Batik process

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="343b85a3.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" SOMA"><B>home</B></A><B>     | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><B>        SOMA</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="batiksandwallhangings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Batiks Wall Hangings"><B>Batiks & Wall hangings </B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="344d2b83.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="silverjewellery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silver Jewellery"><B>Silver Jewellery</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="rugsandrunners.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rugs Runners"><B>Rugs & Runners</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="batiksandwallhangings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Batiks Wall Hangings"><B>Batik & Wall Hangings</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="bed_spreads__cushion_covers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bedspreads Cushion covers"><B>Bedspreads & Cushion covers</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="handmade_wooden_toys.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lampshades"><B>Jute & Hardwood Furniture</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="incenses__natural_perfumes.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Incenses Natural Perfumes"><B>Incense & Natural Perfumes</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="bellydance.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Belly Dance"><B>Belly Dance</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="gift_items.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gift Items"><B>Gift Items</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="books__audio_cds.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Audio c.d.s"><B>Audio C.D's</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="crystals.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crystals"><B>Crystals</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="yoga__meditation.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Yoga Meditation"><B>Yoga & Meditation</B></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Batik process</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>BATIK PROCESS</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Making batik is a skilled art, as it requires not only the ability to draw artistically or a knowledge of mixing dyes or waxes, but a steady hand and experience in applying wax to cloth, as spillage of wax on the cloth cannot be completely removed. Consequently the most experienced artisans usually perform the first waxing or waxing of detailed areas, leaving the larger areas to be filled in by less experienced artisans. </B></div> <div> <B>In batik, the selection and preparation of cloths prior to designing is essential, which must be of high thread count or densely woven to allow the intricate design qualities of batik to be maintained. The cloth is first boiled and washed in water several times to remove any traces of starch lime, and chalk, and ironed to smoothen it. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The tools used in the batik process are surprisingly simple in design, with their origins believed to be in Java, where batik developed into the intricate art form it is today. Two commonly used tools are the “canting” and the “wajan”. The canting is a small copper container with a spout, connected to a short bamboo handle, which is filled with melted wax, and used to draw the design on to the cloth. A wajan, like a small wok in shape, is made of earthenware or iron and is used to melt and hold wax. </B></div> <div> <B>Traditional colours for batik were made from natural ingredients consisting primarily of black, brown, blue and beige, with skilled artisans being able to mix these colours to produce numerous variations of colours. The sources of ingredients for these colours included the leaves of the indigo plant, the bark of the soga tree and leaves of the morinda citrifolia, which were mixed with numerous other natural agents, such as fixing agents, to obtain the dye. Nowadays, synthetic dyes are used allowing faster dying times and less preparation. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A pattern is first outlined onto the cloth by tracing from stencils or patterns known as pola, (which traditionally were handed down from generation to generation) using charcoal or graphite. Using a canting, wax is used to retrace over the design and applied over the areas of the pattern, which is to remain the original colour of the cloth, usually the white or cream areas. To ensure that the pattern is well defined, the cloth is waxed on both sides. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Proceeding the first waxing, the cloth undergoes the first dye bath, either in a earthenware tub or large concrete vat, then placed in cold water to harden the wax, and hung to dry. The length of time the cloth is immersed in the dye will determine the hue of the colour, with longer immersion times producing a darker colour. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Wax is reapplied over the whole cloth, except in areas which are to be exposed to the next dye. In these areas the wax is scraped off using a small knife, sponged with hot water, and resized with rice starch. The cloth is then ready for the second dying. This process is repeated for each dye, starting with the lightest colour first and finishing with the darkest colour. The number of colours present in the dye represents the number of times the cloth has been immersed in a dye bath and the number of times the cloth has been waxed. Marble effects in the design are obtained by cracking the wax, before immersing the cloth in the dye, allowing the dye to seep through and create the fine lines. </B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>