Preamble
For your interest, I have listed below, other posts on this blogspot that centers on the use of Batik to create artworks:
Nothing Is The Same I & II (Els van Baarle, The Netherlands)
Batik ArtCloth from South-East Asia
Batiks from Kintore
Batiks From Warlpiri
Historical Israeli Batik ArtWorks
A Brief History of Batik
Introduction [1]
What is batik? It is one of the many resist techniques that is available to decorate cloth. In particular, Batik refers to the dyeing process during which certain parts of the weaving yarn or woven cloth are blocked out so that no dye can penetrate into it. Generally, in batik, hot liquid bees wax is used as a resist agent. After application the bees wax cools rapidly on the material and hardens. Because the liquid cannot penetrate the wax, the area that has been covered retains its original color when dipped into the dyebath. As a result, several dye processes can follow, one after the other, during which further areas are blocked out to retain their color. The fine fissures of wax is a characteristic of batik.
The cloth (above) was found in an old Peruvian grave of the post classical period (800-1532) of the pre-Columbian culture. The stylized bird, fish and dog motifs on this strip of patterned cotton cloth were probably achieved using a paste resist, as there is no evidence of cracking, which is typical of a waxed batik.
A cotton batik fragment dyed with indigo, found in Fostat near Cario. Probably from between 1230-1350 A.D. Thousands of textile remenants from the Coptic and early Islamic period have been preserved, thanks to the dry climate and sandy soil.
Note: The continuous border of this fragment points in its wave-like vine to an Indian influence. It is not certain whether such materials were batiked in India or by indians in Cairo. The white lines broken by fine veins seem to indicate that the wax was used as the resist agent.
A Brief History of Batik [1]
The origin and age of the batik technique cannot be pinpointed with absolute certainty. The lack of durability of textiles makes an exact location in time and place very difficult. Some experts believe that batik originated in Asia and sread from there to the islands to the south, to Arbia, and eventually to the western world. On the other hand, other researchers are of the opinion that it spread in the reverse direction, from the Malay archipelago to the mainland.
13th Century stone carving (East Java) displaying batik patterns.
It is of course also possible that the batik technique developed quite independently in different countries in the world, without outside influence, as has happened with other techniques. After all, very old batik fragments have been discovered in Peru, in South America, as well as in Japan. The oldest specimens extant were found in Egypt, dating from the 5th and 6th century A.D. Many pieces of woven cloth of a later date, proabably from 12th century, have been dug up near Cario. Because these show Indian motifs it is assumed that they originate from India. Even at that time batiked cloth was exported via the east coast. Old batik areas like Armenia, Georgia, Turkestan and Persia, which lay along the important caravan routes were influenced by India.
Armenian linen wax batik from about 1759. Probably made in Armenia itself, but could also come from the Coromandel coast or from north west India. Such cloths were produced there for Christian Armenians living there or abroad.
Note: The scenes depicted above are: Adam and Eve; the Annunciation, the Adoration of The Three Wise Men, the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, the Crucifixion, St. George and the Dragon, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, an unknown Saint, the Transfiguration and the Ascension.
In the 13th century batik was carried out in Java as well. Future posts in this series will deal with the developement of Javanese batik. In Europe this technique was used for decoration of Easter eggs, a tradition which is retained in eastern Europe to this day. Blue printing, which became known in Europe in the 18th century, is a variation of batik.
Batik pen of the Miao. A triangular copper or brass pen is fixed to a bamboo rod with a metal strip. Both triangular areas are bent together so that a small container is formed. With this pen, lines of 1 mm can be drawn. The pen is held in such a way that the wax container held in the hand is level with the wrist. The edge of the hand rests on the cloth.
With respect with the European process the material is printed with a resist substance before being dyed in an indigo bath. Another process was printing the material with the desired pattern by using a discharge agent so that the blue dye disappeared there. The batik technqiue probably also penetrated Africa two or three hundred years later through immigration. The best-known areas lie in Senegal and Nigeria, where paste and wax are still used as resist agents. Today, the old Asian batik wax methods are only used by the Miao tribe. This tribe lives in the upper Tonking area in North Thailand and on the Chinese island of Hainen.
Beside Java, North Thailand and Hainan, the tradional method of batik is still carried out in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Distribution of batik technique across Asia to Africa, including important batik centres which are shaded.
Reference:
[1] M. Spée, Traditional and Modern Batik, Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst (1982).
For your interest, I have listed below, other posts on this blogspot that centers on the use of Batik to create artworks:
Nothing Is The Same I & II (Els van Baarle, The Netherlands)
Batik ArtCloth from South-East Asia
Batiks from Kintore
Batiks From Warlpiri
Historical Israeli Batik ArtWorks
A Brief History of Batik
Introduction [1]
What is batik? It is one of the many resist techniques that is available to decorate cloth. In particular, Batik refers to the dyeing process during which certain parts of the weaving yarn or woven cloth are blocked out so that no dye can penetrate into it. Generally, in batik, hot liquid bees wax is used as a resist agent. After application the bees wax cools rapidly on the material and hardens. Because the liquid cannot penetrate the wax, the area that has been covered retains its original color when dipped into the dyebath. As a result, several dye processes can follow, one after the other, during which further areas are blocked out to retain their color. The fine fissures of wax is a characteristic of batik.
Note: The continuous border of this fragment points in its wave-like vine to an Indian influence. It is not certain whether such materials were batiked in India or by indians in Cairo. The white lines broken by fine veins seem to indicate that the wax was used as the resist agent.
A Brief History of Batik [1]
The origin and age of the batik technique cannot be pinpointed with absolute certainty. The lack of durability of textiles makes an exact location in time and place very difficult. Some experts believe that batik originated in Asia and sread from there to the islands to the south, to Arbia, and eventually to the western world. On the other hand, other researchers are of the opinion that it spread in the reverse direction, from the Malay archipelago to the mainland.
It is of course also possible that the batik technique developed quite independently in different countries in the world, without outside influence, as has happened with other techniques. After all, very old batik fragments have been discovered in Peru, in South America, as well as in Japan. The oldest specimens extant were found in Egypt, dating from the 5th and 6th century A.D. Many pieces of woven cloth of a later date, proabably from 12th century, have been dug up near Cario. Because these show Indian motifs it is assumed that they originate from India. Even at that time batiked cloth was exported via the east coast. Old batik areas like Armenia, Georgia, Turkestan and Persia, which lay along the important caravan routes were influenced by India.
Note: The scenes depicted above are: Adam and Eve; the Annunciation, the Adoration of The Three Wise Men, the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, the Crucifixion, St. George and the Dragon, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, an unknown Saint, the Transfiguration and the Ascension.
In the 13th century batik was carried out in Java as well. Future posts in this series will deal with the developement of Javanese batik. In Europe this technique was used for decoration of Easter eggs, a tradition which is retained in eastern Europe to this day. Blue printing, which became known in Europe in the 18th century, is a variation of batik.
With respect with the European process the material is printed with a resist substance before being dyed in an indigo bath. Another process was printing the material with the desired pattern by using a discharge agent so that the blue dye disappeared there. The batik technqiue probably also penetrated Africa two or three hundred years later through immigration. The best-known areas lie in Senegal and Nigeria, where paste and wax are still used as resist agents. Today, the old Asian batik wax methods are only used by the Miao tribe. This tribe lives in the upper Tonking area in North Thailand and on the Chinese island of Hainen.
Beside Java, North Thailand and Hainan, the tradional method of batik is still carried out in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Reference:
[1] M. Spée, Traditional and Modern Batik, Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst (1982).
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