Patterns All Around US - Art Integration

Bagru Prints

Bagru printing is a traditional printing technique that is done using natural colours. It is a craft practiced by the 'chippas' (meaning people who stamp or print ) community in a remote town of Rajasthan. Bagru printing is generally done on a blue or indigo background. It is one of the traditional techniques of printing with natural colour followed by the chippas of a remote place of Rajasthan. Bagru is known for natural dyes hand block printing.

The process starts from preparing the cloth to finished printed fabrics through their indigenous methods. 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.  

Process

Although synthetic dyes have been introduced to the textile industry, offering a much wider range of colors, the village has kept up its tradition of using natural dyes. These dyes include indigo blue, madder root red, pomegranate yellow, harda yellow, syahi black, and a green obtained by mixing harda and indigo. The artisans smear the cloth with Fuller’s earth got from the riverside and then dip it in turmeric water to get the beige colored background. After that, they stamp the cloth with beautiful designs using natural dyes of earthly shades.

Process of Bagru printing: The process of Bagru printing is very simple as it looks the practice of printing and working with natural elements comprises a complex series of steps that includes: a. Preparing the raw cloth. b. Making dyes and colours. c. Steps involving different types of printing. d. Developing intricate dyeing technique for resist printing in particular.

Download+(1) (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Bagru printing

Origin and history

  There is no authentic record for reference on backdating Bagru's block printing practices and there prevail different opinions behind its starting. However, it is estimated that this art form was introduced 450 years back when a community of Chhipas came to Bagru from Sawai Madhopur (Alwar), and settled in Bagru.

Even today, their community works together in a place called Chhippa Mohalla by the Sanjaria riverside. The bank of the river provided them with clay which is an important ingredient in getting the base color of the famed 'Bagru' prints.  

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Blocks with motifs kept on the riverside to use

Bagru motifs are usually geometric with hints of floral and other natural patterns. Bagru finds a reddish tinge in the block printed textiles. Colour combinations and motifs help differentiate one block-printing style from another.

Motifs

1583605746705 (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Bagru Motif

Different types of are motifs used in Bagru printing. The significant motifs of Bagru prints are: 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 Bel

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Bagru Motif

Images

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Bagru Prints being used in modern day products

Rubrica: : Bagru patterns on clothes

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Rubrica: : Bagru Suit

Rubrica: : Bagru motifs being printed

Image (binary/octet-stream)

My pattern-bookmark

It is a geometrical pattern on a bookmark . There are triangles and inside them there are brown-coloured triangles . This triangle pattern after one figure , inverts itself upside down each figure . On the border there is a diamond pattern where there are diamonds on black background in a straight line .

Rubrica: : MY BOOKMARK

Raising Awarness

 Today, artisans of various regions are using modern techniques to develop their craft. While traditional art form is replaced by modern tools, techniques and synthetic dyes, many Chhippas have given up the art of hand block printing. Yet there are a handful of artisans who engross themselves in their traditional and distinct art of dyeing and printing. As the world is waking up to environmental consciousness and Eco friendliness, this captivating and exotic art is getting recognized day by day. Let us save the environment with this beautiful art form . 

Image (binary/octet-stream)

Kalamkari Bagru Print (binary/octet-stream)