist method. Wax-resist method is the most traditional way to dye or color a cloth. This method prevents the dye from spreading on the whole cloth and so as to give a beautiful pattern or design on the cloth. Batik is regarded as the cultural and traditional art in Indonesia. The traditional colors used for Batik are deep shades of indigo, dark brown and white which symbolize the three main Hindu Gods. Javanese Batik, from Jog Jakarta with some particular meaning is present in countries of West Africa like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Mali with the true Javanese idea, and in Asia like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma.

Known as the great fans of art, Javanese royalty supported the development of traditional art form like silver embellishment, leather puppets known as wayang kulit in java and gamelan orchestra. The Javanese dalang (puppeteer) was a major source for the Batik patterns . Wayang puppets are made from goat skin which was treated and colored to build false impression on the puppet, were usually sold to ladies who could get the necessary idea of batik designs from these puppets. The used charcoal and blew it through the holes that portray the design of puppet clothing, so that they could copy complicated patterns onto the cloth.

There were some specific Batik designs worn by the Javanese royalty and thus it was felt that Batik was originally meant to be worn by the monarchs of the royal Sultan's palace. The Princesses and royal ladies might have encouraged the finest designs of Batik that reflect the traditional patters. Well, the untidy dyeing work with consequent waxing was completed by the court artisans who worked under their direction.

However, some students deny the fact that Batik was originally meant for royalty as they feel that it is meant for the rakyat, the people . It was regarded as a significant job for young ladies of the Central Java, revealing the fact that they are capable enough to handle a canting (an device shaped like pen to apply wax to the cloth) with enough tact and skill  like skills used in cookery or other household arts.

Batik Manufacturing Embraces Tranformation

No trip to Malaysia is complete without a visit to the Batik Factories & breaking your head over what to buy from the resplendent array of batik work products. Batik is an art practiced in lots of countries in Asia where wax is used to draw a design on cloth; the fabric is dyed in various bright colors that are not absorbed by the wax filled designs alone. Later this wax is removed using a solvent or by ironing it out. But this is not all! There is much more to this art that makes it a national art of Malaysia. Batik has a timeless appeal; Batik Sarongs were a much loved apparel of Malays & people from various other parts of the world & even now, Batik has a magnetic presence that draws tourists & locals to its hold.

Modern day Batik is all about innovation! It moves out of the traditional Batik printing methods to experiment on various surfaces such as silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper & even wood. The products made out of these innovations are also varied & not  restricted to apparel. Charming ethnic accessories are created using these new techniques that have a high demand from locals & tourists similar. Modern styles of batik are also more of a mix of various art forms such as painting, etching, blocks, use of stencils & various other tools for discharge of wax. This has resulted in a breakout from the traditional block designs to a more variety of prints.

The latest Batik news is its adaptability to various different materials that make it a wonderful device for creativity. The past few years have seen a revolution in use of batiks in apparel, accessories, furniture covers, stationary, footwear & lots of other consumer products. Lots of artists have become famous because of their involvement in this prospering batik industry. There's now online classes for batik making techniques & tips on working with batik. Check out batik blogs to see the latest designs in batik & to learn how innovatively this art is used

The Batik industry is Malaysia has been given an additional impetus to experiment with new trends by the Malaysian Government in its hard work to promote Batik as a national art form. When custom & innovation blend together, the result is astounding & that is the case with batik too. Now, you are able to find batik featuring in fashion shows & on the shelves of most high finish designer wear outlets. All state functions give important to batik; important dignitaries & foreign visitors wear batik to respect the custom of the country.

Two process of baju batik are practiced in Malaysia, the hand crafted Batik & block-printed batik. In spite of technological improvements in Batik work, hand-drawn Batik retains its share of market & is valued for its exquisiteness. Handcrafted Batik products are more expensive than block printed products because of the time & hard work spent in making each piece. But the resulting product is well worth the cost. So next time you visit Malaysia, make positive you have lots of space in your luggage to bring back wonderful batik souvenirs to cherish.