Batik: Fabled Cloth of Java

by Inger McCabe Elliott, Brian Brake (Photographer)

The exotic textiles of Java have intrigued the outside world for the past 150 years. Batik, the legendary fiber art of painting and dyeing fabrics using a waxing process, has been influenced by cultures as diverse as the Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Like no other book before it, Batik takes the reader on a spellbinding tour of Java, revealing batik's history, motifs, and methods of production.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 12, 1984

Reviews

[Missy J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on the history of batik. I have always loved batik; the strong colors, the intricate details and the devotion, heart and teamwork given by those involved in the process of making batik, are incredibly beautiful. There's such a variety of batik in Indonesia, the solemn, geometrical and brown colored batiks from Yogyakarta and Solo to the colorful and open-minded batiks from Northern Java. I wanted to learn more and this book was a great introduction. Pekalongan, Lasem, Cirebon, Tuban... all these places in the northern coast of Java, where Indian, Chinese, Arab and European merchants passed through, used to be thriving cities and developed their own styles in batik. Without being too complicated, the author traces the development of batik with the history of Indonesia. The book contains plenty of illustrations and examples of different types of batiks and close-ups of the motifs used. I read this book in a short time and can highly recommend it.

"Rather than representing aspects of Javanese life, culture, and religion, batik will be more and more the inspiration of particular designers. No doubt their best work will be seen as art, used for wall hangings or perhaps even for ceremonial and religious occasions. Ironically, this was the original use of the cloth. After more than two hundred years, batik will have come full circle."

[Regina Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

RUJUKAN BATIK yang lengkap. Di dalamnya seolah olah muzium yang bercerita. Bagaimana tekniknya dibaik pulih dari waktu ke waktu. Tidak hanya paparan akademik malah secara sejarah dikisahkan bagaimana ianya bervolusi, dari motif motif flora dan fauna, unsur unsur tarikat, pembahagian kaya miskin, janaan ekonomi terhadap penduduk, aktiviti isteri isteri Belanda yang mempengaruhi motif pembuatan, batik di kalangan ningrat ningrat jawa, pengaruh batik dari Malaya ke sumatera utara.
Sebagai anak Malindo, saya harus membaca buku ini. Seraya melihat bagaimana miskinnya usaha Malaysia untuk industri batik. Generasi baru kurang arif mendukung batik tempatan akibat pengaruh kemodenan. Ini tidak terjadi di sana. Indonesia mendukung penuh industri batik, ianya jadi kebangaan hingga kini... (cuba suarankan pada anak anak tempatan di Uitm, lim kok wing dan sekolah fesyen di sini, mereka akan mencebik bibir - kampungan katanya mungkin?)
Melihat batik dari pengkalongan, surabaya, jawa barat, membawa ke Kelantan, Trengganu, Thailand, sehingga kita kembali ke Sulawesi dan melihat progressnya.
Hati hati, terlalu banyak pengusaha yang Tamak buat masa ini. Batik dicetak di negara China juga sudah ada...Jadi sebagai anak asia yang menghargai batik, kamu harus membaca buku ini. Dan mula meriki riki batik di Kelantan dan Trengganu. Pengetahuan tentang Batik juga berguna...
BUKU INI SANGAT MEMBANTU.

[Jo Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me want to become a batik collector. Art, history, religion, politics, all on an item of fashion...where does one sign up? Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, the text is informative and easy to read (although slightly...unstructured). Loved it.

[Lintang]

batik is very awesome....

[Lintang]

batik is wonderfull