Batik Course

On Saturday we took a trip to Komar Batik, Bandung, for a very basic course in batik. For those unfamiliar with the idea, batik uses wax and dye to create beautiful, intricate patterns for cloth and clothes. The very old traditional methods have been practised in Indonesia (and Malaysia) for centuries, but there's a resurgence in popularity at the moment.

Komar Batik is in the north of Bandung and is a pretty forward-looking kind of place. Not only are the batiks produced exceptional and amazing, but you can go and look around the place to get an idea of how the items are produced. Or just check out the showroom, which is full of beautiful cloth, shirts and bags. If you're really into it, which we are, then you can also do one of a number of course packages (check out Wisata Batik for more information).

The first thing to do is choose your stamp. The stamps are made from copper because of its great thermal properties. More on this later. Komar have over 4,000 batik stamps, which last for a very long time, maybe upwards of 20 years. They begin life as pencil-drawn designs on paper, which are then painstakingly turned into copper stamps by very skilled craftsmen, patiently sticking strips of copper into a wooden frames. Komar use recycled copper, from old cables. The designs apparently take months to construct, and looking at the intricate designs I can really believe it. There is an enormous range of stamps to choose from, from the traditional, localised designs from all over Java, through animal and plant designs, and to more modern designs like aeroplanes, bicycles, Vespas and Android symbols.

Stamps are slowly heated in a bowl of paraffin wax suspended over a flame. Once the stamp is up to temperature, it is removed and the excess wax flicked off. It's at this point that your clothes get waxy. The stamps are tough and heavy, so the stampers tend to be pretty big, strong chaps who do this like it's nothing (I don't think I could do it all day). The aim is to press the stamp down smoothly but firmly onto your cloth, and remove it quickly and vertically upwards to avoid smudging. It can be a big difficult to do all of this at once. Hopefully the end result will be thin, dark, consistent lines with wax on both sides of the cloth.

With a short course you do only one colour, so the next step is the canting (pronounced chanting). You're essentially just pouring wax onto your cloth in a controlled way - adding bits to the design maybe. Some designs are only done with canting too, i.e. with no stamps, and these tend to attract a premium. This is because canting is really time consuming. You dip the pens into a bowl of wax, to fill the bowl. Next you must remove it carefully to ensure you don't spill it, then wipe the drips on a plastic mat covering your legs. Holding your cloth in your other hand, at an angle to the horizontal, whilst holding the pen slightly upwards, you can use the pen to create lines and dots on your design. Patience is necessary here, because you have to allow the wax time to permeate to the other side, otherwise your dye will just come through. When you feel the heat on your other hand you know it's ready. A steady hand and slow pace is necessary for the beginner (you may come away with slightly scolded hands).

Traditionally this role is fulfilled by women, who supposedly have more patience for the fiddly batik designs. This is probably true. They sit in circles around the bowls of wax, and it seems pretty sociable and relaxed, which is definitely a good thing considering the size and intricacy of some of the designs.

Next, the dyeing process. Your design is soaked in water then dunked in the dyes. Some colours need two different dyes, but maybe not in the combinations you might expect - blue, for example, is made from a yellow and a green dye. Your cloth goes from plain white to the brilliant colours you see in batik cloth, and the transformation is rapid and quite impressive. The wax is still on at this point and takes on a bronze hue, which looks really attractive. The dyed cloth is then dunked in hot water with soda ash, which you definitely don't want to get on your skin. The wax comes off and you're left with your stamped and canted design in white on a strong, bright colour. Suddenly you've got batik!

The cloth used is very thin and so drying it takes no time at all. Plenty of time to browse through the shop, though - designs from all over Java, either in cloth form or ready-made into pretty snazzy clothes. Having seen the work that goes into making the cloth, it's exceptionally good value, and the quality is incredible. Best of all, you get to help an up-and-coming batik business that's not only keeping the tradition alive, but modernising all the time and even producing new designs, something uncommon in batik manufacture. And to boot, a piece of cloth with your own design on, and the skills to make it again. Well worth the trip!