an Article About Indonesian BatiK

One of the simple patterns is worn by royalty and looks like an Schain with dots in the hollow of each S. One design with a very large S-chain in a yellowish tint running diagonally from right to left on a warm brown background was designed in 1973 for the engagement ceremony of Gusti Pangeran Raditya, scion of an old noble Indonesian family, and the daughter of the Sultan of Cheribon.

The best batik is found in the batik-making centers of Jogjakarta, Solo (Surakarta), Tasikmalaya and the north coast cities of Java island between Cheribon and Semarang. But Jogjakarta, simply called Jogja, in south-central Java about halfway between Bali and Indonesia's capital of Jakarta, is an easy stop en route to or from either destination. Though batik can be bought anywhere in Indonesia, Jogja may have the world's best selections of reasonably priced batik.

Jogja is said to have 900 batik factories, which simply means that there are a lot of women sitting at home putting hot wax on cotton fabric. Because batik is a cottage industry, some of the best places to buy batik are in private homes, which are open to the public. The main streets of Jogja are lined with factory/galleries, which are easy to find, air-conditioned and usually competitively priced. Merchants routinely give discounts of up to 20 percent on batik cloth and items made from batik. Bargaining is permissible and expected in the public market, where a shopper can get excellent prices. In Jogja's central market, there are scores of women squatting in tiny stalls, surrounded by piles of batik. The most expensive handmade batik will cost between $75 and $150 for a single piece of cloth called a kain, a standard swath of material 40 inches wide and 100 inches long.

Using an instrument called a canting, a tiny copper or brass crucible with a long narrow spout, a woman will spend hours retracing in wax a design which has previously been made in pencil. It often takes six months to complete a kain, which is traditionally two and one-half times as long as it is wide.

A less expensive type of handmade batik is the stamped ''capt'' batik made by using an engraved copper block called a capt to create uniform designs which carefully interlock to look continuous. In use since 1815, stamped batik is almost exclusively made by men. And, because it takes less time to produce, a kain of this material made in private homes will sometimes sell for as little as $5.

Often, stamped batik is so well done that it is difficult to distinguish from its more expensive counterpart. Handmade batiks are uniform on both sides; machine-made batiks have a definite right side and wrong side.

The most expensive batik will be the completely handmade and using organic dyes. The most prized antique batiks will be blue and dark brown, the colors of dignity. Blue indigo, made from the plant, is the oldest dye, Indonesians have found other ways to produce the traditional dark browns by using plant dyes instead of human blood that was once used. A few guidelines on batiks Where to Begin The Jakarta Central Museum has a fine collection of batiks (admission about 6 cents). Many of its batiks are national treasures and if available for sale would cost thousands of dollars. Prices of batiks, incidentally, are often as much as 50 percent higher in Jakarta than in the batik-making towns of central Java. Silk batiks at the factory will start at $100 a kain. Generally, a fine quality handmade batik on cotton, one which would take at least four months to produce, will cost at least $75 a kain, but there is plenty of good batik available at $10 up. Where to Buy Batik In Jogja, the Gurda Batik on Jalan Parangtritis 77 B (phone 5479); the Jago Biru Batik on Jalan Mangkuyudan 141 (phone 4227); the Suryakencana on Ngadinegaran (phone 3798). In Jakarta, Sida Mukti in Wisma Batik Indonesia on Jalan Drive (phone 21-271), and the Saharjo 311 Srikandi Batik Shop in Hias Rias shopping complex on Jalan Cikini Raya 90. Ready-to-Wear Batik clothing is available in department stores in Jakarta and in batik factory/galleries elsewhere. A short summer dress in small, medium or large will cost $12 to $45, depending on the style. A floor-length dress will run about $35 to $100. Proper Care Modern batiks are made with chemical dyes that fade quickly if exposed to direct sunlight, but do not run much when washed in cold water using a mild hand soap. Many batiks sold in shops are guaranteed color-safe.

BY : Pamela G.Holly