A For Ajrakh

Block printing is a very popular art form in India. Take a peek into your wardrobe and chances of finding something with block print are high. @ninasabnanis Nina Sabnani’s book is indeed a collector’s item – literally an A to Z on this art form. Each letter highlights a particular style or motif or dye used in block print and comes with fascinating nuggets of information.

I was particularly fascinated by the ‘Bagh’ style of Madhya Pradesh (my home state in India, now called Chhattisgarh). There is indeed a place called Bagh-Bahar in that region. Notice how the rust and yellow illustration of this style on the edge of the paper (for letter ‘B’) matches the block printed fabric from Madhya Pradesh that I’ve placed underneath. What a well-researched book!

A big thank you to @tokabox for the book recommendation! @tulikabooks #mustread #blockprint #readlikeawolfeats #ajrakh