Batik is from Indonesia

Batik is one of the typical Indonesian art. Batik has evolved for centuries in Indonesia, and it proves that batik is a cultural heritage of Indonesia. The ability to make batik is hereditary ability. This art is an expression of creativity of Indonesian society, Which represent traditions, beliefs, and culture of Indonesian society.

Although there are opinions that batik isn't from Indonesia, but based on materials, manufacturing techniques and equipment in making batik, they show that batik is from Indonesia. Some opinions say batik is originated from India, because Indonesia also has similar cultural roots to india since a lot of Indonesian also embraced Hindu religion in the era when batik fist created.

In terms of coloring batik, proving that batik is from Indonesia, the indigo color or red, the material used is the fruit mengkudu a native fruit of India, but the liquid for coloring textile in India uses hot liquid, while Indonesian use cold liquid.

Some materials for coloring batik are originally from Indonesia. For example brown dye. This material is material derived from tree bark of plant Soga (Pelthophorum ferugineum benth) which is a native of Sulawesi.

Material for closing the part which is not drawn, is the candle wax. it is derived from the bee hive. this material comes from bee farms in Palembang and Sumbawa, which these regions famous of the bee farms. and material for mixing the wax, known as damar mata kucing, is originally from Kalimantan.

In addition to these materials, batik dyeing process has the same dyeing proces which is only conducted some parts of Indonesia. This process aims to cover the parts that are not drawn with a certain color. This process is well known in Java, Toraja, and Papua.

Batik drawing tools are also very distinctive, the equipment is known as canting. This equipment has been used centuries. This is different from the textile drawing tools in india. In india textile materials by using a woody pen. Batik patterns has flora and fauna a pattern as well as geometric patterns that is only exist in Indonesia.

If you want to know more about batik, and you're visiting in Indonesia, you can directly go to Jogjakarta or Surakarta. These area are the center of batik in Java. there are a lot of batik boutique in Jogjakarta and Surakarta. they aren't only sell batik clothes but they also sell batik's craft. You can visit museums if you want to see ancient batik or you can visit the batik maker to know the process of batik making and learn how to make batik there.