28 Beautiful Images Of Batik In Indonesian History

2nd October, is officially Batik Day – a celebration of Indonesia’s national cloth.

The national cloth of Indonesia predates the nation itself.

In fact, Indonesian Batik predates written records. The technique was probably introduced to the archipelago during the 6th or 7th century from India or Sri Lanka. Over 1,000 years later, in October 2009, Unesco recognized Indonesian Batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage Of Humanity.

Damn right!

Indeed, Batik is making a come back in a big way.

Here are 28 images celebrating the history of Batik in Indonesia…

Every Region Across Indonesia Has A Particular Batik Style

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Traditionally, There Has Been Batik For Royalty

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Look At The Happy Couple

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Sultans Of Swag

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Seriously… SWAG.

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This Prince Seen ManSpreading Before Was Outlawed

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Families Maintained Their Batik Heritage Into The Birth Of The Modern Era

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The Common Indonesian Had Their Own Distinct Batik

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Nothing Like A Massage Through Your Batik Head Scarf From Bae

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Batik Sarongs Remain The Most Efficient/Stylish Way To Carry A Baby The World Has Ever Created

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This Javanese Couple Look Cool And Deadly In Equal Measure

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“Paint Me Like One Of Your Batik Girls, Jack.”

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Though It Has Always Been Indonesian Woman That Have Been The True Artists Behind The Imaginative Style

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The Process Begins With A Washed Cloth Soaked And Beaten With A Large Mallet

The Initial Patterns Are Drawn In Pencil, And Later Traced Over With Hot Wax

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Batik Manufacturing Has Traditionally Been A Family Affair

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“Real” Batik Is Drawn On Both Sides, Then Dipped In The Desired Dye 3 Or 4 Times

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It Can Take Up To A Year To See A Final Product

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“The Flowers Of The Malay Race” According To This 19th Century European Idiom

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The Detail And Patience Is Unrivalled

The Pen-Like Instrument Canting, Is Generally The Weapon Of Choice

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And The Results Are Unique, Every Time.

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Did You Know That Indonesia’s First Biker Gang Was Called “The Batik Biker Bro’s”?

Warning: This Could Be Fake News 😜

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The Dutch Colonialists Would Regularly Adopt Batik Dress

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But Sometimes They Didn’t Want To Steal The Royalties Thunder…

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Indonesian Presidents

Jokowi Leading The Batik Charge

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Nobody Could Quite Get Other World Leaders To Get There Batik On Like Suharto

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See?

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Young Sukarno With Dad, A Respected Teacher In Surabaya

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President Sukarno Paying Respects To Mum… AKA The Real Boss.

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Batik has been the style of choice throughout Indonesia for over a millennia.
As the world’s naughtiest dress sense, who would argue against its domination for another thousand years?