The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-15
Frederick Haskin's Letter
tsteaa Correspondenee Argus
Batik Making Becoming an Art.
Especial Cosrespondence OF The

2 ed Dy not water or ammonia West
ern batikers reverse the process
making it simpler. If white, vel.
| low and green are the colors TO he
| used, wax is first poured over the
| part of the material which is to be
| left white. The piece is then din
ped in yellow dye. Then that part
of the design which is to remain
! yellow is covered with wax and the
goods is dipped in blue dye to pro-
| duce green. The wax is removed
by gasoline.
The processes of batiking have
to the Javanese all the dignity OF
an art They resent limitations and
| do not look with favor on dyed PAL
! terms produced by speed-making
| contrivances. Even though similar
patterns are used over and over.
the designers put something of
their own individuality into them.
Some of the old designs are sa-
| cred to certain ranks and are made
especially for them. Hunting scenes,
| for instance, are reserved for row
atty. Such pieces. done by the best
batik makers in Java, are not sim,
pie strips of cloth with a conyen,
| tionalized stag and hound repeated
at strict intervals. A batik of this
sort often contains only one large
picture and the effect is like that
of tapestry.
The Jayenese take batik gar
ments as a matter of course. The
work is much cheaper there than
here, and the native clothing is
simple in cut Straight pieces OF
cloth in squares and strips of fixed
dimensions are the head dresses,
skirts and scarfs of a Javenese
wardrobe.
The idea of resist dyeing by use
of wax is very old. The Javanese
are said to have learned the meth
cd from India in the time of Qua
tama Buddha, Is centuries ago. It
quickly became popular in Java,
and today Java, rather than India,
is the place associated with the
art. In old, forsaken temples, now
hidden in the jungle of the interior
of the island, carved idols may be
seen portrayed in batik garments,
and the patterns are very like those
in vogue in Java today.
Presumably, the art was evolved
in India. Yet, on this side of the
world, samples of batik in typical
Javanese designs have been found.
Science is at a loss to explain how
the designs and processes could
have been carried across the ocean
in cockleshell native craft.
Dutch Found Batik.
The batiks of Java attracted
Dutch traders several centuries
ago, and they brought pieces back
to Holland. There was not much
interest shown in this eastern
product, at first, but eventually
Holland began to copy the pro-
cess. OF late years the Dutch gov
eminent has encouraged its people
to experiment with it. A govern
meDt institute was established at
Harlem for displays of batik and
as a source of information and en-
enlargement for batik makers.
The history of batik in this coun-
try dates back at least to the Chi
cago exposition. Mr.. Neigh re-
members a display of this art by
some Javanese at that time. AS in
Holland, interest in the novelty
spread slowly. Theatres saw pos
sibilities for striking effects in the
broad use of the dyed designs, and
batik has been widely used for cur
tains and costumes.
In this country we lack centur-
les of tradition for a high standard
in batik But our artists have some
advantage in greater color re-
sources, in knowledge of color
chouniCtrV and in q conscious
knowledge of design. So far, Amer
lean ingenuity has made no impor-
tant improvement over the ancient
Javanese method of producing ba-
Tx. 1t is true that the general ef-
feet of the Javanese patterns can
be reproduced in printed silks, but
they lack the personality and the
appearance of being handwork that
makes high grade batik art.