What is Batik?  It is a textile art that involves a specialized method of applying dye to fabric, usually cotton or silk.  There are about 3,000 recorded batik patterns, some of which include flowers, plants, birds, animals, insects, and geometric forms are all popular motifs.  The use of computers in developing batik designs promises to add many more new and exciting designs to this library. 

Think of batik as the reverse of painting.  Instead of painting an area where you wish there to be color or a design on a piece of fabric, wax is applied to the area to keep it color free.  The fabric is then immersed in dye, coloring all the areas of the fabric that are wax free.  The fabric is dried and then the wax is heated in order to remove it.

Kalagas, which are embroidered Burmese tapestries, have been around for about 150 years.  Some of the techniques used in making kalagas are much older.  For example, the techniques of attaching gold thread and jewels called "shwe-chi-doe" were known to have existed in Burma over 1,000 years ago.  Items made using the "shwe-chi-doe" method were and still are rare because they were made from real gold and jewels, making them prohibitively expensive for the common person or every day use. 

Kalagas evoke in us a sense of the exotic and- for good reason.  Originally developed in the Mandalay court, they reflected the designs found at that time in the palace and in the pagodas.  Popular design themes for kalagas included art typically seen on temple walls.  Interestingly, these types of designs are still popular today.  This is one reason it is common for people to think that the kalaga art form is much older than it is since the most popular subjects illustrated on these tapestries are taken from tales and legends of ancient history.