Enduring Threads of Tradition: The Block Printed Cottons of Rural Rajasthan
The hand printed cottons of India are historically world-renowned for their rich fast colours, el... more The hand printed cottons of India are historically world-renowned for their rich fast colours, elaborate designs, and matchless quality. Until the discovery of synthetic dyestuffs in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the unsurpassed master dyers of cotton were the craftsmen of India-birthplace of cultivated cotton. The Indian printers and dyers monopolised this arcane art of permeating cotton cloth with richly hued, colour-fast designs, and the fruits of their labour proved hugely influential in international trade and the development of modern textile technologies. This paper focuses on a lesser-known body of hand printed cottons, traditionally produced in rural Rajasthan for everyday use by the local pastoral communities. Drawing on extensive research carried out with the region`s Chhipa community of hereditary cloth printers, the complex and multiple applications of mordant, dye and resist are illustrated. Often taking months to complete, the enduring popularity of these...
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Papers by Emma Ronald