BATIK

Batik garments play a central role in certain rituals, such as the ceremonial casting of royal batik into a volcano. In the Javanese Mitoni "first pregnancy" ceremony (tujuh bulanan in Indonesian), the mother-to-be is wrapped in seven layers of batik, wishing her good things.

Batik is also prominent in the "tedak siten"ceremony when a child touches the earth for the first time. Batik is also part of the labuhan ceremony when people gather at a beach to throw their problems away into the sea.The motifs of traditional court batik have symbolic meanings. Some designs are restricted: larger motifs can only be worn by royalty; and certain motifs are not suitable for women, or for specific occasions (e.g., weddings).Now Batik is a fashion item for many young people in Indonesia, such as a shirt, dress, or scarf for casual wear. For a formal occasion, a kebaya is standard for women. It is also acceptable for men to wear batik in the office or as a replacement for jacket-and-tie at certain receptions. Not only is batik used as a material to clothe the human body, its uses also include furnishing fabrics, heavy canvas wall hangings, tablecloths and household accessories. Batik techniques are used by famous artists to create batik paintings which grace many homes and offices.
Melted wax (Javanese:malam) is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps Batik (Batik Tulis) using "canting".Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps.After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called batik tulis.For Finnest Written Batik (Batik tulis halus) detail picture can be see of the front and back.But In the same Motif (e.g.Batik motif Wijaya Kusuma) at all Written batik have different size in detail style and background for every sheet because its handmade.The application of wax with a canting is done with great care and therefore is very time-consuming.Finnest Written Batik (Batik tulis halus) need 3 mounth to 6 mounth for finishing 1 (one) sheet (225 cm x 115 cm).So the price of Written Batik (Batik Tulis Halus) more high than Printed Batik because have best quality result,more artistic,luxury and uniqe.
Other methods of applying the wax to the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax with a brush, and putting hot wax onto pre-carved wooden or copper block (called a cap or tjap) and stamping the fabric.By block printing the wax onto the fabric, it became possible to mass-produce designs much faster than one could possibly do by using a canting (written Batik).
Maintaining Written Batik (Batik Tulis) and Printed Batik ( Batik Cap)
For both batik tulis and batik cap, the following rules apply:
1. Hand wash, or best just soak the cloth.
2. Use very little detergent.
3. Hang the batik directly, do not squeeze the cloth.
4. Do not hang in direct sunlight.
5. The iron should not directly touch the cloth, best to use a steam iron.
6. Silk batik is best dry-cleaned.
7. Do not spray perfume onto the cloth directly.