Holiday Ayo - Batik is a work of art from Indonesian ancestors. There is hope and praying in every piece of cloth. 

The word batik is thought to be derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with little dots. 

The suffix 'tik' means little dot, drop, point, or to make dots. Batik may also originate from the Javanese word 'tritik' which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie-dye techniques. 

Another Javanese phase for the mystical experience of making batik is “mbatik manah” which means “drawing a batik design on the heart”.

Batik is a pictorial cloth, specifically made by drawing or using wax. There is a technique and art in making a batik pattern. Batik is a heritage that has never been broken in history. Batik has been passed down from generation to generation, this is also what makes batik get appreciated by the world.

Batik is made on a white material of cotton called Mori. Nowadays batik is also made on other materials such as silk, polyester, rayon, and other synthetic materials. The pattern of batik is formed with liquid wax using a tool called a canting for smooth motifs, or a brush for large motifs.

Although the art form of batik is very intricate, the tools that are used are still very simple. The canting, believed to be a purely Javanese invention, is a small thin wall spouted copper container (sometimes called a wax pen) that is connected to a short bamboo handle. Normally it is approximately 11 cm. in length. The copper container is filled with melted wax and the artisan then uses the canting to draw the design on the cloth.

Canting have different sizes of spouts (numbered to correspond to the size) to achieve varied design effects. The spout can vary from 1 mm in diameter for very fine detailed work to wider spouts used to fill in large design areas. Dots and parallel lines may be drawn with canting that have up to 9 spouts. Sometimes a wad of cotton is fastened over the mouth of the canting or attached to a stick that acts as a brush to fill in very large areas.

The symbolism of the various ethnic groups is evident in the variety of textiles. Color, shapes, and their arrangements all have special meanings. Certain designs can only be worn by women or men, or only by the royal family or nobility.

Here I will give some information about the artist and the famous people in foreign countries who like to wear Batik.

1. Leeteuk, Super Junior

One of the members Korean Idol Group, Leeteuk Super Junior wore a batik from West Java. This batik material used is smooth primisima cotton. 

The basic sketch and the motif is Garuda Kujang Kencana, and this is idea from Ridwan Kamil, Mayor of Bandung.

2. Bill Gates

Bill Gates wore a special batik with the Banana Bali Manggar's motive. This motive also used to be worn by the people of the Solo palace. This motive means loyalty and hoped that leaders who wear this motif can work sincerely, decisively, and be a good leaders.

3. Julia Roberts 

Academy Award-winning actress wore batik in the film "Eat, Pray, Love." The film, which was released in 2010, was shot in Bali (Indonesia), New York (America), Naples (Italy), and Pataudi (India).

4. Nelson Mandela

During his first visit to Indonesia in 1990, Mandela became acquainted with batik. On various occasions when he met other world leaders, the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 often made batik. Because of his passion for batik, the people of South Africa have named batik "Mandela's Shirt." Mandela died on December 5, 2013.