16/10/2018
Indonesia offers traditionally handmade Batik, both hand-drawn Batik (batik tulis), and hand-stamped batik (Batik Cap). Both processes are done by hands. In most cases, the batik cap (hand-stamped batik) are finished with hand-waxing.
The based textile almost always comes in plain white cotton or silk, which then drawn on (in Indonesian term called “canting”, read – chanting). The material to resist the dyes called "malem", a special Batik wax produced in Indonesia. Some "malem" are dark in colour and some are light, but they all act as only to resist the dyes. Resist-dyeing is the main dyeing process used for traditional Batik making (hand-drawn or stamp Batik making) in Indonesia. These methods are used to prevent the dyes from reaching all the cloth, thereby preserving the required patterns.
Batik Tulis (hand-drawn batik) is a truly laborious work, particularly when the artists use multi colours on the cloth, as each time they apply a new colour, a resist dyeing processed is required to achieve the required patterns and colours.
Once the cloth has been dyed as required, the wax (the malem) can then be removed using hot boiling water.
The cloth will be washed gently after using special batik soap, then leave to dry before storing away.
Some Batik is coloured using natural dyes and some are dyed using synthetic dyes. The natural dyes normally sourced locally and the process of achieving the required colours take much longer than that of synthetic dyes.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Our items are handcrafted, a traditionally hand-drawn textile, where the designs and patterns were entirely made by hands, therefore none of the patterns on this cloth will actually look totally symmetrical or identical with one another. You may find some smudging between design during the waxing process, these results are often the trademark of hand-drawn Batik, particularly on silk, as the silk batik processes are a lot more complex than batik on cotton fabric.
