Depending on the quality of the art work, craftsmanship, and fabric
quality, batik can be priced from several dollars (for fake poor quality
batik) to several thousand dollars (for the finest batik tulis halus which probably took several months to make). Batik tulis has both sides of the cloth ornamented.
In Indonesia, traditionally, batik was sold in 2.25-metre lengths used for kain panjang or sarong for kebaya dress. It can also be worn by wrapping it around the body, or made into a hat known as blangkon.
Infants are carried in batik slings decorated with symbols designed to
bring the child luck. Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and
bridegrooms, as well as their families. The dead are shrouded in
funerary batik. Other designs are reserved for the Sultan and his family or their
attendants. A person's rank could be determined by the pattern of the
batik he or she wore.
For special occasions, batik was formerly decorated with gold leaf or dust. This cloth is known as prada
(a Javanese word for gold) cloth. Gold decorated cloth is still made
today; however, gold paint has replaced gold dust and leaf.
Batik garments play a central role in certain rituals, such as the
ceremonial casting of royal batik into a volcano. In the Javanese naloni mitoni
"first pregnancy" ceremony, the mother-to-be is wrapped in seven layers
of batik, wishing her good things. Batik is also prominent in the tedak siten ceremony when a child touches the earth for the first time. Batik is also part of the labuhan ceremony when people gather at a beach to throw their problems away into the sea.
The wide diversity of patterns reflects a variety of influences,
ranging from indigenous designs, Arabic calligraphy, European bouquets
and Chinese phoenixes to Japanese cherry blossoms and Indian or Persian
peacocks.
Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly
different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the
artist may use etching, discharge dyeing, stencils, different tools for
waxing and dyeing, or wax recipes with different resist values. They may
work with silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper, or even wood and
ceramics.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik#Sumatra
