Cotton, natural pigments, and the gesture of the hand: what makes every Kirane piece unique.
Block print is the craft that captivated us from the very first day in Jaipur. It is the art that truly fascinated me when I arrived in India: a unique savoir-faire particular to Rajasthan, and even more so to Jaipur.
An art form 4,000 years old
This textile printing technique is far older than one might imagine: its origins date back over 4,000 years to the Indus Valley. Archaeological excavations have uncovered fragments of printed fabrics and carved wooden blocks. It is in Rajasthan, and particularly in Jaipur — the beating heart of Indian block print — that this technique has flourished the most over the centuries.
The craft, block by block
The principle is simple, yet it feels like magic: a pattern is drawn, then hand-carved onto wooden blocks — one block per colour. These blocks are sculpted from teak or rosewood; a single block can require up to a week of meticulous carving. The carving work alone is utterly fascinating.
Before printing, the fabric itself is prepared: washed, naturally bleached, then soaked in a solution of turmeric (haldi) and acacia gum (babul ka gond), before being dried in the sun to better fix the dyes. Once this preparation is complete, the colours are applied one by one, with drying time between each layer, then fixed by steaming.
These blocks are then passed to a printer. Each block represents one colour of the print, stamped successively onto the fabric. It is this gesture that brings each piece to life. Depending on the hand applying the stamp, the pressure, the moment, there is always a subtle variation from one piece to another. Two cushions born from the same wooden block will never be identical. This is not a flaw: it is the signature of the handmade.
Pigments straight from nature
We work primarily with natural pigments (crushed nuts, leaves, flowers) on natural cottons, which colour the fabric through sun and light. These subtle variations in shade, these slight irregularities in the lines, are proof that no machine was involved. A Kirane piece is a little like a conversation between the hand, the colour, and the wood.
Our iconic block print pieces
Three prints best illustrate this craftsmanship: the ones our customers have loved from day one.
Want to see how these prints look in your home? We show you three ways to live with them every day in our article on Kirane interior styles.
Also explore: Sofa covers · Cushions · Tablecloths · Throws
Also read in The Kirane Notebooks
- Jaipur, our workshop: behind the scenes at Villa Kirane
- Women at Villa Kirane: craftsmanship and empowerment
- Block print vs screen printing: why artisanal printing makes the difference
- The natural pigments of block print: indigo, madder, turmeric
- How to care for your hand-printed home linen
Every Kirane piece is hand-printed and handcrafted at Villa Kirane, Jaipur.
