The art of the Batik, consists in creating reasons, on fabrics using wax, to protect surfaces which will not be impregnated by the dyeing.

Two discovered allowed the improvement of the technique of work in “reserve”: use of the pastes (paste starch of rice) and of fluid matters (wax bee, resin) and secondly use of a Javanese tool, the “canting”, already used in Java for the period of Majapanite (1294-1520).

The canting is composed of two parts: a receptacle and a handle. The receptacle in thin copper sheet, makes it possible to maintain wax at good temperature. This one runs out on fabrics by a spout measuring 1 mm diameter. There can be from 1 to 7 spouts on a canting.

The receptacle is fixed on a handle (bamboo, reed, wood) which makes it possible to seize the canting filled with liquid wax, heated permanently on a fire in a container at a temperature of 80° with 90°.

The artist draws, with the canting by a show of hands, without support, by preventing that the nozzle of the canting does not touch fabric. The tool must be lightest possible, while maintaining a temperature constant.

The wax batik can be carried out on cotton or silk.

Once prepared, cotton is soaked in cool water and is briefly immersed then in the bath of dyeing. One repeats the process of time as much than it is necessary, to obtain the ton of the desired colour. The operation is repeated as much once than there are colours.

It is estimated that it is necessary from fifteen to thirty days to carry out Kain or a 2.5 m length Sarong by 1 m broad with wax and the canting.

It is necessary to add twenty to thirty days of preparation of fabrics: washing, washing, beating, and impregnation by various oils. It is ready to be coated of wax and dye. To finish, the fabrics is soaked in ebullient water to withdraw wax. It is then soaked in several baths to fix the colours.

The entire process thus requires about fifty days. For very complex reasons, that can go until several months.

Certain natural dyeing require many immersions. In the north of Sumatra , one to two years to dye with the indigo (blue). At Bali, six years for the red dyeing. On the island of Flora , up to twelve years for certain colours. If the batik were transmitted to Indonesia by China , the Javanese batik constitutes an improvement very clear from a point of view and technique and artistic.

The Javanese batik, such as we know it, is drawn by a show of hands using the canting. It i's a creation of the Javanese indigenous genius.