Rajasthani crafts - hand made paper

Whilst in Sanganer we also visited Salim's hand-made paper factory which makes paper products (carrier bags, covered boxes and books and those paper stars that were everywhere at Christmas) for export. Sanganer has a large paper making community - more info here: http://knhpi.org.in/handmadepapers-home.htm

The manager showed us round and explained the process while the workers looked on in bemusement as we took pictures of everything, like kids in a sweet shop. Whilst much more like our idea of a factory, the fact that many of the processes were carried out on the floor makes it typically Indian.

The paper is made from recycled cotton rags, and the colour of the rags determines the colour of the paper. Large two-person frames are dipped and the paper stacked on muslin sheets to dry. These are then removed and the damp paper sheet is pressed, stacked and left to dry.

Inclusions like coconut fibre and rose petals are put in at the pulp stage. The woman is separating the sheets ready for cold pressing. After this they are stacked ready for use.

See what I mean about the sweet shop?

This beautifully carved roller is an embossing press

This machine is for cutting the paper to size. The guy sitting on top positions the paper and the other cuts it. Health and safety would have a field day! These papers are being made into carrier bags, destined for Korea.

Two colours are stitched together, the woman's job seemed to be just to cut the threads. At this stage bags are printed or embossed with a design, and creases are pressed in with a die to aid folding.

And then the really slick bit - these men were folding and sticking the carriers with lightning speed.

Finally the cotton tape handles are added and the bags are ready to go.

The most refreshing thing about this factory was no hard sell, just a chance to look at product examples and a brochure to take away. I suppose this is more industrial India not geared for the tourist market, and probably something that most people don't get to see.

Rajasthani crafts - block printing

Rajasthan has many traditional crafts, including block printing (if you own an Indian style printed skirt it probably came from here), leather work using camel leather, hand paper making, carpet making, precious and semi-precious stone jewellery, miniature painting and Jaipur blue pottery. The local dress of the nomadic people is colourful, with block printed or tie-dyed fabric, shisha mirrors, bright colours and bangles, always bangles. 

While we've been in Jaipur we've had the opportunity to visit several local crafts workshops and also the Anokhi Museum of Block Printing   http://www.anokhi.com/museum/home.html.

Housed in a restored havelli in the shadow of the Amber Fort this museum shows the history of block printing, with examples of regional variations and stitched textiles.

Traditional designs

And contemporary ones

We saw the block-maker's designs

and watched blocks being carved

Then we had chance to have a go ourselves - this is a three-colour design. The maximum is seven colours.

Ingenious ink trays have wire mesh to prevent too much ink clogging the blocks

These colours are for the print below. just a simple two-block print, but very effective.

Also whilst in Jaipur we visited two other block printing workshops, the first in Amber, at a collective that also includes rug making (more in a later post). 

The guy on the left is making the first print in this three-block process ...

closely followed by his colleagues with blocks two and three. Registration is done by eye (there are hidden dots for the first block so spacing remains consistent) and they work so fast, making it look really easy (it isn't!).

A selection of blocks on display - the four below make up the elephant.

And here you can see the stages of printing. Because these are natural dyes, the colours are set in the sun, and gradually changes colour to the bright colour seen bottom right. Here the process was  speeded up using nitric acid; I think I prefer the undeveloped colours!

And finally a visit to a workshop in Sanganer village, now a suburb of Jaipur, which is well known for block printing, blue pottery and hand made paper. 

In this tiny shed fabric for duvet covers and pillow cases was being printed using three blocks. They kindly stopped to show is the process and let us have a go.

Fascinating! Even Shyam our driver couldn't resist a look through the window - either that or he was trying to hurry us up so we got to Pushkar before dark!

More pictures over on InStitches blog.

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