Block printing in India is the traditional use of woodblock fabric printing in India. It is traditional and has a number of local variations. [1] It consists of stamping colored designs on fabric using specially carved wooden blocks. [1]
India boasts a rich legacy in block printing that has endured for thousands of years. From Gujarat’s Ajrakh and Rajasthan’s Dabu to Madhya Pradesh’s Bagh prints, this ancient, labor-intensive art form continues to captivate with its timeless charm. Artisans are constantly exploring techniques such as natural color printing, resist techniques like Batik or Dabu. Some of the renowned block printing traditions in India include Sanganeri, Bagru, Dabu, Ajrakh, Bagh, Gaamthi, and Kalamkari. [2]
Fabric printing is likely to have originated in China around 2500 BC. [3]
Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique, rather than a photographic reproduction of a visual artwork which would be printed using an electronic machine ; however, there is some cross-over between traditional and digital printmaking, including risograph.
A quilt is a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of two or more layers of fabric or fiber. Commonly three layers are used with a filler material. These layers traditionally include a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, and a woven back combined using the techniques of quilting. This is the process of sewing on the face of the fabric, and not just the edges, to combine the three layers together to reinforce the material. Stitching patterns can be a decorative element. A single piece of fabric can be used for the top of a quilt, but in many cases the top is created from smaller fabric pieces joined, or patchwork. The pattern and color of these pieces creates the design. Quilts may contain valuable historical information about their creators, "visualizing particular segments of history in tangible, textured ways".
Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that the artist cuts away carry no ink, while characters or images at surface level carry the ink to produce the print. The block is cut along the wood grain. The surface is covered with ink by rolling over the surface with an ink-covered roller (brayer), leaving ink upon the flat surface but not in the non-printing areas.
A sari is a women's garment from the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-stitched stretch of woven fabric arranged over the body as a robe, with one end attached to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a stole, sometimes baring a part of the midriff. It may vary from 4.1 to 8.2 metres in length, and 60 to 120 centimetres in breadth, and is a form of ethnic wear in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. There are various names and styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the Nivi style. The sari is worn with a fitted bodice also called a choli and a petticoat called ghagra, parkar, or ul-pavadai. It remains fashionable in the Indian subcontinent today.
Textile printing is the process of applying color to fabric in definite patterns or designs. In properly printed fabrics the colour is bonded with the fibre, so as to resist washing and friction. Textile printing is related to dyeing but in dyeing properly the whole fabric is uniformly covered with one colour, whereas in printing one or more colours are applied to it in certain parts only, and in sharply defined patterns.
Phulkari refers to the folk embroidery of the Punjab region and Gulkari of Sindh in South Asia.
Bagru is a town and a municipality in Jaipur district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located at a distance of 32 km from Jaipur, on Jaipur-Ajmer Road.
Ajrak, also known as Ajrakh, is a unique form of textile block-printing found primarily in Sindh, Pakistan and the village of Ajrakhpur in the bordering Kutch district of India. Ajrak textiles like shawls or dresses display special designs and patterns made using block printing with stamps. Ajrak is a symbol of Sindhi culture and traditions. Ajrak prints are also famous in neighbouring areas of Hyderabad, Pakistan, in Hala, due to their influence from the Indus Valley civilization. Apart from Sindh and Kutch, recently, a Saraiki version of the Ajrak called Sajarak was created and is found in South Punjab, Pakistan.
Resist dyeing (resist-dyeing) is a traditional method of dyeing textiles with patterns. Methods are used to "resist" or prevent the dye from reaching all the cloth, thereby creating a pattern and ground. The most common forms use wax, some type of paste made from starch or mud, or a mechanical resist that manipulates the cloth such as tying or stitching. Another form of resist involves using a dye containing a chemical agent that will repel another type of dye printed over the top. The best-known varieties today include tie-dye, batik, and ikat.
Bagh is a census town in Dhar district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is known for the Bagh Caves, which are late 4th- to 6th-century Buddhist rock-cut chambers with murals. The name of the town stems from the caves - according to local legend there were living tigers in these abandoned Buddhist caves.
Woodblock printing on textiles is the process of printing patterns on fabrics, typically linen, cotton, or silk, by means of carved wooden blocks.
Kalamkari is an ancient textile printing art that finds its roots in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The ancient textile printing art form is believed to have evolved about 3000 years ago in Andhra Pradesh. Kalamkari gained popularity in the south of India during the reign of Vijayanagara Empire. Kalam implies 'pen' and Kari means 'art', a name given by the Mughals when they discovered the art during their reign over the Deccan region. Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari, which involves twenty-three steps. There are two main styles of Kalamkari. The block printed that is practised in the town of Machilipatnam and the hand painted style that is largely practised in the town of Srikalahasti, both located in Andhra Pradesh.
Bagh print is a traditional Indian handicraft originating in Bagh, Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The process is characterised by hand printed wood block relief prints with naturally sourced pigments and dyes. Bagh print motifs are typically geometric, paisley, or floral compositions design, dyed with vegetable colours of red and black over a white background, and is a popular textile printing product. Its name is derived from the village Bagh located on the banks of the Bagh River.
Mohammed Yusuf Khatri is an Indian master craftsman from Madhya Pradesh.
Ismail Sulemanji Khatri was an Indian craftsman, especially known for his invention of the Bagh print, a part of the centuries-old hand block printing practice.
Abdul Kadar Khatri (1961–2019) was an Indian master craftsman of traditional hand block printing known as Bagh Print. He was the son of Ismail Sulemanji Khatri, founder of Bagh print. He along with his father saved the tradition of Textile printing of Bagh from extinction and taken it to new heights. His artifacts have brought laurels to India and particular to Madhya Pradesh state from across the globe by showcasing his exceptional talent in Bagh Print in many countries. His family has been working in the trade of Traditional Bagh Hand Block print since the 7th century.
Anokhi is an Indian retailer based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, which retails textiles, clothing, furnishings, and accessories, made with traditional Indian motifs and techniques. It was founded in 1970 by husband and wife, John and Faith Singh, with a focus on reviving traditional Rajasthani hand-block or woodcut printing techniques, and the use of natural vegetable dyes. Anokhi works directly with Rajasthani craftspeople, and retails through its 25 stores in India and a few stockists in Europe and the United States.
Bagru print is a form of hand block printing done by natural colours followed by the Chippa's in Bagru, India. These prints of Bagru are acclaimed all over world. The Prints of Bagru, unlike other prints, involve a different kind of printing. The unique method for printing employs wooden block in it. In this process, the desired design is engraved first on wooden block and then carved block is used for replicating the design in the preferred color on the fabric.
The Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing is a private museum located in Amber, Rajasthan dedicated to the art of hand-block printing. Opened in 2005, the museum is an initiative of the founders of Anokhi, an Indian retail brand of block-printed clothes.