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Blockprinting
Jaipur, India
Blockprinting was invented for storytelling, created as a medium to record history and legacy. Beginning in China around 220, it started as blocks cut from wood used to print textiles and then used to reproduce short Buddhist religious texts that were carried as charms by believers. The technique is found through Japan, India, East and Central Asia, Egypt, and Europe.
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Ikat
Pochampally, India
Practised from Guatemala to Okinawa, ikat is a heritage craft of incredible diversity. This globally dispersed artisan craft is a tie and dye technique where yarns are resist dyed to achieve the final textile pattern in weaving. Only when the yarns are woven together does the final pattern emerge in a tapestry of meaning. The most prized ikat was often found in Central Asia and traded along the Silk Road.
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Natural Dye
Ahmedebad, India
It is a traditional craft that dates back to thousands of years. Today the few who still know how to dye naturally often work with chemicals because they can not manage to find a demand for their skill. Creating a need for natural dye allows for the conservation of the craft. It also creates work by hand, providing employment and a safe environment to dyers. On top of that, less than two hundred years ago the whole world still wore natural dyes every day - it is one of the most sustainable dyeing options out there.
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Handloom
Kannurm, India and Pochampally, India
A 2000 year old craft concentrated in rural areas, handloomed fabric is woven through a simple machine. With a wooden loom, the warp threads pass alternately through a heddle, and the spaces between. In this shuttle back and forth, the fabric woven gives a slightly looser weave. It is in this lower density that leaves a comfortable texture and soft handfeel that only deepens with each wear.
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Jamdani
Habibpur, India
Jamdani – literally meaning “flower-pot” bears its origin in Central Asian culture and was brought to India by the Mughals during their rule. Considered the most artistic and finest of Bengali craftmanship, this is an ancient artisan craft emerging from the patronage of imperial warrants from Mughal emperors.
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Batik
Jlamprang, Indonesia
Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique that is traditionally created through a series of dots and lines drawn with a spouted tool called a canting. This craft holds its origins in various countries, from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria. However, it is the batik of Indonesia that is renowned. Indonesian batik is the most developed in its pattern, technique, and quality.
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