History can be a quite boringsubject, all those dates, times, events, and other topics that can put even thestrongest adult to sleep. But don’t worry this article will not talk about thathistory but an interesting one; it’s the history of India’s age-old traditionalart known as hand block printing.
Almost all northern states of thecountry have their style in making hand block prints and this article is goingto deeply explore the art of hand block fabric making.
History and origin
Block printing was recorded earliestin history around 3500 to 1300BC in Indus valley civilization; manyarcheological pieces of evidence prove that Harappans knew an earlier form ofblock printing.
Block printed cotton fragmentsbelonging to this era were found at different digging sites in the countryalong with various types of needles and spindles, all of them were dug out fromsites at Harappa, Mohenjo Daro, Lothal, etc, all this supports the claim thatHarappans were familiar with block printing.
Several southern, western, andeastern states of India became trade centers of great quality cotton prints inthe early 12th century; wooden block printing and dying became common invarious cities of Gujarat and Rajasthan since then and they soon becameeconomic hubs in trading block print goods.
The wooden blocks were generally usedto print fabrics for royal floor coverings, bedsheets, costumes, and decorativewall hangings, but now it is available to and affordable by everyone.
Evolution and design
Scholars have been pointing out thatblock printing reached its top when the Mughals ruled the country; this art hasalso evolved in terms of designing as well.
Take this example for instance,before the Mughal rule abstract and geometric designs were popular, but floralmotifs such as the tree of life, plants, Kairi, vines, fruits, and vegetables,etc replaced geometric and abstract patterns under the Mughal rule, apart fromthat paisley motifs also gained interest under their era.
Animal figures such as peacocks,elephants, swan, and parrot, etc also became a part of hand block print designcategories. There is a major difference in the designs of the pre andpost-Mughal eras. The designs before the Mughal rule relied heavily on shapessuch as squares, rectangles, and triangles, etc but under their rule, thepatterns got curvier.
The designs in the modern era are amix of geometric and floral patterns and both of them are equally popular andhigh in availability and demand.
The current state of hand blockprinting
The fascinating, amazing, andmesmerizing art of block printing started fading away by the early 18th centurysince the British rulers of India started taking heavy taxes on an art that isIndia’s own and original. Thus artisans had no choice left but to move tocities for a living.
Butafter independence, the government of India launched various schemes to supportthe craft and craftspeople. Due to their efforts, the ancient art of Hand Block Printed Indian Fabric isnow back in business.
