THE CRAFT
Bagru Hand Block Print
From the state of Rajasthan
Bagru, Rajasthan
The craft is believed to have originated with the Chippa artisans from Bagru, located in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan.
Their name, Chippa, comes from the Hindi word chhapa (print). The centuries-old craft flourished in Bagru after the Chippas settled there. They migrated from the surrounding areas of Sikar, Alwar, Jhunjhuna, and Sawai Madhopur.
Their name, Chippa, comes from the Hindi word chhapa (print). The centuries-old craft flourished in Bagru after the Chippas settled there. They migrated from the surrounding areas of Sikar, Alwar, Jhunjhuna, and Sawai Madhopur.
Heritage Value
Bagru hand-block prints are used in various Indian fashion and crafts. The style is popular with cultural ambassadors, educationists as well as fashion designers and natural dye experts. The hand-block printing technique got certified with Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2011.
Bagru motifs are inspired by nature and geometric shapes. The signature colours of the artisans are deep reds, blues, ochres, maroons, and Syahi black.
Artists first treat the base cloth with natural solutions to get rid of impurities. Then, they use carved wooden blocks (rekh, gadh, and datta) for outlining, filling and background detailing.
Bagru motifs are inspired by nature and geometric shapes. The signature colours of the artisans are deep reds, blues, ochres, maroons, and Syahi black.
Artists first treat the base cloth with natural solutions to get rid of impurities. Then, they use carved wooden blocks (rekh, gadh, and datta) for outlining, filling and background detailing.
Memory Vault
In the town of Bagru, the printers live in quarters called Chippa mohalla. Suraj Narayan Titanwala, set up a museum here to preserve the history and traditions of Bagru hand-block printing.
Disclaimer:
Any information on this page is anecdotal and based on publicly
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