One more gem from the Indian Textiles..... Kalamkari

Kalamkari:

       Kalamkari had originated in India around 1000 B.C. Kalamkari is an ancient Indian art that got its name from Kalam meaning "pen," and Kari meaning "work." The name meant "pen work." The Moghuls patronized this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda provinces. Thus the name Kalamkari comes from the Urdu word Qualam meaning Pen. Muslim influence and therefore trade links were traced between Safavid Persia and Qutbshi Golconda around the sixteenth century.

        The graceful Kalamkari designs are symbols of skillful, talented craftsmen, who design them. Block making plays a crucial role, in printing a Kalamkari fabric, as it needs to be sharp. If the block is not good, the colours may spread around the cloth. The craftsmen who make these blocks take utmost care in carving them. Generally teak wood is used for engraving blocks. The wood selected should have no holes & cracks, and surface of the block is evened. The design to be carved is outlined on a paper sheet, which is stretched out evenly on the wood and gently tacked into place along the edges. A metal instrument, shaped like a pencil the sharp pointed edge, is lightly hammered along the lines of the pattern. This causes the transfer of the outline on to the wooden surface, and the block maker begins to sketch the design.

            The ancient art of painting in India mainly used organic colors and dyes. The majority of the colors were prepared by using the roots and leaves of plants and mineral salts of iron, tin, copper and alum. 

There are of three types of Kalamkari:

• Block Printed
• Hand Painted
• Combination of Block Printing and Hand Painting 

        Kalamkari mainly used to describe cotton fabrics patterned through the medium of vegetable dyes by free hand painting with the aid of Kalam or pen and hand block printing. Even where the fabric is block printed, the Kalam is still used to draw finer details and for application of some colours. A palette of many colours derived from vegetables, animal and minerals are used to paint and print the Kalamkari. 

      Varahmihira author of voluminous Hindu text Brihasamhita describes not only the dye but also the process of mordanting in fixing colours to cloth. The Kalamkari art of painting undergoes a laborious, slow process of resist – dyeing and hand printing - painting.

Masulipattanam (which is 200 miles east of Hyderabad), Shrikalahasti (which is 80 miles north of Chennai) and Ahmedabad are main three regions in India where kalamkari is practiced and each has its own characteristics. 

Process of Making Kalamkari:

       The Kalamkari art of painting undergoes a laborious, slow process of resist – dyeing and hand printing. Cloth was first whitened by immersing it in a solution of goat or cow dung and letting it dry in the sun for a few days. Cloth was then treated in myrobolan solution. Ripe fruits of myrobolan were used in Masulipattnam, while raw fruits were used in Shrikalahasti.  Milk was then added to the solution to prevent colour spreading in the next step.

      The iron acetate solution was filled in with wooden blocks either for solid spaces or as outlines in Masulipattanam. All the areas meant to be red were painted or printed over with the alum solution as a mordant. After applying alum, the cloth was kept for at least 24 hours. Then the excess mordant was removed by washing the cloth under flowing water. The dyeing was done for the red colour by boiling with the red colouring materials. All the portions which were not to be red or blue covered with wax. Then the wax was removed by boiling the cloth in water. The yellow was painted on to produce yellow and green. The cloth was finally washed again and dried before final colours emerge. 

Kalamkari of Masulipattanum:

     

     Kalamkari work is being carried out at Masulipatnam from time immemorial with block printing technique. Masulipatnam designs are Iranian in character with intricate and delicate forms. The Kalamkaris of Masulipattanam have been known as ‘Palampores’, which are considered amongst the most original printed textiles of the country.

        

       These painted - printed cloths were products of the careful blending of the use of blocks and the Kalam. It undergoes a laborious, slow process of resist – dyeing and hand printing. Many stages have to be undergone before the final results are achieved. Unlike other styles of painting, Kalamkari painting demands a lot of treatment before and after the painting is completed on the cotton fabric. Depending on the treatment of cloth, or quality of the mordant, the colours change accordingly. Every step from soaking of cloth, to sketching the outlines to washing and drying the cloth, is done carefully and correctly.  

        Masulipattanam kalamkari was identified with printing as blocks were primarily used. The designs used in kalamkari were more towards Persian style included the tree of life, geometrical designs, flowers, foliage, birds and creepers and it had a secular and functional base. The craft was commercialized in Masulipattanam as they were used as curtain, bed sheets, canopies, prayer mats, pillow slips and table cloths.

  

 Samples of Masulipattanam Kalamkari:

Article: Napkin

Origin: Masulipattanam, Andhra Pradesh 

Fabric: Cotton

Fabric Colour:  Maroon, Black,  Beige and Green.

Style of Printing: Direct Printing

Class of Printing: Hand Block Printing and Hand Painting

    Masulipattanam Kalamkari was products of the careful blending of the use of blocks and the Kalam. It was identified with printing as blocks were used. Bird motif – Peacock was painted in the centre of the napkin. The Napkin had maroon colour as background. The borders of the napkin were hand block printed, as the characteristic feature of the Masulipattanam Kalamkari, with Persian motifs like flowers, creepers and leaves. 

Article: Napkin

Origin: Masulipattanam, Andhra Pradesh

Fabric: Cotton

Fabric Colour:  Maroon, Black, Beige and Green.

Style of Printing: Direct Printing

Class of Printing: Hand Block Printing and Hand Painting

      Animal motif – Camel along with its rider was painted in the centre of this napkin. The Napkin had maroon colour as background. The borders of the napkin were hand block printed, as the characteristic feature of this kalamkari with Persian motifs like flowers, creepers and leaves. 

Article: Napkin

Origin: Masulipattanam (Andhra Pradesh)

Fabric: Cotton

Fabric Colour: Maroon, Black, Green and Beige 

Style of Printing: Direct Printing

Class of Printing: Hand Block Printing and Hand Painting

        In this sample, Bird motif – Parrot was painted on the napkin in the centre with kalam. The Napkin had maroon colour as background. The borders of the napkin were hand block printed, as the characteristic feature of the Masulipattanam Kalamkari, with Persian motifs like flowers, creepers and leaves.

Yet more to come.........

* I do not own this samples. All this samples can be seen at 'Textile Art Museum', Department of  Clothing and Textiles, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara - 390002, Gujarat, India.