The art of batik is as old as the day is long. Referring to what’s called a “wax-resist dyeing technique,” the term “batik” has its origin in Java, though there’s evidence that batiks were used to wrap Egyptian mummies as early as the 4th century. There’s a rather fanciful tale about African soldiers recruited to fight in the Dutch East Indies bringing the fabric back to their native land, but it’s more likely that the technique simply arrived over ancient trans-Saharan overland trade routes, whereupon it was quickly adopted by peoples like the Yoruba and Soninke. Eventually it spread throughout the rest of the country, and these days most African markets have entire lanes of the fabric in more colors and prints than you ever knew were possible. Read Less