Batik is the Indonesian word .The Indonesian word "ba" is translated as a cotton fabric, and "-tik" means a "point" or a "drop". Ambatik signifies to draw, to cover with drops, to dash. The batik technique  is based on the fact that paraffin wax, rubber glue, and also some other pitches and varnishes, being put on a fabric, do not pass a paint through itself— or as artists speak, "reserve" separate sites of a fabric from colouring.  Batik is the technique of fabric painting by means of wax and dyes. Painted fabric is called batik also. Batik art is very ancient. The earliest mentions of using dyes for a fabric can be found in the Chinese texts concerning approximately by 2500 BC.

The earliest fabric samples made in the technique “batik”, were found by the archaeologists in the Western and the Central Africa, Egypt, on all extent of the Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, India, China, Japan, Indonesia, the islands of Oceania. The most ancient standards are found in Egypt, they are dated 5 century d.C.
Batik was applied in China at the time of the Sui Dynasty (710-794) and the history strongly connects this art with China, because it was from there that it spread worldwide together with silk. The gentle, lightweight fabric valued then its weight in gold and exported from China to Japan, the Central Asia, and therefrom to the Middle East and to India. That is why this trading way also became known as the Great silk road. There is an evidence that by 1677 trade in silk from India has extended on an island Java and to Persia. Though it should be noted that in Indonesia batik cloth traditionally used not silk, but cotton as the wax on it keeps better, making it possible to create multi-colour patterns.

Batik has received smart development on the island Javaisland. It is considered that to Java batik has been delivered from India (as the Indian stuffed fabrics were the subject of active export to Sumatra and Java) and for a long time it became an integral part of ritual worship to gods, Raja etc. Each pattern in Javanese batik is full of symbolism and is allocated by a magic power. Thin smooth cotton imported from India, could afford only the women in the richest cities of the coast and residents of Croton - princely houses patriarchal Java..

Of the thousands of different ornaments, handed down from generation to generation, in the late of the 18 th century many were prohibited to wear for common people and allowed to wear them only to members of the princely families and individuals, especially close to the Sultan. These were primarily the traditional ritual, symbolic ornaments., the strokes, reminding a rain, the image tune of a sacred` mountain on a white background. These prohibitions and regulations strictly adhered to the XVIII century, and even now the appearing of forbidden (lorangan) pattern in Croton of Jakarta is considered indecent for local residents. The symbolic significance of patterns ennobled and magically protected their carriers. As a result of Islamic influence, Indonesian batik became more geometrical and botanical, because Islam forbids images of people and animals.

That had been until the 17 th century, while India and Indonesia were colonized by Europeans, in consequence of which European culture had contributed to the development of batik in Indonesia. For example, the development of the textile dye production began, the discovery of entire factories for the production of batik, technology diffusion, the interpenetration of Eastern and European aesthetics in ornamental art, its enrichment. But there was a feedback too, because batik was to enter the culture of Europe.

In 1835 in the Dutch city of Leiden the first factory on batik manufacture has been opened. Afterwards behind it such enterprises appeared in Rotterdam, Apeldoorn, Helmunde and Haarlem The new technology has been developed for reception of the greatest profit with the least expenses at reproduction of difficult Javanese patterns. To train the workers the Dutch have not stinted to hire the Indonesian masters. Coming back to Java, these experts in turn adjusted batik manufacture in the homeland. At that time wax was put by means of printing stamps that considerably reduced the price of manufacture and allowed to receive very complex patterns..

After a sharp economic collapse in 1920th years the batik from industrial production again became craft of singles. In Holland the batik school has opened. The batik has turned to an Applied Art and in 1900 at the Parisian exhibition the works in this technique the first time have been shown.

In the 80-90 years of XX century, batik began to be widely used in interior design. In this technique, they make not just panels but also the decorative fabrics, blinds, curtains, screens, bedding, scarves, ties, napkins and many other things.