Tjoateengen, signed maker

Batiking is a multi-layered resist dye process. A design is made on cotton by applying wax with a hand-batik tulis, a calligraphic pen-like instrument, or batik cap, a stamp made of copper. The cloth is dyed as many times as necessary based on the number of colors in the final design. The wax resists the dye, and is scraped or boiled off and reapplied each time a new design or color is applied. Originally, the making of batik had mystical and romantic allusions and was done by women at home for their families. The European influence on batik began in 1840 when Carolina von Franquemont (Dutch, 1817-1867) established a batik workshop on the slopes of a volcanic mountain in Semarang. This entrepreneurial endeavor coincided with the rise of Peranakan (Indo-Chinese) textile manufacturers, who purchased pre-waxed fabrics and set up home-dyeing production.