Woodblock Printing In India

Woodblock Printing in India

Textile production has been a hallmark of Indian culture. India in 12th century saw a rise in recognition in printed cotton. In medieval age, printing and dyeing of cotton was specifically developed in Rajasthan. The use of wooden blocks was more famous in Gujarat. In 17th century, Surat was established as a prominent center for exported painted and printed calicos, covering a extensive range in quantity.

 Inspiration for designs:

The prints or the designs or the pattern in which the blocks are shaped / cut are specific to a particular culture. For example Kutch in Gujarat, the popular patterns are black and red designs of birds, animals, and dancing girls. The saris in Ahmadabad and Baroda have large mango patterns

Hence, there was skill required and huge employment was generated. Also, each block printed fabric always differed be it the design, the motif used or the pattern in which the fabric was printed. This resulted in custom prints. The differences, however small, existed even in the many fabrics printed by the same person. These were in huge demand In Europe in the early 17th century. The production was also limited to the geographical space where the raw materials were easily available. But in the past decade or two, there has been a huge commercialization of block printing, where there are huge wooden machines powered by electricity. These are used to mass-produce printed fabric as the printing process is faster and on a larger scale. The raw materials are imported or transported from different parts of the country by the owners of these factories. But there is hardly any skill in block printing required; only knowledge of the working of the machine is needed.

Even though small traditional (usually family; local) businesses face tough competition by these mass producing factory businesses in the local or domestic markets, the demand of the hand-block printed fabric is more in the international market. As such some big brands hire these crafters / artisans for their products and sell in the international market, for example, FABINDIA. It employees the crafters of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and sells their work not just internationally

During the 17th century the East India Company shipped relatively small quantities of textile goods to England. Originally such decorative goods were incidental to the trading of commodities like spices and silk. The designed sheets also travelled along the trade routes at the same time. India became the greatest exporter of textiles the world had ever known, with the trade reaching its height in the 18th and 19th centuries. The printed textiles in India were traded with bullion. A large proportion of the fabric would then be traded for spices, which were sold with the remaining textiles in London for bullion, so the three-way trading trips could start all over again. Lengths of patterned silk, cotton, and cotton and silk mixtures, handkerchiefs, neck-scarves and table napkins were shipped in thousands to England. They were sold as 'piece goods', short-ish lengths of fabric in standard yardages suitable for a dress or handkerchief. The buyer made up the finished item by cutting, sewing or hemming as necessary. Tie-dyed silk handkerchiefs from Bengal, called 'bandannas', were sold in thousands as neck cloths for sailors, agricultural laborers and other working