What is Batik?Batik is a method of producing coloured designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed. Batik is a special type of material because it’s closer to artwork. Hand-painted and block printed pieces take excessive care and a delicate process of waxing dyeing and boiling to create these beautiful prints and colours.
When was Batik created?
Experts disagree as to the precise origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries.
Although in these countries people were using the technique, none have developed batik to the intricate batik found on the island of Java in Indonesia. Which is why the birthplace of batik is said to be Indonesia.
Types of Batik?
There are two main types of traditional batik; hand-painted and block printed. Each have different styles and patterns they favour.
Sources
https://www.expat.or.id/info/batik.html
https://www.batikguild.org.uk/batik/history