Batik painting of a bamboo tree. Signed indistinctly in the lower right. Information on Batik Painting on the back. Batik painting is an exclusive oriental art, it was first begun in the magnificent era of Tang dynasty (618-905AD). During that prosperous age, the country was ruled by an emperor with great wisdom. It was interesting to learn that the Tang dynasty was responsible for much of the modern culture of the Far East. It has influenced the Japanese literature, painting, sculpture, and religion. Therefore Tang dynasty's culture made the most brilliant era in Chinese history. At that tiem Batik was used for painting, dyeing and decorating all kinds of handicrafts. Because of its outstanding coloring and exquisite qualities. Batik has been accepted by the American family as an excellent decorative art and is becoming very popular on the International market. There are 7 processes to complete a Batik painting: 1. Stretch a piece of cloth over a wooden frame and tack it tightly. 2. Draw a rough sketch of desired subject on the cloth with charcoal. 3. Dip the brush in melted wax and brush the wax onto the parts of the painting with the lightest color you want. 4. paint the next darker shade over the entire cloth. 5. Repeat this process with succeeding coats of wax and darker shades of paint until the cloth is completely covered by the wax. 6. Place the waxed picture in a freezer and chill it until cracks show on the surface with a very dark color. The last color will be soaked into the cracks of the wax and produce the "cracked" effect on Batik work. 7. After the last dye has set, remove the cloth from the board and place it into a pot of boiling water. After the wax has melted and floated on the surface of the water skim the wax away, remove the finished painting, and let it dry in the sun. Then press it smoothly and mount it in a frame. Another way to remove the wax is to place old newspaper over the waxed picture and to utilize a hot iron on the paper, eventually you will find that the newspaper has absorbed the wax. How to take care of a Batik painting: 1. It if gets dusty, clean it with a brush. 2. If it gets moldy, cover the painting with a piece of paper and iron it repeatedly. Overall Size: 24 3/4 x 36 3/4 in. Sight Size: 23 7/8 x 35 7/8 in. #1755 #7