Iwan Tirta presents the story of batik using the framework of shadow puppet performances of Central and East Java: "Like the puppet master of a shadow play performance, I have chosen to narrate this story in the traditional prescribed sequence. After a brief introduction, the narrative begins in the dramatic center-the royal courts of Java, the cultural centers where the art of batik was elevated to levels of refinement unparalleled anywhere in the world. Our drama unfolds with factors that affected change in batik including the long chain of foreign influence on the Indonesian archipelago."