China Claims Batik, Indonesians Upset, Viral Tweets About Origins Of Batik Sparks Uproar
A recent viral tweet about the origins of Batik sparked an outrage amongst Indonesians when the craft was claimed to have started in China.
A short video posted by Chinese news agency Xinhua showcased the intricate art of decorating cloth using molten wax done by ethnic groups in China. In the video, it is mentioned that the art form is a traditional craft practiced by the Chinese people without mentioning Batik’s Indonesian origins.
Indonesian Twitter were understandably upset by the claim because Batik is an art form that they hold dear. Netizens voiced out their displeasure in a series of replies which called China out for being copycats.
And some actually want China to take accountability for spreading Covid-19 since it is still unclaimed.
History of Batik
A simple search online will show the historical origins of batik. It is a wax resist art form that existed in various ancient cultures. The earliest record of the art form was found in the tombs in Egypt.
Evidences of early batik have been found in Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, the Far East, and India from over 2000 years ago. The term “Batik” however is of Javanese origin where the art flourished. In October 2009 UNESCO designated Indonesian Batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Much like the rest of the ancient civilization preserving their own “batik”, the Guizhou Province, in the South-West of China is well known for their own version of wax resist art drawn on fabrics.
But to claim “Batik” as Chinese is cultural appropriation because of the word itself which originated from Java. Call it by any other form, but don’t call it Chinese Batik.
Luahan Wartawan: It is definitely interesting to learn about the existence of wax resist art form in different ancient historical cultures.
I think the outrage is justified because the people of Java worked hard to preserve an art form that flourished in their region. The word itself has no Chinese origins.
However, we have to understand that there are a number of similar art forms that is shared across cultures that exists under different names. Batik is generally a wax resist form of painting on fabric and that technique is quite common.
