Chinese Totems Batik

In the mountainous west of China's Yunnan province, where the hills sweep ever upward to the plateau of Tibet live the Naxi people. Their culture, called Dongba, preserves different elements of the pre-Buddhist Tibetan Bon religion as well as aspects of Chinese Taoism and Buddhism. They are the keepers of the world's last living pictographic language, a script they trace back to ancient Tibet. This batik features fearsome images of totems, commonly seen in Naxi art.

Chinese Batik (or La Ran) is a traditional art form practiced in China's remote southwest. The Miao (also called Hmong in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) people are particularly well-known for their batiks. The traditional method for producing a batik involves first melting wax and then dipping a needle into the liquid. The needle is then used to sketch a pattern on fabric. Once the pattern hardens the cloth is tie-dyed and the wax resists dying leaving the design clearly visible. Once dyed the wax is boiled away leaving the beautiful wax resist patterns on the fabric. More complicated patterns and color combinations can involve multiple waxing, dying and washing processes.

This large batik makes an excellent wall hanging and will add accent and distinction to any room. It measures 41.5 inches by 21.5 inches.