Spent yesterday scooting about the city checking out the things that Jogja is famous for. Puppetry and batik are at the top of the list. Here are a few pics and explanations of both.
This is the waxing process for batik, a form of fabric painting. A small funnel is used like a paintbrush. It dips up hot wax ( a mixture of beeswax and paraffin) that drips thru the opening in a steady stream. The painter draws a pattern on the fabric with the wax. The gold colour on this fabric is all wax and has all been done by hand. The fabric is then dipped in dye but the wax resists the colour leaving those areas white and the unpainted areas dyed. After each dip in the dye, more wax is painted on and the fabric is dipped again to create a second colour and on and on it goes.
Another pattern. The wax pot is sitting on the floor between the two women.
Another form of waxing using a stamp.
After the waxed cotton fabric has the required coats of dye it is dipped in boiling water to remove the wax. Silk is dipped in gasoline.
Here is the cotton hanging to dry after the wax has been removed.
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This gentleman is making a puppet. He has cut out a piece of buffalo hide into the shape of the puppet and is hammering out tiny, shaped holes, in intricate patterns for the light to shine thru.
This is a closeup of the work in the picture above.
Here a puppet is being hand painted. Our tour guide told us that it takes about a week to do the cutting and a week to do the painting on the painted type.
A close up of the painting process.
The puppet shows take place behind a well lit screen.
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