An Indonesian site visitor who sells batik fabric made in
Indonesia sent me this information on batik
fabrics and some
batik fabric images. The supplier link for these batik fabrics is at the bottom of this page.
Batik
fabric
is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile.
Batik is an art form. Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds,
butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic
association and variety.
There are about three thousand recorded batik
fabric patterns and many are considered to be antique fabric designs.
The
patterns to be dyed into the cloth are drawn with a canting, a wooden 'pen'
fitted with a reservoir for hot, and liquid wax.
In batik workshops, circles
of women sit working at clothes draped over frames, and periodically
replenish their supply of wax by dipping their canting into a central vat. Some draw
the art designs directly on the cloth from memory and others wax over faint
charcoal lines.
This
method of drawing patterns in wax on fine machine-woven cotton was practiced
as a form of meditation by the female courtiers of Central Java.
Traditionally, batik tulis (tulis means 'write' in Indonesian) is produced
by women.
In the 19th century, the application of waxed
patterns with a large copper stamp or cap saved the batik fashion industry from
competition with cheap printed cloth. You can still find these batik
stamps sometimes in antique shops.
The semi-industrial nature of
cap work allows it to be performed by men. Batik motifs recall
characters from the Hindu epics, plants, animals, sea creatures and gamelan
melodies.
In Surakarta rich creams and browns are juxtaposed with
tinges of yellowish gold.
White, undyed cloth is left to contrast with
the sombre opulence of brown and blue dyes in Yogjakarta.
The colour palettes of the north coast were influenced by lively
marine-trade and the textile traditions of the Chinese and Arab mercantile
communities living in port and coastal towns.
As in other fields of Javanese tradition the motifs of Batik material especially with
older antique patterns symbolizes something. This might be one
of the reasons why people still adore batik fabrics up to present date. Some of the
Motifs are:
Sido Mulyo
Sido Dadi
Satrio Wibowo
Tikel Asmorodono
All these antique motifs have great meaning. Just as
with crystals and gem stones it is
thought that the woman or man
wearing batik fabrics bearing these motifs will be furnished with what she
or he wears.
Yogyakarta and Surakarta are the art centres of traditional
antique designs of
batiks, whilst the north coastal town of Pekalongan is the centre of more
modern batiks, using more floral and birds motifs.
There are some well-known artists of batik design in Jogya
and Surakarta, as well as some big batik manufacturers with famous
trademarks. The growing production of batik makes way to the
establishment of mori (woven cotton fabrics) factories in Jogya and Central
Java.
The Batik Research Institute was founded in Jogya.
Tie and Dye is also a resist method of decorating fabric whereby
material is tied
or sewn in random or specific pattern arrangements sometimes using stitching
which is removed after dyeing. Wherever a resistance to the dye was
leaves a pattern. These examples of tie dye fabric are from the same
supplier.
The effects are generally more random as the dye penetrates
areas which are not tied or stitched. (Check back soon for a page on how to
do the tie and dye craft.)
Batik fabric is ideal for making into clothes, especially
ethnic influenced women's fashions and holiday wear.
Images and text for this page were supplied by Ms Vita at
batik@wisnumurti.com There you can
buy typical antique batik fabrics by the roll as well as a range of other
Indonesian specialist products such as authentic coconut oil products and
other craft goods of Indonesia.
Please note we have no connection with this supplier and any
goods you purchase from them are at your own risk.
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