Batik is information

Batik is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile. 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 patterns.

The patterns to be dyed into the the clothe are drawn with a canting, a wooden 'pen' fitted with a reservoir for hot, 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 directly on the the cloth from memory; 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 orcap saved the batik industry from competition with cheap printed European cloth. 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 gamalan 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 palette of the north coast were influenced by lively maritime trade and the textile traditions of the Chinese and Arab mercantile communities living in port and coastal towns.

The Symbolic Meaning of Batik's Motifs

The motifs of Batik, especially with old pattern, as in other field of Javanese tradition are symbolizing something. Might be, this is one of the reasons, why people still adore batik up to present date. Some of the motifs are :
Sido Mulyo :
Sido (you should be ), mulyo (happy). Symbolizing 'you should be happy and rich man'.
Sido Dadi :
Symbolizing 'you should be a man/woman as you wish (prosperous, high ranking position, wealthy, etc)'.
Satrio Wibowo :
Symbolizing 'Man with dignity'.
Tikel Asmorodono :
Tikel (more), Asmoro (love), Dono (gift).
It is meant the one who wears this batik, should be loved more and more by others.
The Process of Batik Making

Batik, in Javanese means 'To Dot'. Basically there are two kinds of batik; Batik Tulis (hand drawn) and Batik Cap (stamped). The price of batik tulis is much more expensive than batik cap.



Doting

A canting (a pen like instrument with a small reservoir of liquid wax) is applied to the cloth of batik tulis making. The tracing of the desired design on to the prepared cloth is the first stage of making followed by the technique of applying wax and dye substances. At the final stage of the process, all the wax scraped off and the cloth boiled to remove all traces of the wax. This process of repeatedly waxing and dyeing is the batik process, used until nowadays in Java and other parts of Indonesia.

So, this kind art of batik is an indigenous to the country. The wax used in batik process is a combined product of paraffin, bees-wax, plant resins called gondorukem and mata kucing.

Batik cap, which is also using the waxing process, its process of course faster and easier. But people appreciation of batik tulis is higher, it is really a work of an artist not only a craftsman. It combines the expertise, patience, deep feeling to produce the finest product, and it may take days, weeks and even months to make only a batik tulis

The Cities of Batik

Yogyakarta and Solo are the centers of traditional of batiks, as the north coastal town of Pekalongan is the center of more modern batiks, using more floral and birds motifs. There are some well-known artists of batik design in Yogya and Solo, 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 Yogya and Central Java. The Batik research Institute was founded in Yogya.

When Batik is Worn

Batik dresses are worn for several purposes, such as ;
Informal Dresses
It is a free choice, usually for daily casual wear.
Formal Occasions
In some parties, as a state banquets, receptions, etc, the invitees are requested to wear batik. Long sleeves shirts for the men and 'kain batik' (long batik to cover the lower body) for the women.
Traditional Occasions
It is worn to present the traditional wedding ceremonies, special ceremonies for the Royal families, etc.
In a wedding ceremony the bride and the bridegroom wear the same motif of batik Sidomukti, symbolizing a happiness and prosperous life. Using the same motif symbolizing the togetherness. The parents of the bride and the bridegroom wear batik with motif of Truntum, symbolizing the advice of the parents to the newly weds to enter the new life with full of love and confidence.

Traditional Dress

Women's traditional dress, especially in Yogya and Solo court families, consisting of :
Jarit or Tapih or Sinjang
A 'kain panjang' (long cloth of batik) measuring around 2 m x 1 m to cover the lower body, tightened with stagen (large waist band)
Kebaya
It is a traditional long sleeved shirt (the material used is not from batik, usually from silk and other fine materials).
Selendang
It is used as attractive piece of clothing to compliment the traditional dress. The 2 m x 0,5 m selendang cloth hung over one shoulder.
Kemben or Semekan
It is special for ceremonies in Karaton (palace) or Royal family ceremonies. Instead of wearing Kebaya, to cover the upper body, a kemben is worn.
Men's Traditional Dresses
Jarit or Bebed
Men kain panjang, tightened with stagen.
Surjan
Men traditional long sleeved shirt (only for Yogya style) and the material is not batik.
Beskap
Instead of wearing surjan, the men wear a coat (beskap of Solo style or Atila of Yogya style), the materials is not batik.
Blangkon
It is a headgear made from batik.
Keris
The dagger is worn at backside of the waist, as a compliment to the dress.
Dodot

Is a very long jarit to cover the lower body. It is worn only on a very special occasion such as the king coronation by the king himself. The wearing of dodot or kampuhan is very complicated. It may take two hours to wear a dodot with the help of specialist-dressers!
source:
http://www.indonesianmusic.com/batik.htm

Batik of Central Java

(Batik of Central Java) One of the developing kinds of the clothing product fast in Central Java since several decades, even several previous centuries, were batik diligence.
Most Indonesian communities knew batik to be good in his feature that was traditional and that was modern.
Generally batik was used for cloth jarik, the shirt, sprey, the table tablecloth, and the female fashion.
In view of the fact that this product kind was very much influenced by the consumer's appetite and the change in time and the model, then the development of the batik industry in Central Java also experienced the fast development both was related to the plan, the appearance, the feature and his use, was adapted to the request and the requirement for the good market in and foreign.
Batik tradisonal historically came from the ancestors's time was known since the XVII age that was written and depicted to the leaves threw.
At that time the motive of batik was still being dominated with the form of the animal and the crop.
However in the history of his development batik in Central Java experienced the development, that is from features and the crop of the animal painting gradually changed in the motive of the abstract that resembled the cloud, temple relief, the puppet revealed et cetera.
Further through the merging of the painting feature with clothes decorative arts, emerged batik art wrote like that is known by us now.
The kind and the traditional batik feature be classed as a large number of, but the feature and his variation in accordance with philosophy and the culture respectively the very heterogenous area.
The Indonesian treasury of the Nation culture like this rich pushed the birth of various features and the batik kind tradisioanal with the characteristics kekhususan him himself.
In principle, was gotten by 11 stages that generally is passed through in the production of traditional batik, that is: nggirah, nganji, nyimpong, njereng, nerusi, nembok, medel, mbironi, nyoga, and glorod.
Production centres of batik in Central Java often were encountered in the Pekalongan Regency, Kota Pekalongan, Kota Surakarta, and the Sragen Regency.
From the side of the request and the uniqueness of the product, the efforts opportunity in the field of the batik industry still was open the area and very beneficial.
The marketing of batik apart from for local consumption also penetrated the European market and America.
source:
http://www.jawatengah.go.id/framer.php?SUB=unggulan&DATA=batik

The kind batik

The kind batik
Batik wrote was cloth that was decorated with teksture and the batik feature used the hands.
The production of this kind batik took up time approximately 2-3 months.
Stamp batik was cloth that was decorated with teksture and the batik feature that was formed with the stamp (usually was made from copper).
The process of the production of this kind batik needed time approximately 2-3 days.
source:
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik

Batik (or Batik words

Batik (or Batik words) came from the Javanese language "amba" that was significant wrote and the "point".
Batik words referred to cloth with the feature that was produced by the "night" material (wax) that was applied on cloth, so as to keep the entry of colouring matters (dye), or in his English "wax-resist dyeing".
Batik was diligence that had the high value of art and became part of the Indonesian culture (especially Java) since long before.
Javanese women in the past made their skills in membatik as the livelihood, so as in the work past membatik was the exclusive work of the woman until the discovery of "Cap Batik" that enabled the entry of the man in this field.
There were several exceptions for this phenomenon, that is coastal batik that had the masculine line like that could be seen in the "rainclouds" feature, where in several areas of the work coast membatik was usual for the men.
The style of the feature and the colour was of Batik influenced by various foreign influences.
Initially, batik had the style of the feature and the limited colour, and several features only might be used by the certain circle.
However coastal batik absorbed various outside influences, like the foreign traders but also in the long run, the colonisers.
Clear colours like red was popularised by the person Tionghoa, that also popularised the Phoenix feature.
Colonisers's European nation also took the interest to batik, and results were the feature bebungaan that beforehand was not known (like the flower tulip) but also objects that were brought by colonisers (the building or the horse carriage), including also colours of their pleasure like the blue colour.
Batik tradisonal continued to maintain his feature, and still was used in traditional ceremonies, because usually respectively the feature had their respective symbolism.
The technique membatik was known since thousands of years that set.
There were no history information that were clear enough about the batik origin.
There were those who suspected this technique of coming from the Sumeria nation, afterwards was developed in Java after being brought by the Indian traders.
At this time batik could be found in many countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Iran.
Apart from in Asia, batik was also very popular in several countries in the African continent.
Nevertheless, batik that was very famous in the world was batik that came from Indonesia, especially from Java.
The tradition membatik at first was the hereditary tradition, so as occasionally a motive could be known came from the family's certain batik.
Several motives of batik could show the status someone.
Moreover until this, several motives of batik tadisional only was used by the Yogyakarta palace family and Surakarta.
Batik was the ancestors's Indonesian inheritance (Java) that until this was still being available.
Batik also the first time was introduced to the world by President Soeharto, that at that time used batik that in the UN Conference.
source:
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik