Batik Tulis (Traditional) Equipment

 

From time to time the process of making batik traditionally hasn’t changed much up to now. Looking at the forms and functions of batik equipments are very traditional and unique, suitable with the ways which are still traditional. The traditional batik equipment is a part of the traditional batik itself, because if the change is done by using modern machines, it will change the name of traditional batik into batik motive cloth. It shows that the way to make batik has a special characteristic with the result of the traditional batik art. If we see from the time and amounts produced, they are quite limited and the art creation from the canting drawing onto mori cloth which will produce the relatively expensive and valuable batik art.Batik equipment consists of:

1. Gawangan (Frame)

  

The gawangan is an apparatus for holding and spreading the cotton cloth while batiking. The gawangan is made of wood or bamboo. It must be constructed in such a way that it can easily be moved about, but is strong and light.

2. Bandul (Weight)

 

The bandul is a peg of pocketed tin, wood or stone. Its primary function is to hold the newly batiked cloth so that it can not be blown about by the wind or accidentally displaced by the batiker. Therefore, without the bandul, the batik process can still take place.

3. Wajan (Pan)

The wajan is an implement in which the wax used in batiking is melted. It can be made of iron or clay. The better pan has a handle, making it easier to lift from and put down on the brazier without the use of a auxiliary tool. Therefore, the wajan made of clay is better than that of metal, because its handle does not retain heat. On the other hand, it takes longer to heat the wax in a clay wajan.

4. Anglo (brazier)

The anglo can be made from clay or other material. It is a brazier, the heater of wax. The anglo uses charcoal for firing. Firewood is used with keren, also a brazier: the keren is more commomly used than the anglo by the villagers. In principle, the keren is the same as the anglo, but it is not split-leveled.

5. Tepas (Fan)

The tepas is an implement made of bamboo to increase the fire as needed. Other than the tepas, the ilir may also be used. Basically, the tepas and the ilir are the same, differing ony in shape. The tepas is rectangular and pointed on one of its long sides with the handle extending form that point. The ilir is a square with the handle being an extension of one of the sides. The tepas and the ilir are fans for fanning the fire. 

6. Taplak (Napkin)

The taplak is a napkin for covering the lap of the batiker so as to protect from drippings of the hot liquid wax when blowing up the spout of the canting or when batiking. The napkin is usually a piece of used cloth.

7. Saringan malam (Wax Strainer)

The saringan is an implement for straining the hot wax as the wax is usually quite dirty. Straining the wax allows the scum to be discarded, so that it will not interfere with the fluent running of the wax through the spout of the canting while batiking.

8. Dingklik, linchak (Stool)

The dingklik and the linchak are, in principle, the same, that is very low stools for the batiker to sit upon. However, the batiker may also sit on a mat. The height is adjusted with the height of person sitting when making batik..

9. Kemplongan

 
Kemplongan is a tool made from wood of which form is like table and hammer and it’s used to soften the mori cloth before it’s given batik motif pattern and made.

10. Canting

The canting is the primary utensil used in the batik process which determines whether the results of the work may be called batik or not. The canting is used to write (draw with liquid wax), making the batik motifs desired. It is made of copper with the mixture of wood or bamboo. Copper has the quality of lightness, is easily bent, and is strong, though thin..

11. Mori (Cotton cloth)

Mori is the raw material used in batiking. There are many qualities, and the type used very much determines the nature of the resultant batik. The mori required varies with the kind of finished cloth desired.

12. Malam (Wax)

Wax is the material used to batik. The wax is not used up (lost) until it is removed during the final process (the washing process), when the cloth is turned into an ornamented textile (batik cloth).