A tradition of making batik is found in various countries, including Nigeria in Africa, China, in Asia: India, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka besides Indonesia; the batik of Indonesia, however, is the most well-known. Indonesian batik is made in various parts such as Java, Sumatra, Sundanese, Bali, but the one made in the island of Java has a long history of acculturation, with diverse patter
ns influenced by a variety of cultures, and is the most developed in terms of pattern, technique, and the quality of workmanship. On October 2009, UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Firstly, a cloth is washed, soaked and beaten with a large mallet. Patterns are drawn with pencil and later redrawn using hot wax, usually made from a mixture of paraffin or bees wax, sometimes mixed with plant resins, which functions as a dye-resist. A pen-like instrument called a canting. A canting is made from a small copper reservoir with a spout on a wooden handle. The reservoir holds the resist which flows through the spout, creating dots and lines as it moves. For larger patterns, a stiff brush may be used. Alternatively, a copper block stamp called a cap is used to cover large areas more efficiently. After the cloth is dry, the resist is removed by scraping or boiling the cloth. The areas treated with resist keep their original color; when the resist is removed the contrast between the dyed and un-dyed areas forms the pattern. This process is repeated as many times as the number of colors desired.
