The process involves treating of cotton fabric with buffalo dung. The kalam for painting is made of thin sticks of bamboo, one end sharpened and wrapped with wool or jute and tied with cotton thread.
A separate kalam is used for each colour. The cotton fabric gets its glossiness by immersing it for an hour in a mixture of myrabalam (resin) and cow milk. The myrobalan acts as a mordant binding the dye to the cloth and the milk keeps the drawn line from running.
A separate kalam is used for each colour. The cotton fabric gets its glossiness by immersing it for an hour in a mixture of myrabalam (resin) and cow milk. The myrobalan acts as a mordant binding the dye to the cloth and the milk keeps the drawn line from running.
The initial drawing is done with a rust iron solution, created by soaking rusty metal with molasses, water, and bran for 14 days. This solution is fairly clear and only develops a black colour when in contact with the myrobalan treated cloth.
Then an alum solution is painted on areas where red is needed. After drying for one day, the cloth is boiled with madder a vegetable dye. The red only penetrated the areas treated with alum. After rinsing the cotton or silk cloth, it is soaked in a solution of raw myrobalan and milk, which gives it a mild yellow tint.
Then an alum solution is painted on areas where red is needed. After drying for one day, the cloth is boiled with madder a vegetable dye. The red only penetrated the areas treated with alum. After rinsing the cotton or silk cloth, it is soaked in a solution of raw myrobalan and milk, which gives it a mild yellow tint.
On this, the basic design is drawn with a charcoal stick of burnt tamarind wood.Kasin -prepared by fermenting a mixture of jaggery (molasses) and rusted iron soaked in water for 20 days. The initial charcoal sketch is painted over with this solution, which fastens the black colour under the easily washable charcoal.
The cloth is washed, sun-dried, boiled in hot water along with powders which gives the red colour, again washed and dried, then dipped in pure milk and dried.Yellow, if required, is applied after this process, with dye made by mixing powdered myrobalan flower in water.
The colour blue is from indigo. Unfortunately, indigo is no longer available and chemical colour is used, which lacks the rich tone of indigo. If green is required, blue is painted over yellow.
The cloth is washed, sun-dried, boiled in hot water along with powders which gives the red colour, again washed and dried, then dipped in pure milk and dried.Yellow, if required, is applied after this process, with dye made by mixing powdered myrobalan flower in water.
The colour blue is from indigo. Unfortunately, indigo is no longer available and chemical colour is used, which lacks the rich tone of indigo. If green is required, blue is painted over yellow.
No comments:
Post a Comment