a type of cloth, usually used for sarongs; batik fabric.
Battik refers to cloth, which is, by Sama measuring terms, cut about three yards wide by forty inches long, with an intricate, repetitive
and often colorful pattern. It is important to note that Sama measurement terms are used exactly opposite of American, namely,
Americans would regard the forty inches as the width, and the length as three yards! This is because for the Samal, the cloth
is not on a bolt, but just by a piece, or "cut of cloth". So a piece is measured according to how it will be worn, namely,
the length as held up to a person and then measured, and the width as what wraps around the person. If the piece of cloth
is less than three yards wide, it is not considered to be battik , but is called if it is to be used for a sarong sulindang . The Sama term does not refer to the batik process. Batik is a process done on cotton cloth in which the design is made
by applying repeated processes of dye and wax overlays, removing portions of the wax between dyeings. Some battik are made by silk screen process, and some are genuine batik. The cloth is usually imported from Indonesia or Malaysia. This
fabric is used to make siyag , worn by both men and women. Battik is a very appropriate gift for almost every occasion.