Block Printing Craft Documentation

The art of Block printing and making

CRAFT STUDY AND DOCUMENTATION UNITEDWORLD INSTITUTE OF DESIGN LIFESTYLE ACCESSORY DESIGN BLOCK PRINTING AND BLOCK MAKING

DOCUMENTED BY : AKSHATA CHOUDHARY DURATION : 15 DAYS VISIT TO BAGRU AND SANGANER IN JAIPUR

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T

The success and ďŹ nal outcome of this project required a lot of guidance and assistance from many people and I am privileged to have got this all along with the completion of my project. All that I have done is due to such supervision and assistance and would not forget to thank them.

I respect and thank Mr. Manu Joshi , Mr. Sunil sir and Ms.Kumud Kedia for providing me with an opportunity to do the documentation work in Jaipur at bagru as well as sanganer and providing me all support and guidance which made me complete the work duly.

Last , but not the least , my parents are also an important inspiration to me. So with due regards , I express my gratitude to them as well.

This documentation has been prepared in fulfilment of the requirement for the subject : Craft Documentation of the programme B.design in Lifestyle accessories design .

For preparing this document , I visited Sanganer and Bagru which are said to be the renowned place for its plethora of attractive block printing and making , thoroughly researched in Jaipur for the period of 15 days , to avail the necessary information , study and document the crafting process along with the livelihood of the artisans .

The rationale behind visiting the place and preparing the document is to study the basics of crafts , history and development of Block printing and making . It’s design , growth of the economy , it’s evolution over the years and it’s functional areas like pricing and challenges faced by the craft and Craftsmen are an addition to the study .

P R E F A C E

LIFE IS RAW MATERIAL . WE ARE ARTISANS . WE CAN SCULPT OUR EXISTENCE INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL ,OR DEBASE IT INTO UGLINESS . IT’S IN OUR HANDS .

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

13-17

BLOCK MAKING

19-23

BAGRU

25-33

INDIGO

35-39

SANGANER

41-51

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRINTING : BLACK & WHITE PRINTING PIGMENT PRINTING DISCHARGE PRINTING SCREEN PRINTING

54-57 59-63 65-71 73-77

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SANGANERI AND BAGRU PRINT

79-83

A VISIT TO : ANOKHI MUSEUM

85-91

INTRODUCTION

13

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY The state of Rajasthan in India has a history dating back thousands of years. It was the site of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Rajasthan, meaning “The Abode of the Rajas,” was formerly called Rajputana. Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state .Jaipur was founded in 1727 by the rajput ruler Jai Singh II .

U N E S C O Wo r l d H e r i t a g e Committee inscribed Jaipur the ‘Pink City of India’ among its World Heritage Sites .It has a monsoon influenced hot semi-arid climate with long, extremely hot summers and short, mild to warm winters .In t h e v a s t , s a n d y, a n d a r i d northwestern region, soils are predominantly saline or alkaline.

CULTURE & CUISINE

Jaipur has many cultural sites .

T here are statu es d epi cti ng Rajasthani culture around the city .

The prior rulers of Jaipur patronised a number of arts and crafts. Some of the crafts include bandhani, block printing, stone carving and sculpture, tarkashi, zari, gota-patti, kinari silver j e w e l l e r y, g e m s , k u n d a n , meenakari , Lakh ki Chudiya, blue

pottery, and leather ware. The Jaipur Gharana for Kathak is one of the three gharanas of the major north Indian classical dance form of Kathak .Typical dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti, Gatte ki Sabzi, Ker Sangri, Makke ki Ghat, Bajre ki Ghat, Bajre ki Roti and Laal Maans . Jaipur is also known for i ts sweet’s including Ghevar and others .

15

LIFESTYLE & ENVIRONMENT The people of Jaipur fiercely guard their traditions and culture, which is reflected in their day-to-day life. They wear brightly coloured clothes and jewellery and are cheerful in nature. Their warm hospitality has enabled people from different parts of India and the world to enjoy their stay in Jaipur. They work in various industries like manufacturing, business, IT, education and tourism.

It is the political and economical capital of Rajasthan .It is historically the first planned city of the country built in a period of 4 years .Today, Jaipur is the centre for education and employment opportunities in the state as well as a vibrant tourist destination.

MY JOURNEY Experience travel - these are an education in themselves.

Keeping an account of this, I visited Jaipur to learn different types of art and the culture they follow.

Living there for 15 days taught me how learning could be done anywhere and not confined to the four walls of a classroom.

The trip started by visiting Amrapali design studio which was a great place to look by, having to see all the products before they are in the market was something amazing. Continuing this, the next places were Bagru and Sanganer which is a little far away f ro m Ja i p u r, b u t t h e experience I had was memorable.

I came to know how block making and printing is done.

Buying those products seems to easy but the efforts put behind them are just remarkable.

Overall it was a great experience and I had fun living there meeting new people everyday.

17

BLOCK MAKING

19

INTRODUCTION Block making in itself is an art that constantly evolves with the changes in the printing or the textile industry. Earlier blocks were ver y simple wooden structures without any handle, and were simply pressed on the fabric with hand or a wooden mallet. Later on blocks with handles were developed for the ease of printing. Another system of creating an impression on fabric was the clamping the fabric, where in the cloth was pressed between two identical blocks. Many factors decide what kind of block should be made for a particular situation. The most basic factor is the kind of wood.

Sagwaan is considered best for the purpose and thus remains the most preferred wood. It is found in abundance in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh . Locally it is known as Saag . The colour of the sap wood is golden yellow,

which slowly changes colour, from light to dark brown and then to almost black with age.

One of the most important characteristics is the natural oil contained in the wood that helps in its preservation. Due to lack of fibres, it is easier to carve very finely . The wood needs to be seasoned for the long life of the block. Thoroughly air dried wood is called seasoned wood .Wood needs to be seasoned before being used for any kind of constructive purpose. The next stage is developing the design of the block. The design of the block is created on a piece of paper. The wood is then mechanically cut to the required size of the block. Once the wood is ready to use, then the design or the pattern is transferred to the wood. This is called “likhai”, drawing the design on the block .

CARVING THE BLOCK The next stage is the carving of the design. To print a single colour design only one block is required to print this design. This could be the Rekh –the outline block, or the “Jaal” a kind of block, which has a geometrical, floral or lattice work.

The key outline block defines the form of pattern. Normally Rekh is considered the “key block” which

which gets printed first in order to fit the other block in. In some cases Rekh is split into two blocks in order to print two colours. This kind of block is known as ‘chirai’ (splitting) block .To achieve a second, third or fourth colours many blocks are needed. The 2nd colour blocks are “datta”. and the 3rd block is called the “Gad”.

When bought the wood is in uneven pieces called (wadh) . It is stored in a dark enclosed space for up to one year . Once the wood is ready the edges are shaped with saw , chisel and adze to give it the desired shape. The surface to be carved is filed and smoothened by grinding on a rough stone on which is spread fine river sand and water . The shaped smoothened block is known is kaplo .

The kaplo is now ready for the design to be traced on its surface and carved . The smoothened surface is coated with the layer of white chalk to aid definition and visibility of the traced design .

The design is first drawn on paper . This paper is fixed to the whitened surface of block, held in place with nails . Using a fine tipped or pointed chisel the design is perforated onto the block . Once the design is traced onto the block , the negative

spaces are carved or gouged using a variety of different shaped and sized chisels . If the spaces to be removed are vast , a hand drill is used . Once the block has been carved the block makers finish by engraving the printer to precisely align the blocks while printing .The four sides of the block are sloped , narrow at the top slanting outward at the base where the design is carved . The handle (chhado) is either carved from the block or attached later .

After the carving is complete and the block is ready it is placed in the groundnut oil for a couple of days to season the wood and protect it from climatic changes and moisture . This esures the block doesn’t warp through repeated use . An alternative technique to carving in wood is blocks where the designs are created by attaching metal wires or strips to a wooden base .

21

PROCESS

ABOUT ARTISAN Yaseen Wood Block are a Sole Proprietorship firm engaged in manufacturing high-quality array of Tree Printing Blocks, Animal Printing Blocks, etc.

Since our establishment in 1967 at Jaipur .They have been able to meet customer’s varied needs by providing products that are widely appreciated for their sturdiness, durability, high strength, fine finish and lightweight. Under the strict direction of “Mr. Rijwan Khan" (Manager), they have achieved an alleged name in the industry.

Block Printing with precise exactitude the block cutter practices his highly specialized craft. Yaseen Wood Block Maker works from carefully constructed patterns. Very often the blocks are car ved of Sheesham wood, an indigenous hardwood which, although difficult to carve, will hold the pattern edge without breaking down. Blocks are used to create repeat pattern design.

Any variance in colour or line marks the perfection of the hand, a precision that the stamp rhythm of the block printer’s work fixes onto the cloth-an unbroken and careful construction reflecting the impulse and paradox of nature.

Often a series of blocks will be carved based on the same motif, some with fine lines, and some with background shapes. The body of the work is forms as the blocks printer builds layer upon layer of color. The dye applied locally, or the design is covered with resist and the entire cloth is dyed. The cloth is testimony to the conceptual talent of both the block cutter and the printer.

The graceful accuracy of their skill appears as the inextricably understood rhythm of pattern, line and colour. The tradition of block cutting passes through family and apprenticeship.

Owing to the expertise, they have been able to offer the customers with quality-assured range of products in varied

s p e c i fi c a t i o n s. O w i n g to following reasons, we have been able to outshine others in this highly competitive market: -Talented workforce -Complete client satisfaction -Transparent dealings -Ethical business policies -Wide distribution network -Competitive pricing structure -Timely delivery Major Problems faced 1. Poor market linkages and knowledge of printers Traditionally, printers were part of the local economy and produced utilities for local usage and occasionally exquisites through local royal patronage. As mechanisation made available cheaper utilities at the local level, printers started to compete against those cheaper products by compromising on quality of raw material, labour and processing.

2. Limited clientele of exporters M a j o r i t y o f t h e e xc l u s i ve exporters of hand block printed textiles joined this trade only during the last two decades.

These small exporters and the few large printers were catering to a limited range of clientele .

3. Lack of working capital Majority of the printers were facing working capital problem as they were supposed to give collateral for getting loans. This was either not available with them or were at times disproportionately higher than the amount of loan.

4. Inadequate infrastructure support Due to the absence of proper infrastructure, the printers often faced problems due to pollution related issues.

23

BLOCK PRINTING BAGRU

25

INTRODUCTION

Bagru , a town on the Ajmer highway out of Jaipur has a long traditional of block printing by hand on cotton fabric . In the past these prints were essentially used by the local community . Colour and motif often denoted caste , community and marital status .

These prints traditionally were in combinations of deep red , iron black and indigo blue highlighted with green and yellow , and mud-

resist used to conserve areas of white ground . In building up patterns , geometrical forms were adopted along with floral, animal and bird motifs .

Traditional use of Bagru fabric was fadats and lugdis for ghaghara , dopatta or angocha (shoulder cloth), jajams and bichhaunis (floor coverings).

ABOUT ARTISAN -

CHHIPA COMMUNITY -

RK Derawala is a leading manufacturer of Hand block printed saree’s, Dupattas, Stoles, Unstitched Suit Set’s, Dress material in natural colours & Vegetable dyes, where entire villages derive their livelihood from the craft of hand block printing.

The clothing brand of Brij Group incorporated long back in the year 1945. He has been awarded Padma Shri for his work .

The social structure of ancient India was based on the Caste System or Varna Vayavastha. The art of handblock printing was practised by the Chhipa community only and, till t o d a y, i t i s p e c u l i a r t o t h i s community. Not only in Bagru, but also in Akola, near Jodhpur and Bagh in Madhya Pradesh, the Chiapas are practicing the traditional art of hand-block printing. All the Chiapas of Bagru claim to be the descendants of saint Namdev of Maharashtra .

They had to migrate due to the incessant warfare and raids between the Mughals and the Marathas. The Chiapas had settled here about 400 years back and some families had migrated from Gujarat. It is said that the thakur had brought the Chiapas from different places and helped them settle here.

BAGRU LOOK Bagru is said to be situated on the banks of the river Sanjaria, which is believed to have originated from a water source some 7 kms west of the village. It was then known as Bagora island, from where Bagru perhaps derived its name. The source of the river is said to have dried up and for the past 50 years there has been no sign of the river, though many people still remember the river existed here.

It is widely believed that the water of this river permeated the soil of Bagru to give it the special BAGRU LOOK appearing in its rich brown, red and black.

ECONOMIC STATUS Today the economic status of the Chiapas of Bagru is secure. They are mostly self-employed and each household is a hub of activity.

Though the Chiapas do not own large agricultural land, they possess most conveniences.

27

DABU PRINT HISTORY AND ORIGIN Dabu, derived from the word ‘Dabaana’ meaning press, is a technique of using mud as a resist, to create patterns on indigo dyed fabric. With its main centers in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, this craft flourishes in areas that naturally has sticky clay like soil, easily available in nearby areas.

Traditionally these prints adorned the lehenga’s and odhni’s of the women in this area. Today a wide variety of garments, and home linen are available in this technique. The technique is believed to have dated back to the 8th century AD, based on the oldest known Dabu textile, found in Central Asia.

Their craft speaks of skill and years of experience, as the craftsmen swiftly pattern the clothes. As time passed, Alizarin pigment used to impart red color was replaced by Naphthol and the craftsmen began to use tar instead of mud in case of designs which require sharper contrasts.

SPECIALITY South East Asian countries practice various types of resist dyeing, but the mud resist technique is one that is unique to India.Regional Dabu printing is practiced in three states of India - Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The craft is practiced through the year with the exceptions of the months that experience heavy monsoons i.e. June - August.

The Chippas (printers) and Neelgars (dyers) are the communities that work hand in hand to make these mud resist fabrics. Skills are passed on from generation to generation, with both men and women participating in the activities based on the region they work in. Interestingly, Rajasthan for example, has only men involved in the process, where as in Madhya Pradesh, only the women take part in the printing activity.

TOOLS USED FOR PRINTING -

PRODUCTION STEPS -

• Bhaant or Block - Each printer has hundreds of blocks to choose from while printing his designs.

• Paatia - printing table on which the fabric to be printed upon is spread out flat and stretched.

• Tari or Wooden receptacle or tray for keeping the dry colour to be mixed with water in the vat • Dye vats for preparing the dye by mixing the color and water in them. The clothes to be dyed are put in them and stirred around to color them.

• Chipri - a spliced bamboo mesh • Kambal ki gaddi - a thick felt fabric to be used as sponge • Malmal - a fine fabric to print with fine blocks.

•Scouring (Pre processing of fabric before printing) locally called “Hari Sarana”.

•Tanning or preparing fabric for printing locally called “Peela Karna” or Harda Rangai.

• Printing with mordant salts locally called “Chapai”.

• Drying of printed fabric or Ageing before dyeing the fabric in natural dye locally called “Sukhai”.

•Washing or removal of excess mordant before dyeing locally called “Khulai”.

•Dyeing or fixing of colours after washing locally called “Rangai”.

•Resist Printing or mud clay printing locally called “Dabu Datai”.

•Dyeing with blue colour locally called “Neel Rangai”.

•Dyeing with yellow dye locally called “Haldi Naspal Putai”.

• Post mordant or fixing of yellow dye locally called “Fitkari Rangai”.

Tools used for Dabu Printing

29

Scouring Process

PRINTING WITH VEGETABLES DYE -

BLACK COLOUR -

The most common natural or vegetable dye sources are Harda, Alizarin and Indigo.In the event of non-availability of natural madder and indigo their synthetic counter parts i.e. chemical dyes are also used. Many times a combination of direct and resist styles are practiced depending on the design.

Treatment of cotton or silk or wool with harda followed by treatment with iron salt is commonly used to produce black colour either during dyeing or printing. Harda treated fabric followed by subsequent printing with alum is used to produce variety of shades by subsequent dyeing or printing with other natural dyes.

SCOURINGBefore printing the fabric is desized, scoured and bleached either using traditional methods or modern methods depending on the facilities and expertise available.

TANNINGIn this process the fabric is treated with a solution containing Harda powder. The process of Harda treatment with intermediate drying is repeated 2-3 times till greenish yellow colour is obtained. The fabric is then dried either in sunlight or in shade. The purpose of harda treatment of cotton fabric is to hold the metal on fabric by reaction with tannin present in harda. This metal ion is then subsequently available for reaction with the colouring component/s of the vegetable dyes applied subsequently by dyeing or printing techniques. From the natural dyeing point view only Alum and iron salts are environmentally friendly. The other salts like copper sulphate, sodium dichromate and stannous chloride are not environmentally friendly. Black and red are the most popular colours produced by block printing of cotton in Rajasthan.

Black shade This is available on treatment of fabric with Harda solution. Dry Block print with iron salt solution is often used to produce black outline of the design.

Other shades Dierent shades are available on treatment of fabric with harda solution. Dry treatment with alum either by printing or treating the whole fabric with alum solution and dyeing or printing with other natural dye source. During this operation the metal salt chelated with tannin in harda forms another complex with the natural dye source applied by dyeing or printing process.

For example when harda treated fabric is printed with alum, a complex between tannin of harda and aluminium is formed. When this fabric is treated with alizarin by dyeing process, the alizarin forms a complex with aluminium with the formation of red colour.

31

Preparing harda for fabric tanning

PROCESS - First of all Fabric is received from the mills. Based on the order, dierent sizes are measured and cut based on the fabric. Sarees would have 7 metres, dupattas 2.5 metres and so on.

- Traditionally mill made cloth of 30s, 60s and mull is used. It is heavily sized.

For that it needs to be desized. Desizing is done by repeatedly beating the wet fabric against a hard surface (stone). It is frequently kept for a day after such beating so that enzymatic reaction can loosen the size. Next day it is again beaten and so on. This process continues for three days.

- The fabric is then pre-washed and soaked for 24 hours to remove all starch, oil, dust, or any other contaminants.

- After that the fabric is dipped in Myrobalan (Tanning) agent. The myrobalan paste is prepared about three hours in advance by mixing about 2kg paste for 100 m of fabric. After that the fabric is dried in the sunlight. (Red Process - No Dabu) - After it is dried, then the next process of Dabu is done. Printing paste is made using (Jaggery, Hydrate of Lime, Kali Mitti and Gum (Nigeria). The paste is then spread over coir to give it a base. The printing is done using blocks.

- After that fabric is printed once with a paste of Alum+ Tamarind Seed + Direct dye to distinguish. (White Process - Dabu). After that fabric is washed once, then it is dried and then goes for boiling.

- In boiling, the fabric is put in the vat containing boiling water mixed with with Dhauri Ke Phool ( Jaloor)+ Alizarin ( Madder)+ Mahi for 1 hour at 100 degrees Celcius. The fabric is circulated about 5 times using Bamboo Poles.

If the color required is dark then some iron water needs to be added.

- Once the mud is dry, the fabric is immersed in a dye, usually indigo, and again laid to dry in the sun. The printers may repeat the dabu printing on top of the dyed fabric to create further layers of resist and again dye it in darker shades of the dye.

- Then the Dabu paste is prepared based on the number of fabrics involved at a time for undergoing the batch process.

- Finally the fabric is washed to remove all traces of the dabu mud, and revealing the resist area to be the original white (or other colors depending on how many times the fabric was dabu printed). The fabric is again dried in the sun.

- The fabric is block printed, which is a mud resist paste made from clay and gavar gum, and sprinkled with saw dust (so the fabric will not stick to itself), and laid to dry in the sun. The dabu mud makes the printed area resistant to dyes, and therefore will remain unaected when it is later

- It is then ready to be packaged and sold.

33

INDIGO

35

HISTORY Indigo is among the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing. The oldest known fabric dyed indigo dating to 6,000 years ago was discovered in 2009 at Huaca Prieta, Peru.

Many Asian countries, such as India, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations have used indigo as a dye for centuries. Indigo was also cultivated in India, which was also the earliest major center for its production and processing.Indigo was most probably imported from India. The Romans used indigo as a pigment for painting and for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It was a luxury item imported to the Mediterranean from India by Arab merchants.

I n Ja p a n , i n d i go b e c a m e especially important during the Edo period. This was due to a growing textiles industry and because commoners had been banned from wearing silk, leading to the increasing cultivation of cotton, and

consequently indigo – one of the few substances that could dye it. Newton used "indigo" to describe one of the two new primary colours he added to the ďŹ ve he had originally named, in his revised account of the rainbow in Lectiones Opticae of 1675. Indigo remained a rare commodity in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. A c h e m i c a l l y i d e n t i c a l d ye derived from the woad plant (Isatis tinctoria) was used instead. Indigo dye is an organic compound with a d i s t i n c t i v e b l u e c o l o u r.

Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from the leaves of certain plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. A large pe rce n t a ge of i n d i go dye p r o d u c e d t o d a y, s e v e r a l thousand tonnes each year, is synthetic. It is the blue often associated with denim cloth and blue jeans.

SOURCES Natural sources -

Synthetic production-

The chemical found in plant leaves is really indican, a precursor to indigo. The process to extract indican from plant leaves and convert it to indigo has remained unchanged. In this process, a series of tanks are arranged in a step wise fashion. The upper-most tank is a fermentation vessel into which the freshly cut plants are placed. An enzyme known as indimulsin is added to hydrolyze, or break down, the indican into indoxyl and glucose. During this process carbon dioxide is given o and the broth in the tank turns a murky yellow.

After about 14 hours, the resulting liquid is drained into a second tank.

Here, the indoxyl-rich mixture is stirred with paddles to mix it with air. This allows the air to oxidize the indoxyl to indigotin, which settles to the bottom of the tank. The upper layer of liquid is siphoned away and the settled pigment is transferred to a third tank where it is heated to stop the fermentation process. The resultant mixture is ďŹ ltered and dried to form a thick paste.

A variety of synthetic chemical processes have been used to p r o d u ce i n d i go. A l l t h e s e processes involve combining a series of chemical reactants under controlled conditions. The reactants undergo a series of reactions which result in the formation of the indigo molecule. A number of other chemical byproducts are also produced in this reaction.

These synthesis reactions are conducted in large stainless steel or glass reaction vessels. These vessels are equipped with jackets to allow steam or cold water to ow around the batch as the reactions progress. Because of the complexity of these chemical processes, the dye is usually made in batch quantities. There are, however, a few methods invented by the Germans for continuous process manufacturing.

37

The seeds that conceive the colour

Raw MaterialsThe raw materials used in the natural production of indigo are leaves from a variety of plant species including indigo, woad, and polygonum. Only the leaves are used since they contain the greatest concentration of dye molecules.

Quality ControlDuring indigo manufacture, the reaction process is continuously monitored to ensure the chemicals are combined in the proper ratios. Key elements that must be controlled include the pH , the temperature , and the reaction time. If any of these variables deviate from specifications, the resulting reaction product can be affected. Typically, poor quality control results in lower yield of the dye, which increases costs for the manufacturer.

To ensure that manufacturers can consistently purchase the same shade of dye, indigo is assigned a Color Index number that defines its shade.

Byproducts/WasteIndigo production produces a variety of waste products which must be handled carefully. In addition to the reactants there are other reaction side products that are produced along with the indigo. Some of these materials

are considered to be hazardous and must be disposed of in accordance with local and federal chemical waste disposal guidelines. These waste chemicals can enter the environment in at least three different ways. The first is during the actual manufacture of the molecule. The second is when the dye is applied to the yarn, and the third is when the dye is eluted into the w a s h w a te r d u r i n g t h e i n i t i a l stonewashing or wet processing of the fabric. This last route typically occurs during the production of denim fabric.

The FutureManufacturers who use indigo in dying operations are also seeking to improve their use of the dye. A technology called "Stone Free" which allows indigo dye in the fabric to break down 50% faster in the stonewash cycle. Compared to traditional methods of stonewashing fabric dyed with indigo, their new process uses few, pumice stones which help give the fabric its faded look. Therefore, pumice stone handling and storage costs are reduced, along with time required to separate pumice from garments after stonewashing. It also uses much less bleach. Therefore, this new process not only reduces garment damage,but also reduces waste.

39

BLOCK PRINTING SANGANER

41

INTRODUCTION At Sanganer , traditional block printing collides with the modern world . What was once a cohesive community of chhippa printers , rangrez dyers and dhobi washer folk working in harmony for centuries using hand carved blocks , natural dyes and classic motifs , has exploded with the introduction of screen printing and chemical colour. Today , Sanganer delicately juggles the

old along with the new .

Block printing has continually adapted to market forces in India and beyond . Historically , royal patronage fuelled domestic trade . The extraordinary quality of Sanganeri prints was highly prized and eventually attracted international clients as well as local customers . Towards the end of the 1900s mechanisation , accompanied by the introduction

of chemical dyestuffs , resulted in competition from cheaper and less labour intensive processes in the West . By the late 1950s Sanganeri printing was stagnant and faced near demise until western hippies reinvigorated shapes , designs and colours .

Spurred by fashion demands from home and abroad , as well as reduced trade regulations since 1991 , India has resumed its role as one the world’s largest producers of textiles .

Indian designers have revitalised traditional motifs that once again appear in regal splendour , albeit this time on the catwalks of Mumbai , London and New York . The latest twist in the tale of Sanganer returns these historically influential textiles to their roots , popular in India and throughout the world .

ABOUT ARTISAN Brij Ballab Udaiwal belongs to a family of traditional textile block printers from Sanganer . Being a National Award Winner, year 1991 he have been actively involved and working for the up-liftment of craftsmen by running various educational and vocational training

centers . Brij Ballab is also e n e rge t i c a l ly i nvo lve d i n t h e developments which are taking place regarding the future of hand-block printing in Sanganer and providing employment to 85 odd units dealing in hand-block printing, hand embroidery and stitching which are located in Jaipur, Sanganer, Bagru and near by places and treats every craft person as the original creator of the design and the process because he is the one who knows his job well and has been doing it since ages and thus can create things which are truly his own creations.

He is currently running an NGO in the name of Shilpi Sansthan in Rajasthan that for 14 years has been working in the economic development of the surrounding rural area as well as the continued survival and competitiveness of hand-made textiles. It is supported by 13 members and 3 officers. All of these are members of the local textile business community and help to financially support the NGO. They are always looking for avenues that provides ample opportunity to showcase the excellence of Natural/Vegetable Dyeing .

43

SANGANERI PRINT DESIGNS/MOTIFSFine lines and intricate detailing are specialties of the Sanganeri style Block printing which displays an extensive variety of butas. The designs are based on the traditional motifs , paisley flowers, leaves, birds, centreline pattern, and Block printing p a tte r n s a n d b o rd e r s w i t h grapevine movement with black or dark outline. Various floral designs and geometrical and

religious figures are included in its prints. Now modern designs are also found on block-printed cloth. Folk designs are also found quite often and are famous, as they retain the basic Sanganeri printing style. Fine lines and intricate detailing are specialties of the Sanganeri style. It is noteworthy that all the designs of printing have been named after vegetables, birds or animals and other objects of nature.

COLOURSOriginally, printers used the colours derived from natural dyes, yellow from turmeric and buttermilk, green from banana leaves, black from iron rust, blue from indigo plant, red from sugarcane and sunflower and purple from kirmiz insect. The names of colours were not red, green or yellow, as they are called today.

Instead the colour names reflected nature and life. The terms usually used were kasumal for red, toru phooli for yellow, moongiya for dark

green etc . Red and black are the two main colours used all over the state.

Boththese colours are given multiple shades for use, through dyeing. As the dyeing is from vegetable colours, the cloth emits a peculiar smell of its own. Small communities of chhipas have been doing the work of printing at local levels. In Rajasthan, gold printing is also centuries old.

C o l o u r s we r e o b t a i n e d f r o m vegetables and metals as per their l o c a l av a i l a b i l i t y. T h e a r t o f overprinting in gold .

800 meter of printing. The outline The main tools of the printer are blocks are called as rekh and the filler wooden blocks which are available in blocks are called as datta. different shapes and size as per the design and requirement. The block 2. Metal Block: makers mainly make two types of For making intricate patterns and getting high level of clarity in prints block metal blocks are used. These blocks 1. Wooden Block are made by engraving thin sheets of 2. Metal Block evenly cut metal strips into the wooden blocks. The metal strips are 1. Wooden Block: beaten to make them thin and then These blocks are usually made on teak or seesham wood. Artisans strips are cut of even length. The make sure that the wood is seasoned design is drawn on the wooden block and then carve the motifs on it. The and the metal strips are pressed onto design are first printed on paper and the design by gentle hammering. stuck on the block of wood. Artisan, Filling of the designs is done from then start carving the wood with center to outside. Once made the steel chisels, of different widths and blocks are checked to see the strips cutting surface. The motifs are are of the same height from the carved on the base while the top has a wooden base. Metal blocks are handle. These handles are either costly, time consuming but long carved out from the same wood or by lasting. a low cost wood attached to the surface with the help of nails. Each 3. Scale: block has two or more cylindrical For marking the areas to be printed holes drilled into the block for free scales are used. air passage and also to allow release of excess color. Blocks made are of 4. Chalk: rectangular, square, oval, semi- For marking chalks are used. These circular, circular etc. shape. Once the chalks have sharp edges which gives block is made it is soaked in oil for 10- fine line.

15 days to soften the grains. The life of these block are approximately 600-

TOOLS-

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5. Printing Table: These are specially made tables measuring approximately 3 feet high, 3 feet wide and 9 feet long.

The surfaces of the tables are covered with several layers of cloth, jute and canvas which help in better printing. These tables allow 3-4 printers standing and w o r k i n g s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

Traditionally these tables were of low height approximately 1 feet high, 2 feet wide and 5 feet long.

The printer used to sit on ground and print.

6. Colour Plates: Colours used for printing are kept in a wooded tray called as saaj. Once the color is poured into the tray wire mesh is placed inside. This mesh is covered with a piece of felt. Felt soaks the color and ďŹ nally a ďŹ ne cotton/malmal cloth is placed on the felt. This preparation helps in proper application of color on the block.

cloths .

8. Tray Trolley: These are wooden trolleys' accommodated with two shelves and wheels in the base for the easy movement. On the upper shelve the color tray is kept while in the lower rack required blocks. The height of the trolley is 3 feet suitable for working on the printing table.

These are locally called as patiya.

9. Brushes: Metal or nylon brushes are used to clean the wooden and metal blocks after use. This helps in maintaining the life of the block.

10. Mogari (wooden roller): This a cylindrical wooden roller on which the cloth is kept and beaten.

11. Kotan (Wooden mallet): 7. Tambadi (Copper vessels): This is used to beat the cloth Traditionally copper vessels are over mogari, in order to remove the starch. used for dyeing and washing of

RAW MATERIALS The main raw material is the colour used in the printing. Traditionally the artisans used natural colours but today it has been replaced by chemical and artificial colours.

The main raw materials are Colours/ Dyes.

Different types of dyes are used for silk and cotton.

• Vegetable/ Natural dyes • Discharge Dyes • Pigment dyes • Reactive dyes • Rapid fast Colours Vegetable/ Natural dyes: Since ages artisans are using vegetable dyes for printing and dying. As they

are extracted from the nature, vegetables, fruits etc., they are beneficial for the environment along with having traditional importance.

- Indigo Blue: Extracted from the indigo plant found throughout India.

- Red: This is obtained by mixing alizarin with alum. The color ranges from pink to deep red.

- Black: This is acidic solution of iron which is obtained by processing rusted nails, horse shoes, iron scrap etc. with jiggery and salt.

-Green: The skin of pomegranate is processed by boiling. Apart from this artisans also use bark of mango tree, vinegar, slaked lime etc.

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PROCESS Pre -Washing: The process of printing can be divided into following major parts:• Pre - Washing • Marking • Printing • Drying • Washing

The fabric brought from the market contains starch, dust etc. Therefore it goes through a preprinting treatment in order to get good results while printing. The fabric is therefore dipped in a solution of water and bleach for 1-2 days. It is then boiled and washed with water. Finally the cloth is stretched and spread on ground and left for drying. This process known as Hari Sarana takes 3-5 days depending on the weather conditions.

Marking: The cloth to be printed is spread on the printing table and fixed with the help of pins. With help of scale and chalk areas to be printed are marked and proper gaps are left for cutting and stitching.

Printing: Printer dips the block in the color and stamps the design on the cloth.

The blocks are then pressed hard with the fist on the back of the handle so that registration/imprint of the color is even. Printing starts from left to right. Number of colors used in the design defines the number of blocks to be used. Generally one printer handles one color and application is done simultaneously. In the case of sarees the pallu is printed first and then the border. First the outline color is applied and then the filling colors. Specific point in the block guides the printer for the repeat impression. The process of printing is called as Chapaai.

Drying:

After the printing is completed the fabric is dried out in sun for the colors to get fixed. This is done specially for the pigment dyes. The printed fabrics are handled with utmost care so that the colors are not transferred to other areas. Therefore they are wrapped in plastic or newspaper after dying. The process is called as Sukhaai.

Washing: Fabric then goes through the process of steaming in the special boilers constructed for this purpose. After steaming, the material is washed thoroughly in large quantities of water and dried in the sun. Once the fabric is washed and dried ironing is done, which further fixes the color permanently. This final process of washing is called Dhulaai.

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CHALLENGES FACED Sanganer, once a city bustling with creativity, has now been reduced to despondency and inactivity. A little village on the outskirts of Jaipur, Sanganer was famous for producing the best and most exquisite hand printed cloth - a tradition that had been maintained over 150 years. But over the last two years, the passion to make a fast buck has obliterated the artisans' age-old commitment to their art, driving it almost out of existence.

Not long ago, Sanganer was a riot of colour with long sheets of cloth hung outside every house to dry in the morning sun. Export orders were soaring and high demands kept the artisans on their toes. From meagre earnings of Rs 25 a day earlier they now received Rs 100 a day when orders worth lakhs of metres started pouring in. Today they are jobless and have left the once rich climes of Sanganer for other neighbouring areas.

Meanwhile, scores of artisans have wandered off in search of other, more lucrative jobs in Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan. Hanuman Chippa, once one of the best hands in Sanganer, last year quit his traditional family line of block printing and with his small savings started a small shop, selling tyres and tubes in Jaipur.

Says a dejected Chippa: "It hurts me to sit in the midst of tyres. But I cannot go back to block printing - it is a dying art. After all we must earn enough to live." But, the few who are sticking on to their traditional art are doing so out of necessity. One of them maintains that hand printing is his religion and although he sometimes feels tempted to give it up for a business that would pay better, he resists as "it is a question of prestige".

The gradual downfall came when artisans started palming off substandard cloth and prints to an eager and unsuspecting foreign market. Since block printing was a tedious process, the artisans, under the illusion that their foreign clients would never know the difference, switched to screen printing.

The importers caught on and reduced their orders, bringing down exports to an all-time low this year. During the peak export phase in the late '70s, about 50,000 metres of printed cloth was produced daily, out of which 90 per cent was exported. Today hardly 5,000 metres are produced daily and just about 50 per cent exported.

A big time printers who fed the export market at one stage said : "The only way to get back into business is to revert to block printing, create new designs or switch to the complicated but lovely designs which were in vogue about a 100 years back." Ironically, the foreign markets are craving for those very prints and if the artisans are hoping to bounce back into the market they have to provide it with the original stuff.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRINTING

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BLACK & WHITE PRINTING One of the variety of printing processes used in traditional printing in India is Chuna Patri process used in Bagru.

The Dye class is aniline black, used by Century Textiles long ago for dyeing their umbrellas. Patri is Aniline Hydrochloride, also known as aniline salt. It is a product that is made by aniline oil and HCl. This is in the form of white ake crystals and used for making black color in textile printing.

It works on the principle that when a salt of aniline in solution is exposed to the action of oxidizers, it yields a black dye of such depth that other dyes look grey or green in comparison. In this case the aniline salt dissolves in water to give a acidic solution with a pH of around 5.

Cotton is dipped in the solution containing aniline salt, potassium chlorate, which acts as an oxidizer and copper salt, which acts as an oxygen carrier. The dyed material them becomes greener

due to formation of Emeraldine and then turns jet black.

When a wet solution is then printed with lime, the Ca(OH)2 will neutralize the selected areas as well as bleach them by forming calcium chloride, which gives such a brilliant white color.

Faults during Patri Printing : 1. Unevenness: This is mainly due to uneven impregnation. Even wet hands will lead to unevenness.

2. Greening: This is due to insuďŹƒcient oxidation. Often this is observed after some storage.

3. Rubbing: This is due to the improper dyeing conditions and chemicals.

4. Bronziness: This is due to over oxidation.

5. Tendering: It can happen if the fabric is aged ( exposed to air) for a prolonged period before washing.

PROCESS 1.

In this process a solution is prepared using Patri(Aniline Hydrochloride), Potassium Chlorate and Copper sulphate.

2.

Fabric is dipped into it and while it is wet, it is printed with lime + Gum. Lime acts as a discharge and doesn't allow the black color to develop on those areas.

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3.

It is then dried in the sun. Every part of the fabric which is not printed ďŹ rst turns green and then jet black upon exposure to sun.

4.

The problem is that the Patri and Potash makes the fabric weaken so post washing is very important. To get a grey, black color is added with lime. It gives some of the best Blacks and white you can ever ďŹ nd.

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PIGMENT PRINTING

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INTRODUCTION Pigment printing is one of the essential parts of the textile industry. It refers to the dyeing of clothes and dress materials. There are various types of dyes available in the market which is used for pigment printing. Resistant pigment, pigment dye ink, solvent dyes, ink pigments, resistant pigment, printing ink pigments and artists pigment are some of the popular pigments available.

This Printing is done to produce attractive design by applying pigment paste on the fabric surface . Pigments are found in particle state and the particle size range should be in the region of 0.1-3 microns .

Pigment printing is the most popular technique used on cellulose fibres. There are various benefits associated with the pigment printing process. Some benefits are:

High quality printing: Pigment printing offers brighter printing than the other styles of printing.

Moreover, the colour is permanent with this process and do not get off just with one wash.

Easy Technique: Pigment printing is an easy dyeing process. The colour matching is fast and easy with pigment printing. Moreover pigment printing is possible without making subsequent washes. Also if there is any issue in the colour fabrication, it is easily identifiable in pigment printing technique.

Affordable Technique: Pigment printing is a budget friendly process. As this process ensures less wash off, quick sampling and is a high speed technique, more printing can be done at less time.

You also do not need high end machiner y for applying this technique. All these features make pigment printing economical.

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USES For reactive production we use non-toxic water based dyes that are approved by the Global O r g a n i c Te x t i l e S t a n d a r d (GOTS). In reactive printing, the fabrics are pre-coated before printing.

After printing the fabric is steamed, creating a reaction that dyes the fibers right through. The fabric is then laundered and ironed. Our reactive fabrics are printed, steamed and laundered in the same production line reducing as much as possible the energy and water consumption. Because they are steamed and laundered as part of the finishing the reactive dyes have a very good colour fastness when washing.

Reactive dyes are better for finer fabrics like silk as they are less prone to bleeding than pigments; because they dye the fibres right through reactive inks are great for silk scarves.

the finishing process. Because the inks are increasingly catching up with reactives on colour and fastness, the industry is seeing a move towards pigments. But reactives remain important, especially on finer fabrics.

-Pigment printing uses heavier quality good at a reasonable rate. items and hence the rollers get adversely affected in the process. Epricon-

-Pigment printing cannot be applied directly on the fabrics and hence binders are used for the same. The use of these additional The pigment printing process can devices results in a coating over be applied on both natural and the fabric. synthetic fabrics. It is a simple process and hence you need not -If there is any error in the first always require technical experts phase of printing, the second for the job. Pigment printing can time use of pigment printing is also be used to dye various kinds not that effective. You do not get of fibres, like glass fibre, PVC and the same colour effect when used imitation leather. repeatedly over the same material.

Last but not the least; pigment printing is a reliable dyeing Hence there are both good and p r o c e s s i n w h i c h y o u g e t bad effects of Pigments for ink, enhanced quality products with but its strong colour effects have least labour and equipment costs. gradually made it popular now -adays. From polyester and viscose Although there are several good d re s s m a te r i a l s to p r i n te d aspects of thepigment printing curtains, towels and garments in method, the process is not error need of soft touch, pigment S o p i g m e n t p r o d u c t i o n i s free. Some of the issues that you printing is gradually making its probably more environmentally m a y f a c e w h i l e u s i n g t h i s mark in all types of fabric. Hence friendly, as there is less energy technique are: go for the modern technique of consumption and waste water in pigment printing and enjoy

Epricon package is based on ecofriendly pigment systems with matching depth, solidity, soft feel and excellent crock and washing fastness. There is no effluent stream generated unlike reactive dying. Zydex uses pvc free inks and enables printers to move towards eliminating discharge printing processes without compromising on print quality and feel. Our rotary grade whites and clear inks are designed for highest opacity, hand feel and washing fastness mimicking discharge printing thereby eliminating water washing step.

-Replacement of Procion/ Discharge will eliminate pollution.

-It will lead to higher productivity due to removal of multiple pre and post printing processes.

-Being a direct printing technique it will reduce rejections

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DISCHARGE PRINTING

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INTRODUCTION Discharge printing is a screen printing process where the same techniques and equipment are used but instead of normal ink, discharge inks are used, which remove the shirt’s dye instead of putting a color on top of the shirt.

Discharging agentThe most important method of discharging is based on reduction. This general method can be varied and adapted to give discharges with most classes of dye in use and on most types of fiber . Indeed, to many printers I t i s s o m e w h a t s i m i l a r t o the terms ‘reducing agent’ and bleaching in a design, except it ‘discharging agent’. doesn’t damage the fibers like bleaching would. It results in an The most widely used reducing extremely soft print, and shows a g e n t s a r e f o r m a l d e h y d e suphoxylates. The stability of the weave of the shirt. these compounds is such that It can be used by itself, as an o n l y l i m i t e d l o s s e s o f underbase for other colors to be sulphoxylates occur during put on top, or with pigments printing and prior to steaming.

Amount of reducing agent added. depends on: Pigmenting discharge can be The actual amount of reducing difficult to achieve exact color agent required for optimum results, as the discharge efficacy discharge will depend upon: affects the color, and what you see is not what you get when mixing -The dyes to be discharged. the pigments, but it can still be a great way to achieve colors on -The depth of the ground. dark garments.

-The fabric being printed.

PROCESS

Firstly our fabric is washed to remove any impurities, for small amounts this is done by hand, and for larger quantities a jigger can be used.

The cloth is then dyed to the desired colour, by mixing small amounts of colour to make a dye recipe, before dyeing the full quantity of fabric.

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Natural vegetable and mineral dyes are used where possible, sometimes these dyes are boosted with acid free dyes to achieve brighter colours.

The fabric is pinned to the print table, and the wood block is dipped into the print tray and then stamped onto the fabric. It’s important for the print block to have an even pressure applied to it, so after placing it down it is hit ďŹ rmly with the printers ďŹ st.

Discharge paste can be diďŹƒcult to see when printing because it contains no colour. It will appear as a darker mark on the pattern until dried in the sun and then steamed.

After steaming the fabric, it is washed in water, which ďŹ nally reveals the print

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The fabric can then be left to dry or it can go through a second round of printing, such as our ‘Sand’ print, which is dyed, discharge printed, steamed, washed, dyed and discharge printed a second time, before a final steam and wash.

When sampling the fabric is washed and dyed in large buckets, but in production concrete baths are used to wash the fabric.

After a final wash, Liz and Deepak hang our samples to dry on a washing line so that cows don’t wander over them and they don’t pick up dust from the ground.

The finished fabric is then taken to their respective places .

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SCREEN PRINTING

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INTRODUCTION Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in area made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed.

One colour is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicoloured image or design. There are various terms used for what is essentially the same technique. Traditionally the process was called screen printing or silkscreen printing because silk was used in the process. It is also k n o w n a s s e r i g r a p h y, a n d serigraph printing. Currently, synthetic threads are commonly used in the screen printing process. The most popular mesh i n ge n e r a l u s e i s m a d e o f polyester.

There are special-use mesh materials of nylon and stainless steel available to the screen printer. There are also different types of mesh size which will determine the outcome and look of the finished design on the material.

Screen printing is more versatile than traditional printing techniques. The surface does not have to be printed under pressure, unlike etching or lithography, and it does not have to be planar.

Different inks can be used to work with a variety of materials, such as textiles, ceramics, wood, paper, glass, metal, and plastic. As a result, screen printing is used in many different industries.

Graphic screen printing is widely used today to create mass- or large-batch produced graphics, such as posters or display stands.

Full colour prints can be created by printing in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black).

Screen printing lends itself well to printing on canvas.

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PROCESS Step 1: The design is created To start, the printer takes the design they want to create on the finished product, and prints it out onto a transparent acetate film.

This will be used to create the stencil.

Step 2: The screen is prepared Next, the printer will choose a mesh screen to suit the complexity of the design, and the texture of the fabric being printed. The mesh screen is then coated with a layer of lightreactive emulsion, which will harden when developed under bright light.

Step 3: The emulsion is exposed The acetate sheet featuring the design is then laid onto the emulsion-coated screen, and the whole thing is exposed to a very bright light. The light hardens the emulsion, so the parts of the screen which are covered by the design remain in liquid form.

If the final design is going to include more than one colour, then a separate screen must be used to apply each layer of ink. To create multi-coloured products, the printer must use his skill to design each stencil, and line them up perfectly to ensure the final design is seamless.

Step 4: The emulsion is washed off, creating the stencil After the screen has been exposed for a set time, the areas of the screen not covered by the design will have turned hard. Any unhardened emulsion is then carefully rinsed away. This leaves a clear imprint of the design on the screen for the ink to pass through.

The screen is then dried, and the printer will make any necessary touch-ups or corrections to make the imprint as accurate as possible to the original design. The stencil is now ready to be used.

Step 5: The item is prepared for print The screen is then placed on the printing press. The item or garment being printed is laid down flat onto the printing board, underneath the screen.

There are a number of different presses, including manual and automatic styles, but most modern commercial printers will use an automatic rotary carousel printer, as this allows several different screens to work at once.

For multicoloured prints, this sort of printer can also be used to apply the separate colour layers in quick succession.

Step 6: The ink is pressed through the screen onto the item The screen is lowered down onto the printing board. Ink is added to the top end of the screen, and a squeegee is used to pull the ink along the full length of the screen.

This presses the ink through the open areas of the stencil, imprinting the design on the product underneath.

If the printer is creating multiple items, then the screen is raised and a new garment is placed onto the printing board. The process is then repeated.

Once all the items have been printed and the stencil has served its purpose, the emulsion is removed using a special washing fluid so the mesh can be reused to create new stencils.

Step 7: The product is dried, checked and finished The printed product then passes through a dryer, which 'cures' the i n k a n d c re a te s a s m o o t h , colourfast finish. The final product will be checked and washed thoroughly to remove any residue, before being passed on to its new owner.

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DIFFERNCE BETWEEN SANGANERI AND BAGRU STYLE OF PRINTING

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DISTINGUISH The main distinguishing feature between Sanganer and Bagru printing is that Sanganer print is usually done on a white ground, whereas Bagru prints are printed on an Indigo or a dyed background. Local water also has i t s e ffe c t s. I n t h e wa te r o f Sanganer, the results of block printing are very rich dark shades of colour, while at Bagru one finds a reddish tinge in the block printed textiles. Water was (intentionally being used in the past tense) abundant in Sanganer; due to which dyeing, printing as well as washing could be done very easily. In contrast at Bagru, where water is comparatively scarce, ‘Dhabu’ resist printing and indigo work is practised more often.

Blocks have been used in many ways . Till 50 years back most of the fabrics that were being printed were quite coarse and thick cottons, usually handwoven. The printer often women or older men were sitting on the floor usually outside the house and printing during the day time, when they became free from their house hold work.

be wet with the colour, and thus when it was moved the wet colours would have left spots.

Thus it was necessary to use small blocks on the small tables.

same time it dries very quickly as well. What is interesting here is that the table is covered with sand before being covered with the fabric to be printed. The sand being cold dries the wax In the finer fabrics used today, it is immediately. impossible to move the fabric during printing. Thus one must Thus, much technical knowledge use bigger tables where there is no is required along with experience, need to move the fabric during when deciding the kind and size the printing process. In present of blocks that can be used in a times, the fabric is fixed with oil particular situation. It is not only They printed on very small low pins, on to the table and the the low table there is more science tables called the “Paatiya”. printer moves with a trolley to deciding the size of the blocks.

There are many factors that one The blocks used were quite small having colours and other tools. needs to consider, like the in size. Once a small portion of In some villages in Kutch when printing style, the fabric and so the fabric was printed the printer very carefully moved the printers print with wax using on. blocks, they still print on the fabric forward. Due to the Paatiya . The wax is very hot when Among the technical differences thickness of the fabric it was easier to restart printing without it is printed. The printer keeps what seems interesting is the any difficulty, exactly where one dipping his block in the hot Thassa . Saanganer printers with Traditionally, motifs printed at had stopped. boiling wax, close to him, and their history of 450 years of block Bagru are large with bold lines, as keeps printing. They often use printing often used these kinds of compared to Sanganer, where A point to note here is that if a bigger blocks in this case, as the blocks. Saanganer prints were sombre colours and fine lines, bigger block would have been main product being printed is generally for the royalties of intricate detailing are practiced. used, instead of a tiny block, bedspreads which have a big Jaipur.

Sanganeri motifs are based on then the printing would have central medallion. Thus the nature, while the motifs of Bagru been done in less than half the portion of fabric on the table gets are more often geometric. printed quite quickly, but at the time. But the fabric would still

Bagru block making

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Sanganeri Motif

MOTIFS Motifs of SanganerFinesse in flowers-petal designs, curves and delicacy are the prime specialties of Saanganer prints.

The curvature of flowers in the ’bootas’ is generally shown on the right side. Different types of floral patterns are displayed in the form of a ‘bel’ (a border), in a stylized manner.

Some of the flowers used in the prints are roses, rosettes, lotuses, lotus bud, sunflower, lily , etc.In ‘booties’, generally, only one type of flower-petal and bud creations is found; for example: ‘Badaam, (almond)’, ‘Paan’ (beetle leaf ), ‘m u k u t o f ‘ k a l a n g a’. W h i l e printing a sari, if the ‘booti’ is of ‘sosan’ flower then the ‘bel’ will also be of ‘sosan’ flower and a big ’boota’ of the same flower is usually done on the ‘Pallav’ (the decorative edge of the sari, which is displayed by the women, and left hanging from the shoulders ).

Hence, for printing one sari, a large number of blocks need to be made. By printing different booties together, the Sanganeri

‘ C h e e p a s ’ h ave p o r t r aye d excellent know how. The designs are named according to the flowers or plant pattern, from which the designs were originally inspired.

Many flowers used in Saanganeri prints don’t originate from Rajasthan. On this basis, Historian James watt has said, “Obviously many of the Saanganeri designs portray flowers that in not likely to have been seen by the calico printers nor by the block engravers of Rajputana. The nature, feeling and colour reciprocity, as also the technique in printing are all perfect while the absence of machine regularity gives a charm that place these goods above and beyond anything as yet accomplished in Europe.” Apart from flowers, fruit trees of banana, dates, grapes pomegranate etc. have also been recreated in a very attractive manner.

Motifs of BagruThe historical progress of the motifs of Bagru is difficult to understand. These are mostly derived from the flora and fauna and are natural in origin. A Comparative study of the evolution and layout of motifs clearly reveal a change from old tradition and style. Initially the prints were primarily floral and vegetative. After the Persian influence they became more geometrical, for example one often finds a central round and then motifs are placed around it.

The motifs of Bagru may be classified into five types: 1. Motifs of flowers and birds: These are often found in the stem or in the central motives which helps to balance the floral arrangement.

2.Motifs of inter-twisted tendrils: These are motifs of flowers comprising of spiralled or intertwisted stems, with flowers, leaves or birds present on the same. These are used as ‘bels’.

3. Motifs of trellis designs: These are mainly the ‘Jaal’ i n t r i c a te g r i d ( co n n e c t i n g designs), which were formulated under the Persian influence.

4. Motifs of figurative designs: These are animal, bird and human motifs, e.g., ‘hiran’ (deer), mayur’ (peacock), ‘sua’ (parrot).

5.Motifs of geometrical designs: These are geometrical in shapes, e.g. ‘Leheriya’ (wave), ‘chaupad’ (check), ‘kanguras’ (triangular), ‘chatais’ (woven) pattern etc.

It may be surprising to learn that wooden blocks can have so many characters. An art that has evolved over centuries it does have many minutiae. “Pavansaar” is an innovation introduced tofacilitate printing. These are basically holes created in the blocks so that air “pavan” can pass through and the block does not get blocked. This means that due to the presence of holes colour does not spread on the fabric while printing. The holes also reduce the weight of the block.

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A visit to : ANOKHI MUSEUM OF HAND PRINTING

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INTRODUCTION The two-story pink sandstone haveli in the dusty lanes of Amber is usually easy to miss. Many of the locals know this as Chanwar Palkiwalaon ki Haveli, and not Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, eight miles outside Jaipur, where women clad in the most colourful of sarees suspend their chat to wave at you. The museum focuses on contemporary fabric, ranging from innovative designs created by talented artisans to traditional outfits still worn in select regions to d ay, a l b e i t i n d w i n d l i n g numbers. A focused selection of historic textiles provides a context for further understanding of block printing.

The one-of-its-kind museum is an endeavour to preserve the community of artisans of 500ye a r- o l d b l o c k p r i n t i n g i n Rajasthan. It was started by Anokhi, a clothing line selling block-printed garments in stores across in India. The company was the brainchild of a British woman who married an Indian and moved to Jaipur in 1970.

It was Ms. Singh’s daughter-inlaw Rachel Bracken-Singh who restored the dilapidated 17thcentury mansion—which once b elonged to the palanq u i n bearers of the royals—and turned it into a museum. This preservation project earned a UNESCO award for ‘Cultural Heritage Conservation’ in 2000.

their tools, ready to demonstrate their work to interested visitors.

The museum also offers a 2-day course in block-printing and wood-carving to enthusiasts. The museum shop carries a selection of hand-crafted merchandise, which includes limited edition textiles, clothing, furnishings, jewellery, books, and cards.

The old but well-maintained building is a cool relief from the desert heat. Large boards in the open courtyard explain the lengthy process of hand block printing. It all begins with the design to be printed on the textile.

Once finalised—often floral, paisley, or geometric—they are carved by hand onto wooden blocks which have been soaked in oil overnight and cleaned.More than 100 garments and blocks are on permanent display inside alcoves and galleries across two floors. There are ethnic designs and patterns, and also Western clothes in traditional prints, like knee-length dresses in shades of red and russet. On the roof-top terrace, a few craftsmen sit with

Anokhi is trying to preserve the dying craft which has been overpowered by the more efficient and economical m a c h i n e - p r i n t i n g p ro ce s s , damaging the livelihood of the artisans and threatening to extinguish an important craft.

But it has a modern approach too.

The team is always looking for new craftsmen and techniques to develop new garments in the main workshop on the outskirts of Jaipur. Together with garments – Indian and Western in design – home textiles, sarongs, and accessories, Anokhi offers a diverse and colourful selection of products in its 27 outlets in major cities of India. Anokhi doesn’t offer e-commerce.

The response to the museum, and what people enjoy most, varies quite a bit. While most people love to try their own hand at block-printing and also blockcarving, there is a very clear appreciation for the overall quality of the experience—from start to finish—in all the spaces at the museum. The museum’s management has given a great deal of attention to clear and concise information and good visuals. They have also taken great care to maintain a high standard of care for the various textiles, tools, techniques, etc. The building is well worth a visit for that alone! Visitors leave feeling they have had a very positive, informative, satisf ying, and holistic experience.

Anokhi Musuem “Appreciate one of India’s most beloved i n d i ge n o u s c ra f t s, s e t i n a beautifully restored 16th century haveli.

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The game of dice and cuboid (The dice are made by block making procedure)

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REDISCOVERING JHAJHAM

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AKSHATA CHOUDHARY akshata.choudhary07@gmail.com +91-7974512940