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Encyclopedia ID 1239

Sri Lankan batik wax-resist painting

Also known as බතික්

Sri Lankan batik wax-resist painting: photograph by Peter van der Sluijs
Photo: Peter van der Sluijs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source on Wikimedia Commons

Draw wax outlines on cloth, then dye in coloured baths in the right order so each layer of resist keeps its colour, ending with a finished wall hanging.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Sri Lanka.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of South Asia.

Sources

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