Block printing is a form of textile art that diffuses itself into thriving cultures, at the same time enriching them. Block printing by hand is a slow process. It is, however, capable of yielding highly artistic results. Some of which are unobtainable by any other means, and therefore, still largely practiced for the highest class of work.
In India, several hand-printing techniques flourished down the centuries. There are villages like Bagru, Sanganer, Akola, Barmer, and Jodhpur that are famous for block printing. Delicate patterns and lines with vibrant colored designs are the defining factors for this kind of printing technique.
History
Block printing is a special form of printing first developed in China. The earliest known example with an actual date is a copy of the Diamond Sutra from 868 A.D (currently in the British Museum). Though the practice of block printing is probably about two thousand years old.
Records show that as far back as the 12th century, several centers in the south, on the western and eastern coasts of India became renowned for their excellent printed cotton. In the medieval age, the printing and dyeing of cotton were specially developed in Rajasthan. Trade-in cotton cloth is said to have existed between India and Babylon from Buddha’s time. Printed and woven cloths traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Far East. In the 17th century, Surat was a prominent center for the export of painted and printed calicos.
Mughal Era
In the 17th century, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his court were widely known for their love of the arts. This gave motifs in block printing visibility to a wider audience in and outside of India. The British were in India from the early 17th century and were receptive to native culture even before the Raj formally came into being in the mid 19th century. This popularised many floral and vegetal motifs, such as birds and the famous Paisley. Buta, a design that can still be seen in contemporary motifs.
Two centuries later, from the mid-1800s, the British Raj led designers from Britain to draw inspiration from these traditional Indian motifs. Thus the widely adored Paisley pattern became embedded into the culture and history of the Scottish town of Paisley. An established hub of the British textile and weaving industry which were ‘Cottage Industries’ before the rise of the Industrial Revolution. The states of Gujarat and Rajasthan are regarded as the birthplace of Indian block printing and traditional techniques that are still used in contemporary designs and colors.
Process
This process, though considered by some to be the most artistic, is the earliest, simplest, and slowest of all methods of printing.
Carving of blocks
The first step in block printing is the production of the original document. It takes place on a large, smooth wooden block and fixed into place, reversed. Next, craftsmen of various skill levels, ranging from master carvers for the fine work to less talented artisans for cheaper blocks or less important sections, carve the original painted, drawn, or written image into the block of wood. The block now is covered with ink and used in a press to create duplicates of the original.
In some ways block printing is superior to cast type or moveable type. The process also allows greater artistic freedom, such as the easy inclusion of pictures and diagrams. However, printing blocks are not very durable and deteriorate very rapidly with use. Hence requiring constant replacement that limits the possibility of large-scale print runs. Printing blocks can, however, be made from a variety of materials such as wood, linoleum, rubber, or even potatoes.
Coppering
Fine details are very difficult to cut in wood, and, even when successfully cut, wear down very rapidly or break off in printing. They are therefore almost invariably built up in strips of brass or copper, bent to shape and driven edgewise into the flat surface of the block. This method is known as coppering. And by its means, many delicate little forms, such as stars, rosettes, and fine spots can be printed. This would otherwise be quite impossible to produce by hand or machine block printing.
Frequently, the process of coppering is used for the purpose of making a mold, from which an entire block can be made and duplicated as often as desired, by casting. In this case, the metal strips are driven to a predetermined depth into the face of a piece of lime wood, cut across the grain, and, the whole design is completed in this way. The block is placed, metal face downwards in a tray of molten type-metal or solder, which transmits sufficient heat to the inserted portions of the strips of copper to enable them to carbonize the wood immediately in contact with them and, at the same time, firmly attaches itself to the outstanding portions.
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Printing
In addition to the engraved block, a printing table and color sieve are other necessities. The table consists of a stout framework of wood or iron supporting a thick slab of stone varying in size according to the width of the cloth. Over the stone tabletop, a thick piece of woolen printers blanket is tightly stretched to supply the elasticity. This gives the block every chance of making a good impression on the cloth.
Other processes include dying, washing, and drying of cloth. Batik, Bagru, Dabu, and Sanganeri prints are all types of different hand block prints and have different procedures.
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References
- Rajasthan Textiles – Article on Block Printing
- Indian Hand Prints: Block Print, Lehariya, Bandhani And More | Utsavpedia
