FABRICS
Batik can be done on all kinds of woven material, such as cotton, silk, velvet, wool, mixed goods or leather. It is rather difficult to get satisfactory results on cotton owing to the fact that cotton dyes have to be boiled in order to attain any degree of brilliancy, and of course boiling is not practical when one is dealing with waxed material. Japanese habutai silk is perhaps the easiest fabric to use and best for beginners’ experiments, as the wax penetrates easily and it takes colour well. This applies to chiffon and similar sheer materials, but of course their delicacy makes them harder to handle. Fibre silks, being composed of both animal and vegetable matter, should be dyed in “mixed goods dyes,” or should be first dipped in a bath of cotton dye, and then immersed in a dye for silk, of a similar shade. Very heavy silks and velvets are magnificent when batiked, but they should be sent to the professional finishers to be treated when the piece is completed as it takes a great deal of effort and considerable skill on the part of the amateur to finish a large heavy silk panel or to raise the flattened pile of velvet. Taffeta silk and very heavy satin are not good fabrics for the batik process, owing to the loading used in their manufacture.
TJANTINGS
Ever since the batik art has been practised by occidentals there has been a search for a tool to replace the tjanting, or perhaps not so much to replace, as to develop an improved edition. But after many trials, it seems that the tjanting in its original form, with just a slight variation in its handle, is after all, the best instrument for fine line and dot work.
PRICE OF TJANTINGS
The Dutch edition of the original Javanese tjantings is better than the native tool in two particulars. First, it is made out of heavier metal and is consequently much stronger and the second distinct improvement is the re-modelled handle which replaces the little tied-on bamboo affair. Of course when the difference in price is taken into consideration the Javanese tjanting stands away above any other,—it costs from 1 to 10 cents in Dutch money, which is the equivalent of five tjantings for two cents, American money, whilst the Dutch-model tjanting made here in New York, is sold for from $5.00 to $7.00 apiece.
Various kinds of tjantings are shown in the accompanying illustrations. 1. The original Javanese tjanting. 2. The Dutch tjanting. 3 and 4. Belgian tjantings. 5. The Walther glass tjanting. 6. The wax pencil. The first two of these types have already been described.
3. A Belgian tjanting. This tool has a few very good points, but the trouble is, that whilst each factor in itself is good, the combination of them in the tjanting is not desirable. The cup of this instrument is made out of a brass ball out of which a segment is taken to form the top opening; on one side, not quite at the lowest point of the ball, the spout is placed, while the handle is fastened opposite to it on the other side. This placing of the spout has one great advantage as any impurity in the wax will settle below the spout opening, and clogging is less liable. The spout is made of solid brass plate; it is tapered and the nozzle has a fine opening. The only disadvantage to it is, that it cannot be shaped, that is, it cannot be bent up or down at the will of the worker.
The main objection to this tool is, however, that it is rather heavy by reason of its very solid cup and it does not balance well in the hand.
Besides the before-mentioned advantage of the spout being unlikely to clog, the greatest thing in its favour is, the long time that it holds the wax hot; on account of its round shape, the small opening on top, and above all, because of the thickness of the walls of the cup, the wax retains the heat longer than in any other tjanting made.