Kalamkari

Kalamkari refers to a method of painting with vegetable and natural dyes on cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. Hence the name kalamkari which translates as pen (kalam) work (kari) in Hindi/Urdu, and was most likely derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th century. Kalamkari is native to the Coromandel coast of South India. Two major styles of Kalamkari emerged around Masulipatnam (near Hyderabad) and Sri Kalahasti, also in Andhra Pradesh, While the origins of kalamkari in Sri Kalahasti are unknown, evidence from old texts indicate that the art form flourished throughout the Deccan plateau between the 13th and 19th centuries. It is possible that Sri Kalahasti also enjoyed local patronage from the Sri Kalahasteeswara temple, a prominent Shiva temple. Temples were traditionally centers for art and culture.Therefore Kalamkari from Sri Kalahasti received a largely Hindu patronage, and artists in the area continue that tradition, depicting a variety of Hindu narrative themes from the ancient epics of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Shiva Puranas. The Masulipatnam style evolved with the advent of Muslim rulers in the Deccan, and trade relations with the Persian Safavid Empire and brought a gradual inclusion of more intricate and delicate motifs like trees, creepers, flowers and leaves. Merchants and traders from around the world used Indian textiles, the majority of which were kalamkari, as a currency in the Spice Trade. European and East Asian markets demanded spices like nutmeg, clove, and pepper as well as aromatic woods and oils, which were available almost exclusively in parts of Southeast Asia and Indonesia. As time went on, Indian textiles were seen as luxury items in themselves, and a variety of textiles and textile-related products were sold to merchants throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. The name kalamkari is used prominently today, and is synonymous with both painted and hand blockprinted textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dyes.

Hand painted Kalamkari art is created on cotton textile using only natural vegetable dyes. The process involves seventeen painstaking steps. The cotton fabric is immersed in a mixture of myrabalam (resin) and milk to obtain a glossy finish. Intricate designs are sketched onto the fabric by artists using burnt tamarind twigs as pens, or 'kalams'. Typical colours used are reds, blues and mustard on earth tones giving Kalamkari fabrics their distinctive look. After each step, the fabric is rinsed repeatedly in clean water and dried. The end result is a beautiful, individually produced work of art that relies on the imagination of the artisans drawing inspiration from ancient Indian mythology or in more contemporary interpretations for clothing and home furnishings.

Since the base fabric is either cotton or silk, or in more recent years, on chiffons or crepes, Kalamkari on clothing has become synonymous with ethnic chic.

Check out this stunning selection from http://www.yncimports.com/