Batik - a unique Indonesian fabric

BATIK a painting technique consisting in successive application of wax and a bath of fabric in a dye, which only paints the places not masked with a layer of wax. The waxing and dyeing process can be repeated several times for special effects. It has been known since time immemorial and enjoys unwavering popularity. You can see both a celebrity at the party and a trader at the market in a batik outfit. Batik fabrics are beautiful, colourful and unique.

Batik is a fabric whose history dates back to antiquity. Batik technique, using a special method of dyeing and decorating fabrics, became an inseparable element of the Indonesian people's life and culture. However, this type of fabric is known all over the world.

Combination of dye and wax

In order to create a multicoloured fabric, a complex pattern is first drawn on the material, using a small copper applicator filled with liquid wax. After this wax has dried, the fabric is immersed in a dye. The wax-coated fragments retain their original colour. For more varied patterns, waxing and colouring with different dyes can be repeated many times.

In the mid-19th century, copper stamps were also used to apply wax. This method proved to be more efficient than using a small tool and allowed to create batik with a more repetitive pattern.

Cotton or silk fabrics are usually used to make a batik. Colouring substances are obtained from local leaves, wood, bark and plant roots, although synthetic dyes are also used. Before wax was used to draw the patterns, vegetable pulp, animal fat and even mud were used. At present, synthetic wax is often used. However, a mixture of paraffin wax and beeswax is still used.

Past and future

Today we are not able to say exactly where and when the art of batik was born. The fragments of batik fabrics found in China date back to the 6th century. It is also unknown when the technique reached Indonesia, but there is evidence that the batik was traded there as early as the 17th century.

In recent decades, the increasingly popular batik has become one of the symbols of Indonesian national identity. Due to its centuries-old presence in Indonesia, its importance for the local culture, batik was entered by UNESCO in 2009 on the list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind.

Batik cusions

Beautiful cushions made of batik fabric, which come from small Indonesian craft shops are distinguished by beautiful, intense colours against the background of other accessories for interior decoration. Unique fabric and saturated colours of this original addition will help create a cosy, warm atmosphere in each room, and will also give your apartment a stylish character. We produce Shekina Batik Cushions in small batches (from a few to a dozen or so pieces). That is why we give you a truly unique product.