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BATIK - The art form in vogue around the world,
Batik Saree is popular not only in India but it is also
around the world.
Originated in India, the art of making batik sari has come a long way from a mere handicraft. To make batik saris clothing
are decorating by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keep their original color and when the wax is
removed the contrast between the dyed and un-dyed areas makes the pattern. The floral designs are mostly seen on batik
sarees.
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If you want to buy batik saree visit
www.utsavsarees.com which gives you the latest range of batik sarees saris, printed batik saree sari from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for online shopping of Indian
batik sarees, also you can learn more about batik printed sarees and batik
printing process.
In the past, batik was considered as a fitting occupation for aristocratic ladies whose delicately painted designs
based on bird and flower motifs were a sign of cultivation and refinement just as fine needlework was for European
ladies of similar position. The beauty of batik sarees lies in its simplicity and the fact that one need not be an artist to achieve results. Some of the
best effects in batik are often achieved by chance.
HISTORY :
Batik is very often considered a craft like ceramic, pottery
or even needlework. Although it is a household word all over the world, batik is still overlooked by art critics who do
not consider it an art form. There are several countries known for their batik and batik sari creations, starting with India where
it originated. After that it moved to Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the West.
The history of Indian batik can be traced as far back as 3000 years. Indians were conversant with the resist method
of printing designs on cotton fabrics long before any other nation had even tried it. Rice starch, and wax were
initially used for printing on fabrics. India has always been noted for its cotton and dyes. The
indigo blue, which is the basic color for batik saree, is one of the earliest dyes. It is believed that after its initial
popularity in the past, the tedious process of dyeing and waxing caused the decline of batik in India till recent
times.
MAJOR CENTERS
:
Indonesia apparently took over from India and encouraged the art of batik. With its popularity and success in the western
markets, batik became a part of Indonesia.
The revival of batik in India began in the 20th century when
it was introduced as a subject at the famous university of Shantiniketan in Calcutta. In the South near Madras, the
well-known artist's village of Chola-Mandal is where batik gets an artistic touch. Batik that is produced in Madras is
known for its original and vibrant designs.
Indonesia however is considered the cradle of batik with its many designs, which are restricted for different wearers and
occasions. Indonesian batik has characters of mystic and ritualistic connection. Objects like flowers, trees, birds
have a significant meaning. The Sawat in Javanese batik has its origins in Hindu mythology, as it is the decorative form
of Garuda, Lord Vishnu's bird. 'Sidomukti' is another Hindu influence in batik. 'Mukti' means happiness and prosperity
in the Hindu mythology. While Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are known for their block printing (tjab) method to
create batik on a large scale, in Sri Lanka batik is still made by hand. Sri Lankan batik is less intricate and more
suited to modern times.
Batik in Malaysia is a recent entrant as late as 1913. It has now become a prime economic earner for the country.
Kelantan in western Malaysia is the home of Malaysian batik.Since it is a recently acquired art, it has no tradition to
fall back on.
In the western countries batik was introduced by the Dutch travelers from Indonesia. Batik is also practiced by some of
the African countries like Nigeria.
THE PROCESS INVOLVED
:
The creation of batik sarees is a three stage process of waxing, dyeing and
de-waxing (removing the wax). There are also
several sub-processes like preparing the cloth, tracing the designs, stretching the cloth on the frame, waxing the area
of the cloth that does not need dyeing, preparing the dye, dipping the cloth in dye, boiling the cloth to remove wax
and washing the cloth in soap.
The characteristic effects of the batik are the fine cracks that appears in the wax, which allow small amounts of the
dye to seep in. It is a feature not possible in any other form of printing. It is very important to achieve the right
type of cracks or hairline detail for which the cloth must be crumpled correctly. This requires a lot of practice and
patience.
Knowing how to use the wax is of prime importance. The ideal mixture for batik wax is 30 per cent beeswax and 70 per cent
paraffin wax. For first timers even the melted wax of a candle is adequate. It is the skillful cracking that is
important. While applying, the wax should not be overheated or it will catch fire. Correct knowledge of colors is also
important. Practicing on small pieces of cloth helps in the beginning. Patience is of course a very important factor
too.
The cloth used should be strong enough to bear the heat and wax. Cambric, poplin and voiles are used besides pure silk.
Synthetic fabrics should be avoided. Since ancient times Indians have been known to wear vibrant colors and dyes
which were made from barks of trees, leaves, flowers and minerals. Blue was obtained from indigo, while orange and
red were from henna. Yellow was from turmeric and lilac and mauve from logwood. Black was created by burning iron in
molasses and cochineal from insects.
Since handmade batik is unable to meet with the consumer demands very often the answer is tjaping with a copper
block. A tjap is a metal block made of copper strips into the required design after which it is stamped quickly and
with great force.
VARIOUS TYPES AND FORMS :
Batik is created in several ways. In splash method the wax is splashed or poured onto the cloth. The screen-printing
method involves a stencil. The hand painting one is by a Kalamkari pen. The scratch and starch resist are the other
methods.
From a handicraft, batik has acquired the status of an art. Batik is a versatile medium that can become an ideal hobby
for an amateur or a medium of expression for an artist. Batik as an art form is quite spontaneous and one can open
up new vistas of creative form. Until recently batik was made for dresses and tailored garments only but modern batik
is livelier and brighter in the form of murals, wall hangings, paintings, household linen, and scarves.
THE ART OF BATIK :
Originating in India, the art of batik has come a long way from a mere handicraft. Today it is in the forefront t of
the Indo-west fusion in the fashions of the world.
The word batik actually means ‘wax writing’ and that is
basically what batik is all about. It is a way of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then
dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keeps its original colour and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed
and undyed areas makes the pattern. Batik was considered in the past as a fitting occupation for aristocratic ladies
whose delicately painted designs based on bird and flower motifs were a sign of cultivation and refinement just as
fine needlework was for European ladies of similar position.
“The beauty of batik lies in its simplicity and the fact that you don’t have to be an artist to achieve results. Some
of the best effects in batik are often achieved by chance” informs fashion designer Dinesh Singhal.
Batik is very often considered a craft like ceramic, pottery or even needle work. Although it is a household word all
over the world, batik is still often overlooked by art critics who do not consider it an art form. There are
several countries known for their batik creations starting with India where it originated after which it moved to
Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the west. The history of Indian batik can be traced as far back as 3000
years. Indians were conversant with the resist method for printing designs on cotton fabrics long before any other
national had even tried it. Rice starch, mordants and wax was initially used for printing on fabrics. In fact, it is
believed that the Indians were familiar with the resist method of printing as early as first century A.D. As a
country India has always been noted for its cotton an dyes. The indigo blue which is the basic colour for batik is one
of the earliest dyes. It is believed that after its initial popularity in the past, the tedious process of dyeing and
waxing caused the decline of batik in India till recently.
Indonesia apparently took over from India and encouraged the art of batik and with its popularity and success in the
western markets, batik became a part of Indonesia. The revival of batik began in the 20th century century in India
when it was introduced as a subject at the famous university of Santiniketan in Calcutta. In the South near Madras, the
well-known artist’s village of Chola-mandal is where batik gets an artistic touch. Batik that is produced in Madras is
known for its original and vibrant designs.
Indonesia however is considered the cradle of batik with its many designs which are restricted for different wearers and
occasions. Indonesian batik has characters of mystic and ritualistic connection. Objects like flowers, trees, birds
have a significant meaning. The Sawat in Javanese batik has its origins in Hindu mythology as it is the decorative form
of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s bird. ‘Sidomukti’ is another Hindu influence in batik. ‘Mukti’ means happiness and prosperity
in the hindu language. While Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are known for their block printing (tjab) method to
create batik on a large scale, in Sri Lanka batik is still made by hand. Sri Lankan batik is less intricate and more
suited to modern times.
Batik in Malaysia is a recent entrant is as late as 1913. It has now become a prime economic earner for the country.
Kelantan in western Malaysia is the home of Malaysian batik. Since it is a recently acquired art it has no tradition to
fall back on. In the western countries batik was introduced by the Dutch
travelers from Indonesia which was a former Dutch colony from where it also spread to the USA and Europe. In the
West, the vegetable dyes are replaced by chemicals. Batik is also practiced by some of the African countries like
Nigeria.
As mentioned earlier, batik is a method of creating patterns or designs on cloth by the wax resist technique. It is a
three stage process of waxing dyeing and de-waxing (removing the wax) but there are several sub-processes like preparing
the cloth, tracing the designs, stretching the cloth on the frame, waxing the area of the cloth that does not need
dyeing, preparing the dye, dipping the cloth in dye, boiling the cloth to remove wax and washing the cloth in soap. The
characteristic effects of the batik are the fine cracks that appear in the wax which allow small amounts of the dye to
seep in. It is a feature not possible in any other form of printing. It is very important to achieve the right type of
cracks or hairline detail for which the cloth must be crumpled correctly. This requires a lot of practice and
patience.
Knowing how to use the wax is of prime importance. The ideal mixture for batik wax is 30 per cent beeswax to 70 per cent
paraffin wax. For first timers even the melted wax of a candle is adequate. It is the skillful cracking that is
important. While applying, the wax should not be overheated or it will catch fire. Correct knowledge of colours is also
important. Practicing on small pieces of cloth help in the beginning. Patience is of course a very important factor
too.
The cloth used should be strong enough to bear the heat and wax. Cambric, poplin and voiles are used besides pure silk.
Synthetic fabrics should be avoided. Since early days of Indian history dating back to nearly 3000 – 1500 B.C.
Indians have been known to wear vibrant colours and dyes which were made from barks of trees, leaves, flowers and
minerals. Blue was obtained from indigo, while orange and red were from henna. Yellow was from turmeric and lilac and
mauve from log-wood. Black was created by burning iron in molasses and cochineal from insects.
Since handmade batik is unable to meet with the consumer demands very often the answer is tjaping with a copper
block. A tjap is a metal block made of copper strips into the required design after which is stamped quickly and with
great force.
Batik is created in several ways. The splash method means that the wax is splashed or poured onto the cloth. The
screen printing method involves a stencil. The hand painting one is by a kalamkari pen. The scratch and starch resist are
the other methods. From a handicraft, batik has acquired the status of an art. Batik is a versatile medium, that becomes
an ideal hobby for an amateur or a medium of expression for an artist. Batik as an art form is quite spontaneous and one
can open up new vistas of creative form. Until recently batik was made for dresses and tailored garments only. “In
the world of fashion batik has few equals as it has acquired world wide prominence in the present as never before”
observes designer Dinesh Singhal who has been creating collections in batik over the years and has realized how
perennial the acceptance of the fabric is.
“One of the positive sides of batik as a fabric for garments is concerned, is the vibrant colours and very often the
unusual combinations that emerge after the process has been undertaken” Singhal adds. “Since the results are best on
natural fabrics like cotton and silk, the designing possibilities are quite limitless.”
“From salwar / kameezes to western wear to combinations in fabric tones as well as forms like the Indo-west look a
batik outfit can never go out of vogue,” confirms Singhal. Batik is not only restricted to dress materials but modern
batik is livelier and brighter in the form of murals, wall hangings, paintings, household linen, scarves etc.
“Let’s say batik has come a long, long way from a mere handicraft of days gone by to a place on the fashion charts
in India and all over the world.
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| Utsavsarees.com is a shopping service provider for the large Indian community residing in USA, New York,
Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, Arizona,
San Diego, California, Dallas, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Austin, Detroit, Michigan, San Jose, California,
Indianapolis, Indiana, San Francisco, California, Jacksonville, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, Austin, Texas,
Memphis, Indiana, Indianapolis, Iowa, Des Moines, Tennessee, Baltimore, Maryland, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
Boston, Massachusetts, Charlotte, North Carolina, El Paso, Texas, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Washington,
Fort Worth, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee, Portland, Oregon, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
Wyoming, Cheyenne, Las Vegas, Nevada, Massachusetts, Boston, Hawaii, Sydney, Mauritius, Fiji Is., Australia,
Singapore, India, Malaysia and other parts of world.
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