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Block printing · Jammu & Kashmir

Pashmina Block-Print Sari

KL/36/2024 · Accession220" × 46"Block printingCatalogued 26.02.2024Good condition
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KL/36/2024 · PLATE 01
IIIF DEEP-ZOOM · 8400 × 10500
10 cm
Full Object — Front — high-resolution archival photograph
© The Krishna Lal Collection · Photography by [studio] · Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 for scholarly use. Request high-resolution access via Research Office.
Catalogue Record

Object Metadata

Accession Number
KL/36/2024
Object Title
Pashmina Block-Print Sari
Production State
Jammu & Kashmir
Craft Tradition
Block printing
Craft Technique
Block printing
Weave Type
Plain weave ground, printed
Primary Materials
Pashmina wool
Tradition
Pashmina
Dimensions
220" × 46" (L × W)
Colour Palette
CreamMaroon
Condition
Good — Stable, no active deterioration
Current Location
The Krishna Lal Collection, New Delhi
Documented By
Sareekah Agarwaal
Documented On
26.02.2024
Schema Standard
Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
§ I — Curatorial Narrative
by Sareekah Agarwaal, 2024

A handwoven, hand block-printed sari that combines the luxurious softness of pashmina with the lustrous sheen of viscose in a harmonious palette of fawn, blue, and sage green.

Crafted in twill weave, the sari features a striking chevron-striped pattern, where sage green stripes are adorned with delicate ditsy motifs in fawn and blue. The spaces between the stripes are filled with kairi (paisley) motifs, thoughtfully arranged, each alternate row showcasing the motifs facing one another, while within the same line, they appear in alternating directions, creating a dynamic visual rhythm.

Framing the sari, a floral vine border nestled between rows of kairis runs along both lengthwise edges. It also encases the pallu, where a rectangular horizontal panel features eight printed shrubs, each bearing the distinctive kairi fruit.

The slight imperfections of hand block printing add character and authenticity to the sari.

Footnotes
  1. 1 See Mohanty, B.C., Ikat Fabrics of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, Calico Museum, 1980.
  2. 2 Field interview, master weaver, March 2024.
  3. 3 Refer to motif index entries below.
§ II — Motif Analysis
2 motifs identified
Paisley
बूटा (कैरी)

Mango or cypress; eternal fertility and life. Identified across the body butis and border of this object.

Open motif entry
Vines
लताएँ

Continuity; the rhythm of nature. Identified across the creeping borders of this object.

Open motif entry
§ III — Technique
Block printing

Block
Printing

Block printing applies pattern through hand-carved teak or sheesham blocks, each colour and outline requiring its own block, registered by eye across the length of the cloth. India's block-print traditions range from the natural-dye Bagh prints of Madhya Pradesh to the geometric precision of Rajasthani work and the layered resist of Gujarat's Ajrakh.

STEP 01
Carve the wooden blocks
STEP 02
Prepare the ground cloth
STEP 03
Print colour by colour
STEP 04
Fix and wash
Open technique family
DIAGRAM — Block Printing process
Fig. III.1 · Block Printing · Wood-block on cloth
Cite This Object
Agarwaal, S. (2024). Pashmina Block-Print Sari (KL/36/2024). The Krishna Lal Collection: An Archive of Indian Textile Traditions. Retrieved 01 Jun 2026 from krishnalal-collection.org/collection/kl-36-2024.
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