Description
About the Artisan: Meena Kumari Chhippa is the first woman to operate Usha Hand Prints in the traditional block printing hub of Bagru, Jaipur. 11 years ago, Meena started practising the craft after getting married and perfected it through close observation. Today, she leads a group of 25 women; some of them working from their homes.
About the Craft: Handblock printing is believed to be originated in China and was introduced in India around the 12th Century. Bagru printers use a technique called dabu in which a mixture of black clay, acacia gum, spoiled wheat flour, limestone, and cow pies is printed onto the fabric. The fabric can then be dyed and left in the sun to dry. When the dabu is washed out the printed portions of the fabric are left undyed. Despite the availability of synthetic dyes, the village has kept up its tradition of using natural dyes alive. These dyes include indigo blue, madder root red, pomegranate yellow, harda yellow, syahi black, and a green obtained by mixing harda and indigo.
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