Hot Designs: Chinese Wax Printing

The raw materials used in wax dyeing are pure cotton fabrics; the usual tools used for applying wax include a piece of copper and brass with bamboo handles. They are made from two small triangular pieces of metal, with their apexes bound to a bamboo holder by a copper wire. It is held like a pen either upright or on a slant in relation to the cloth, which is laid flat on a board. This tool is convenient for drawing straight or slightly curved lines.The patterns of most wax printings are rooted in social history, totem worship, mythical legends or religious ethnic cultures. For example, Miao wax printings convey the independent idea for beauty and the way of thinking of Miao women, expressing their yearning for happiness, respect and admiration for life, a d worship of ancestors. Such patterns can feature geometric images, animals or plants.