' ( IPA: , VOS Spelling: , ) is a

pen PEN may refer to: * (National Ecological Party), former name of the Brazilian political party Patriota (PATRI) * PEN International, a worldwide association of writers ** English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International ** PEN America, located ...

-like tool used to apply liquid hot

wax Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give lo ...

() in the

batik Batik is a dyeing technique using wax Resist dyeing, resist. The term is also used to describe patterned textiles created with that technique. Batik is made by drawing or stamping wax on a cloth to prevent colour absorption during the dyein ...

-making process in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, more precisely (). Traditional consists of copper wax-container with small pipe spout and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

handle. Traditional is made of

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

, bronze, zinc or iron material, however modern version might use

teflon Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, and has numerous applications because it is chemically inert. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemours, a spin-off from ...

Etymology

' is derived from Javanese word of ''canthing'' ( IPA: ) which means the small scooping tool.

History

''Canting'' is originated in

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

and invented by the Javanese, it is believed to be invented since 12th century. G. P. Rouffaer reported that the ''gringsing''

pattern was already known by the 12th century in Kediri,

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...

. He concluded that this delicate pattern could only be created by the ''canting'', an etching tool that holds a small reservoir of hot wax. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Studioportret van twee Javaanse batiksters TMnr 60027241

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Studioportret van twee Javaanse batiksters TMnr 60027241

Design

A ''canting'' consists of: # ''Nyamplung'': a rounded liquid wax container, made from copper. # ''Cucuk'' ( IPA:): a small copper pipe or spout that connects to ''nyamplung'' container, it is where the liquid wax comes out to be applied to the cloth. # ''Gagang'': ''canting'' holder, usually made from bamboo or wood. The size of ''canting'' may be varied according to the desired dot size or line thickness to be applied to the cloth. A

craftsperson uses ''canting'' in a similar fashion as drawing using a pen.

Types

There are three ways of classifying the types of ''canting'': # Based on its function: ## ''Canting'' ''Rengrengan'': ''canting'' that is ideally used to make a

pattern for the first time. ## ''Canting'' ''Isen'': ''canting'' that is ideally used to fill a pattern that has been made beforehand. # Based on the diameter of its ''cucuk'': ## Small ''Canting'': ''canting'' that has a small-sized ''cucuk'' with a diameter of less than 1 millimeter and is usually used as ''Canting Isen''. ## Medium ''Canting'': ''canting'' that has a medium-sized ''cucuk'' with a diameter of 1 – 2.5 millimeters and is usually used as ''Canting Rengrengan''. ## Large ''Canting'': ''canting'' with a large-sized ''cucuk'' with a diameter of more than 2.5 millimeters and is usually used to make a larger batik pattern or to fill a pattern that has been made beforehand with a block of wax. # Based on the number of its ''cucuk'': ## ''Canting'' ''Cecekan'': ''canting'' with one ''cucuk''. ## ''Canting'' ''Laron/Loron'': ''canting'' with two ''cucuk''. ## ''Canting'' ''Telon'': ''canting'' with three ''cucuk'' that forms an

equilateral triangle An equilateral triangle is a triangle in which all three sides have the same length, and all three angles are equal. Because of these properties, the equilateral triangle is a regular polygon, occasionally known as the regular triangle. It is the ...

. ## ''Canting'' ''Prapatan'': ''canting'' with four ''cucuk'' that forms a

square In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...

. ## ''Canting'' ''Liman'': ''canting'' with five ''cucuk'' that forms a square with a dot in the center of the square. ## ''Canting'' ''Byok'': ''canting'' with an odd number of ''cucuk'' and is equal to or more than seven ''cucuk'' that forms a

circle A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...

with a dot in the center of the circle. ## ''Canting'' ''Renteng/Galaran'': ''canting'' with four or six ''cucuk'' that forms two

parallel Parallel may refer to: Mathematics * Parallel (geometry), two lines in the Euclidean plane which never intersect * Parallel (operator), mathematical operation named after the composition of electrical resistance in parallel circuits Science a ...

lines.

Technique

Firstly, the cloth must be washed, soaked and beaten with a large mallet. The hot and liquid wax is scooped from small ''wajan'' ( wok) heated upon small stove. The batik craftsperson sometimes blow the spout tip of ''canting'' to allow the liquid wax to flow smoothly and to avoid clogging, then they draw the line or dot upon the cloth, applying the liquid wax, following the patterns and images that previously had been drawn using

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of ...

. A pattern is then drawn with hot wax called ''malam'' using ''canting''. The wax functions as a dye-resist. After this, the cloth is dipped in a dye bath containing the first colour. After the cloth is dry, the wax is removed by scraping or boiling the cloth. This process is repeated as many times as the number of colours desired. For larger areas of cloth which need to be covered, the wax is applied using a tool called ''nemboki/mopoki''.Batik Nomination for inscription on the Representative List in 2009 (Reference No. 00170)

References