One of the major art forms in Southeast Asia is a type of dyed cloth called batik. The word batik is thought to be derived from the word "ambatik" which means "a cloth with little dots" in Indonesian. The suffix "tik" means little dot, drop, point or to make dots. Batik may also originate from the Javanese (a dialect of Indonesian native to the island of Java) word "tritik" which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie dye techniques implemented in western textile design.

             Although experts disagree about the origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries. Although in these countries people were using the technique of dye resisting decoration on cloth, none have developed batik to the art form that is highly developed on the island of Java in Indonesia. .

             Although there is mention of "fabrics highly decorated" in Dutch transcripts from the 17th century, most scholars believe that the intricate Javanese batik designs would only have been possible after the importation of finely woven imported cloth, which was first imported to Indonesia from India around the 1800s and afterwards from Europe beginning in 1815. This finely woven cloth allowed for the intricate patterns that developed on the island of Java. Textile patterns can be seen on stone statues that are carved on the walls of ancient Javanese temples, however there is no conclusive evidence that the cloth is batik. It could possibly be a pattern that was produced weaving techniques and not dying. Nonetheless, these traditional woven patterns influenced the styles that are prevalent in the region.