Wax and Wonder: Batik as World Art

Wax and Wonder – Batik as a World Art

Batik is a textile art form in which wax or another resist material is applied to cloth to prevent dye from penetrating specific areas of the fabric. In Java, where the tradition reached its highest refinement, there are two types of batik: batik tulis, the older and more painstaking technique, in which the wax is hand-drawn onto the cloth using a pen-like tool called a canting; and batik cap, developed in the mid-nineteenth century, in which a copper stamp is used to apply the wax to allow faster, more repetitive production. In this talk we will explore the story of batik and its remarkable reach and influence across the world.

We begin with an examination of early resist-dyeing cultures, including those in China, India, and along the Silk Road, to place Javanese batik within a broader global context. From there, we…