Batik History

Art staining fabric with stain prevention techniques using night is one of the ancient art form. The discovery in Egypt showed that this technique has been known since the 4th century BC, with the discovery of mummy wrapping cloth which is also coated the night to form a pattern. In Asia, a similar technique of batik is also applied in China during the T'ang Dynasty (618-907) as well as in India and Japan during the Nara period (645-794). In Africa, such as batik technique known by the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, and the Soninke and Wolof tribe in Senegal. [2]. In Indonesia, batik is believed to have existed since the time of Majapahit, and became very popular late eighteenth century or early nineteenth century. Produced batik batik is all to the early twentieth century and the new batik known after World War I or around the 1920's. [3]

Although the word "batik" is derived from the Javanese, the presence of batik in Java itself is not recorded. G.P. Rouffaer argue that the technique of batik was probably introduced from India or Sri Lanka in the 6th century or the 7th. [2] On the other hand, J.L.A. Brandes (Dutch archaeologist) and F.A. Sutjipto (archaeologist Indonesia) believe that the tradition of batik is a native of the region such as the Toraja, Flores, Halmahera and Papua. It should be noted that these regions are not areas that are influenced by Hinduism but known to have the ancient tradition of batik making. [4]

G.P. Rouffaer gringsing also reported that the pattern has been known since the 12th century in Kediri, East Java. He concluded that this pattern can only be formed by using a canting, so he argues that the canting is found in Java at the time about it. [4]

Legend in Malay literature of the 17th century, Sulalatus Salatin told Admiral Hang Nadim ordered by Sultan Mahmud to sail to India to get 140 pieces of fabric litter with 40 kinds of flower patterns on each page. Unable to fulfill the order, he made himself that the fabrics. But unfortunately shipwrecked on the way home and only able to bring four pieces that make the Emperor disappointed. [5] By some commentators, WHO? litter was interpreted as batik.

In European literature, batik technique was first told in the book History of Java (London, 1817) writings of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. He was the British governor of Java during Napoleon occupied the Netherlands. In 1873 a Dutch merchant Van Rijekevorsel give a piece of batik, which is obtained during a visit to Indonesia to the Ethnic Museum in Rotterdam and in the early 19th century, it began to reach the golden batik. When exhibited at the World Exposition in Paris in 1900, Indonesian batik riveting public and artists. [2]

Since industrialization and globalization, which introduces automation techniques, batik is a new type appeared, known as batik and batik prints, while those produced in traditional batik techniques handwriting using canting and night is called batik. At the same time, immigrants from Indonesia to Malaya Fellowship also carries batik with them.




Source: Indonesian Wikipedia