About the Piece
1930s Paisley Kalamkari textile from India. Hand blocked vegetable and iron oxide dyes on cotton. The fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps. Made in India for the Persian market, circa 1930. Qalamkari literally “pen-workmanship,” are block-printed and hand painted cotton textiles that are used for wall-hangings, bed-coverings, table-coverings, and other functions. Kalamkari is a form of Persian woodblock printed textile that originates from Esfahan in central Iran over 400 years ago. The city of Esfahan is, and has been for centuries, the centre of production of such textiles in Iran (Persia).
