BAGRU BLOCK PRINTING

BAGRU BLOCK PRINTING



CONTENTS 01. Introduction 02. Bagru printing process 03. Preparing the dye solution- Dabu 04. Dyes and colours 05. Bagru motifs 06. Types of blocks 07. Bagru textile specialty 08. Designer Punit Balana 09. Designer Farida Gupta 10. My prints

ABOUT Hand block printing has been recognized as a craft through generations in different clusters in the country. Each cluster follows its distinctive style & methods, uses locally available natural materials and motifs of Pulsating patterns, vibrant colours, stunning prints, daring designs and intricate workmanship, each fabric has a story of is own. Among the noteworthy ones, the art of block printing is especially popular because the simple process can create such sensational prints in rich and exotic colours. This particular art of printing employs wooden or metal blocks to print designs and patterns on fabrics by hand-loom specialty. ‘Bagru’ print is that kind of centuries old traditional art of hand block printing still alive.

THE TOWN OF BAGRU Bagru, a town on the Ajmer highway out of Jaipur has a long tradition of block printing by hand on cotton fabric. The fabric of Bagru is traditionally characterised by its colour palette of deep red, iron black and indigo highlighted with green and yellow. Originally the fabrics produced here was used to produce clothes for the local community of merchants, agriculturalists and artisans. And as in many textile traditions, each fabric print and colour combination provided a unique identifier, allowing people to discern at a glance the community the person belonged to and their marital status. Traditional use of Bagru fabric was fadats and lugdis for ghagra, dupatta or angocha (shoulder cloth), jajams and bichhaunis (floor coverings). It is believed that this form of art was introduced 450 years back by Chhipa community who were settled in the banks of river Sanjariya which provides the most important ingredient “clay.” It helps in getting the base color of the famed ‘Bagru’ prints. The fabric is then soaked in Fuller’s earth and then dipped into turmeric water to get a tone of yellow color. Then the dyed fabric is stamped with the beautiful designs known as blocks.

THE PROCESS OF BAGRU BLOCK PRINTING

BAGRU PRINTNG DIRECT DYE PRINTING RESIST DYEING- DABU 01 Washing 01 Washing 02 Harda dyeing 02 Resist Block printing 03 Drying 03 Drying 04 Printing 04 Dyeing 05 Drying 05 Drying 06 Washing 06 Washing 07 Fastening 07 Fastening 09 Drying 09 Drying

STEP 1 PREPARING THE CLOTH The process starts with the plain cloth. The raw fabric usually containing different impurities like starch, oil and dust, which needs to be cleaned to remove those impurities initially for even and good penetration of colour. Chippas require two days to prepare a paste by mixing cow-dung, soda ash and sesame oil and washes the cloth with this mixture. This step is called scouring or locally as ‘Hari sarana’.

STEP 2 HARDA DYEING Harda is a natural ingredient which is extracted from Myrobalan fruit and has been used in the Ayurvedic medicines for its digestive healing properties. It gives a yellow tint to the fabric and also tannic acid of harda gives black colour with ferrous. This is called ‘Peela Karana’( Tannin). It is considered to be the most important element of printing and dyeing technique of Bagru. This seed is powdered and mixed with water. Scoured fabrics are given thorough wash in this mixture giving a yellow tint to the cloth. This produces the light ground colour which differentiates ‘Bagru’ from ‘Sanganer’, always on white ground. Harda has natural Tanic acid in it that acts as a mordant for the iron of the printing colour and resulting in formation of Bagru black.

STEP 3 DRYING THE CLOTH The treated fabrics are then squeezed to dry and laid down in the sun. Abundance in water and sun shine are the most essential requirement for this process. Almost every stage requires the cloth to be washed with water and dried in sunlight. Now-a-days the used water is treated for recycling or charged into underground.

STEP 4 PRINTING THE  CLOTH There are two main types of printing used commonly in Bagru-: direct dye printing and resisting printing. Direct dye printing is known as Bagru printing. The method of resist printing, a much lengthier process is known as Dabu printing. In both procedures, first the blocks are soaked overnight in mustard oil or refined oil and then washed. Printing is done on wooden table, the size of which depends on the length of cloth to be printed (18 foot approx.). These tables have a layer of ply on which there are 20 layers of tart and a sheet of cloth on which comes the final fabric.

DIRECT DYE PRINTING In this process, the dye solutions are poured in the tray. The printer presses the block into the dye tray and then onto the cloth until the pattern is complete. For every imprint the block is pressed into the tray to get a fresh smear of paste. The outline pattern is done in blocks for the background and highlights in different colors. Once each pattern is complete, the cloth is ready for the dye vat. This printing is primarily done by male printers.



RESIST PRINTING DABU Bagru is known for its mastery in the second type, a special printing technique of Resist style called ‘Dabu’ printing. Its essence lies in printing with specially prepared Dabu paste i.e. applying thick black mud paste onto the fabric and then dyeing the fabrics. The prepared cloth is printed with Dabu paste by wooden blocks. Thereafter the printed cloth is dyed with natural colour, these results in resisting dyeing in the portions which were hidden and a printed effect is created in the fabrics. Each family follows its own secret of making Dabu paste. Although, women have traditionally done the dabu printing, men are also involving themselves in it.

DABU PASTE PREPARATION In general Dabu is made by mixing: 1.Lime dissolved in water, 2.Natural gum ‘Bedhan’ or the wheat flour spoiled by worms, and 3.Locally available black clay. All these are mashed well into a thick paste and left overnight. It is then strained into liquid paste which is used for printing. The cloth is stretched on the table and blocks are selected to print designs on the cloth. The fabric is printed with the rusted horseshoe nails. This ferrous mainly use for outlining, so background block comes after and it can be printed easily. This process is also called  ‘Chapai’(printing).  Main colours used in Bagru are black, red and maroon. All these colours are extracted from natural sources. There are 3 types of Dabu depending on the final result and the colour required: 1.Kaligar Dabu that is processed only once 2.Dolidar Dabu that has little more of gum thus better adhesive strength and can withstand about two trips to the dye vats 3.Gawarbali Dabu has oil and gawar seed powder added to the paste which gives strength to cloth to go through repeated dyeing. As Dabu printing is completed, saw dust is sprinkled over the cloth before the prints dries completely to avoid sticking with each other.

STEP 5 DRYING  (SUKHAI) After completion of printing, the fabric (printed texture) is dried for 3-4 days in order to get colors to penetrate into the fabric. This process is called sukhai(ageing) by old veterans of this art.

STEP 6 After sukhai(ageing) is done, its time for dhulai(washing). Dried fabric is washed in running water so that extra colour should come out and does not stick to the attire. WASHING (DHULAI)

STEP 7 FASTENING (GHAN RANGHAI) Once dhulai has done, fabric is then boiled in a large copper pot with water, alizarin(dye) and dhawadi flowers. This is known as Ghan Ranghai(fixing of colour). This is where the color fastening takes place with the help of flowers from the Dhaura tree. Pieces with red dye is boiled in a separate pot with alizarin which then turns the once yellowish color red.

STEP 8 SUN BLEACHING  (TAPAI) After Ghan Ranghai now it’s time for the final process known as tapai (sun bleaching). Which means the fabric is once again washed to remove excess dust and dirt. And it is kept in the sunlight for drying.Once Tapai (sun bleaching) is done, bagru fabric is ready to use.

PREPARING THE DYE SOLUTION Dyeing process varies depending on the colour required. Bagru is known for its green shade that is acquired through two traditional methods: In the first method, 1.The cloth is sent to the indigo vats, dipped, taken out and dried in the sun. It is then rinsed in a pre-boiled and cooled solution of pomegranate peel and water that is prepared a day before. 2.It is washed again and then rinsed in a solution of alum and water to fix the colour and also for removing dabu paste. 3.As the cloth dries the Bagru print appears. The other method is known as ‘Potai’. In this process, 1.A paste is made of pomegranate peel, turmeric and sesame oil. The dabu printed fabric is hold tightly by four persons and with a piece of woven cloth the artisan generously applies the paste on the cloth. 2.The fabric is then dried, dipped in a solution of alum and water. Alum is dissolved in water to acquire a clean solution. 3.This solution is then strained through a cloth filter. Quantity of alum varies according to the strength of the dabu. 4.A fabric not treated with alum solution produces prints blurred and shabby. Bagru print is also famous for the use of two major colours – a red colour outline called ‘Began’ and a black colour called ‘Syahi’. For making the red outline, alum, Geru and natural gum are mixed together with water to make a paste. As a type of foam forms, ghee and oil is added to it. This is called red Began colour and it is an important part of Bagru printing. Black Syahi is essentially a fermented solution of iron, molasses, gum and the starch of tamarind flour. This paste when applied on harda treated fabric turns black on getting exposure to the air.

DYES AND COLOURS All the colours used in Bagru block printing are extracted from natural sources. Natural dyes are also used to get different patterns and designs. These are- Pomegranate, turmeric, Madder etc. 1.Black: Horseshoes that sit on coals for a period of time, brushed of rust are then put in cans with water and sugar cane juice, left to ferment for periods of months to yield black dye. It can also be obtained from fermented Harda seeds. 2.Red: A mixture of natural gum paste and alum. (Aahl tree) 3.Yellow from dried pomegranate rinds, turmeric and dried flowers of Dhabaria trees. 4.Maroon is the combination of red and black. 5.Brown- Red kashish with water. 6.Blue from Indigo plant. 7.Green- Indigo mixed with pomegranate. 8. Pink 9. Rust 10. Violet Apart from these, natural dyes are also used to get different patterns and designs. These are- Pomegranate, turmeric, Madder etc. Though most  colors used in the Bagru process are natural, the Chhipa  occasionally boost them with non-toxic chemical dyes to create brighter colors.

BASIC COLOUR COMBINATIONS 1) Cream , Maroon and Black 2) Black and white 3) Blue (indigo) and white

MOTIFS OF BAGRU All the motifs are first carved on wooden blocks which are made by craftsmen called KHARAUDI. They specialize exclusively in the skill of hand- carving the designs on the blocks and do not use the electric machinery. They work with their traditional tools which include a ruler, compass, saw and wooden maller. A single colored block measuring 5.5 cms by 9cms, can cost between Rs. 350 and 800, depending upon the intricacy of the design. One block lasts for a maximum of 800- 1000 mts. of fabric. Each design usually requires a set of several different blocks, including an outline (rekh), a background (gad), and filler (datta). The historical progress of the motifs of Bagru is difficult to understand. These are mostly derived from the flora and fauna and are natural in origin. A Comparative study of the evolution and layout of motifs clearly reveal a change from old tradition and style. Initially the prints were primarily floral and vegetative. After the Persian influence they became more geometrical, for example one often finds a central round and then motifs are placed around it.

The motifs of Bagru may be classified into five types: 1.Motifs of flowers and birds: These are often found in the stem or in the central motives which helps to balance the floral arrangement. 2.Motifs of inter-twisted tendrils: These are motifs of flowers comprising of spiralled or inter-twisted stems, with flowers, leaves or birds present on the same. These are used as ‘bels’. 3.Motifs of trellis designs: These are mainly the ‘Jaal’ intricate grid (connecting designs), which were formulated under the Persian influence. 4.Motifs of figurative designs: These are animal, bird and human motifs, e.g., ‘hiran’ (deer), mayur’ (peacock), ‘sua’ (parrot). 5.Motifs of geometrical designs: These are geometrical in shapes, e.g. ‘Leheriya’ (wave), ‘chaupad’ (check), ‘kanguras’ (triangular), ‘chatais’ (woven) pattern etc. Main patterns carved on the blocks are: 1) PATASHI with its tiny floral designs of buds, leaves and stems. 2) JHAD with its interviewing trendrils and distinctive border lines. 3) HATHI- the elephant Besides these the other motif used are floral, spiral, geometrical and figures like fishes etc.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT MOTIFS 1.Aath Kaliyan 2. Bankadi 3.Bada Bunta 4. Hajura 5. Bewada 6.Hara Dhania 7. Kamal 8. Chopad 9. Kel 10. Pyala 11.Chhota Be

TYPES OF BLOCKS Wooden block: which is also two types a. Outlining block (rekh) b. Filling block (gadh) Blocks are hand carved of seasoned teak wood by trained craftsmen. On the bottom face the motif are engraved with steel chisels of different widths and cutting surface by the carver. Each block has a wooden handle and two to three cylindrical holes drilled into the block for free air passage and also to allow release of excess printing paste. To soften the grains in the timber, the new blocks are soaked in oil for 10-15 days. These blocks sometimes have metal over the wood Metallic block: For inticate designs, metallic blocks are used. Metal sheets are beaten by hand and made wafer thin and malleable. Then, the thin sheets are cut into strips of even length. The pattern or design of the block is drawn on the wooden block and the thin metal strips are pressed onto the design and gently hammered in. The designs are filled in from the center to the outside to allow maneuverings of the hand. After the design is completed the design is checked to see if all the brass strips are of the same height from the wooden base as it ensures good quality of printing. Brass blocks are used in case of very fine designs and for a high level of clarity in print. They are more expensive and time consuming to make and also last much longer

SPECIALTY Bagru printing is one of the traditional techniques of printing with natural colors followed by the chippas of a remote place of Rajasthan. The process starts from preparing the cloth to finished printed fabrics following an age old indigenous methods. There motifs have always stood out because of some specialty they behold. They are printed on light colored background with wooden blocks following two styles direct and resist style. Bagru has made its own space in the international fashion. Today, they are highly used in contemporary fashion. Their indigo color with beautiful block patterns and motifs in kurtis, pants, skirts, jackets and more, appeals to many Indians. It will not be wrong if we say that summer conventional fashion is incomplete with Bagru prints. Other than fashion, Bagru prints are immensely used in home furnishing items and accessories. Bagru’s method of printing is completely eco-friendly. From treating the base cloth with Fuller’s earth (multani mitti), soaking it in turmeric (haldi), to stamping the cloth with beautifully patterned blocks of wood using natural dyes of earthy hues, Bagru’s prints are epitome of eco- friendly textiles and printing practices. Something the world is looking up to now days. Dabru prints and seyali-bagru prints. The seyali-bagru printed fabrics are known for their characteristic black and yellow ochre/cream colour combinations. The patterns and motifs predominant in traditional Bagru prints were geometrical (circular) but were combined with bird, animal and floral forms to create beautiful designs. An easy way to differentiate between a  Bagru  and Sanganeri style, for example, is the colour of the cloth on which the motifs are printed. In Bagru, the cloth has either a cream base or a dyed base, while Sanganeri prints have a white base

PUNIT BALANA \"Bagru” by Punit Balana  is an amalgamation of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern and the classic and the progressive. This collection looks to the past for inspiration and moves forward into the future, while using the techniques of yesterday to create the designs of tomorrow. This 400-year-old art of printing is a namesake to the town it originated in. It’s relevance to today exits in its eco-friendly technique. The dyes used in this process are natural and so are the processing agents.  Punit has extensively worked with the “Chippas” of Bagru providing them economical support and better livelihood along with reviving the unique tradition of India. Comprising of modern silhouettes engulfed in traditional  ‘Bagru’  printed fabrics; this collection will feature  Punit Balana’s  signature glass embroidery and thread work. Each piece has an identity of its own, created by the hand printing technique. Recreating traditional designs like 80 ‘kali’ ghararas and classic saris with cotemporary silhouettes like shirts and structured jackets, this collection aims to dress a woman deeply rooted into her Indian heritage while living the life of an independent 21st century aspirant.

FARIDA GUPTA Farida gupta's Bagru block print kurta, dupatta collection.

MOTIF & PRINT CREATION

MOTIFS

PRINTS

PRINT 1 BAGRU PRINTED SCARF



PRINT 2 BAGRU PRINTED SCARF



PRINT 1 BAGRU PRINTED TOTE BAG & SCARF



THANKYOU!