Thread by @ShefVaidya

#thread on #blockprinting, India’s heritage. Do read and share. @silkmarkindia @csbmot @smritiirani @TexMinIndia. Block printing or छिपाई का काम is one of the oldest crafts of Bharata being continuously practised, with its history going back to the Sindhu Saraswati civilisation.

It is believed that the tre-foil design on the shawl of the statuette of the Priest King found in Hadappa excavation is an example of block printing. Our ancestors have known the art of dyeing and printing a fabric with desired motifs using wooden blocks for thousands of years.

Ancient Indians knew how to extract dyes from plants and minerals, they also knew the use of mordants to fix dyes. fragments of cotton with block prints from India found at Fustat in Egypt go back to the 16th century and are examples of Ajrakh and Bagru block printing from India

#blockprinting is complicated and requires multiple stages. The first stage involves carving the blocks. Once the printers get the blocks, they start the printing process by washing the fabric first, drying it under the sun and stretching it tight on the blocking table.

Meanwhile, the colours are prepared and kept on different trays. The artist than dips the blocks in the desired colours and presses them on to the fabric gently, but with even pressure. This process is repeated over and over again till the full fabric is covered.

If the design requires multiple colours like in the case of #Ajrakh, multiples sets of blocks are prepared for the same design, one for each colour, with the design being filled in from the outermost edge to the innermost motif. Colours are printed lightest first and darkest last

There are three techniques of block printing used in India—direct printing, resist printing and discharge printing. Direct printing involves getting the fabric dyed first and then printed using wooden blocks in a series, with outline blocks first followed by inner colours.

I have had the good fortune to observe block printing processes in 4 states, the pedana Kalamkari block printing from Andhra, Ajrakh of Gujarat, Sanganeri printing of Rajasthan and Nandna printing of MP. It is fascinating to see printers at work.

The dull rhythmic thud of the blocks gently hitting the fabric as designs emerge is like poetry in motion. Here is a small glimpse of my block printed sarees from different parts of India!