Batik
Cloth patterned by drawing in wax and dyeing, a craft of Java and beyond.
Also: batek
Batik is a method of decorating cloth by applying wax in patterns, dyeing the fabric and removing the wax, which leaves the design in the original colour. The wax is drawn with a canting, a small copper pen, or stamped with a copper block called cap. Javanese royal courts developed motifs that only certain ranks could wear, such as the parang, a diagonal pattern. Batik is worn at weddings, funerals and daily life, and Indonesians celebrate National Batik Day on 2 October. UNESCO has recognised it as intangible cultural heritage. Similar wax-resist work is found in Malaysia, India and West Africa.
Region: Southeast Asia