The Dyer's Workshop

Bai people working on indigo-dyed batik textiles in their workshop (China)

 

There is a long history of batik production in China, dating back to the sixth century. Nowadays the tradition of batik is still practised by the minority groups who live mainly in Yunnan and other provinces in south western China.

All the minority people place great emphasis on their traditional dress which can help outsiders distinguish them from each other, and their costumes include Indigo-dyed batik elements.

Hemp and cotton is dyed with a strong natural indigo to produce a very deep blue. Indigo dyeing is widespread throughout the area and there is great expertise in producing the indigo paste from the leaves, and dyeing the cloth. Girls traditionally start learning to produce batik from the age of 6 and 7 years.

However many of these textile skills are slowly dying out as printed imitations of batik synthetic dyes, and machine embroidered cloths have been introduced.

 

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