Featured Wood Print Block

Is it art? Is it a tool? I found this some years ago and always just thought it was great because it was carved wood. I know the "Made in (in this case) India" stamps were required after 1880, but I am not sure how to date this piece. Is it the infamous Made to Look Old or does it have some indication of age? It has subtle changes in the color but certainly doesn't look like it was used with ANY regularity...I don't know, but I am sure you will tell me! The measurements are about 4.5" x 4.5" and 3" tall.

 

You know, I saw a lot of those...but they are all painted white, it seems. They don't have just a natural wood color. Then I looked at how the light reflected off the piece in the first photo, and I wonder if some of the others just look white, as well, now?

 

I would love to know how someone carved that - such thin walls! That's amazing, would they soak the wood then after carved dry it out?

 

"Wooden printing blocks are made in India and are hand carved. The wood used is called Sheesham but more commonly known as North Indian Rosewood. Sheesham wood is a slow growing but durable wood and is native to the Indian sub-continent. The wood is cut into slices resembling pizzas and then filed and sanded until completely flat and smooth. The surface is then covered with a mixture of chalk, Fevicol which is like PVA glue. This is what gives the blocks the white finish on the carved side. The design for the block is first drawn onto a piece of paper and then transferred onto the white side of the wood and tacked into place. The pattern is transferred onto the wood by drawing and piercing the paper sheet to create an image that is ready to be carved. The carving process is all completed by hand using small chisels and bow drills. The larger, more industrial type of blocks also have holes drilled along the back of the block to release any excess dye or paint that may have accumulated in the grooves of the block that could end up on the fabric by mistake if the holes weren’t there. Once the design is complete the blocks are soaked in oil for up to a week to make them more durable and to avoid them cracking in the dry environment of block printing."
https://prochemicalanddye.net/hand-carved-wooden-printing-blocks.html

This video shows the carving process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=5MV8W6wLF3w&feature=emb_title

And this page describes their use in printing fabric:
https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/mosaic/block-printing-india/

 

Still made and used, these. A real skill The dress looks Rajasthan.

 

I would have explained the process (psyche) but 2manybooks was just so articulate. What was there to add?
I think the amount of detail to the work sets it apart from many of the blocks I looked at...and the carved side is NOT white, as seen in the 4th pic. I was just trying to determine how old it was. It feels special in my hand.
Thank you for the insight and the comments, thus far.

 

Block printing is an ancient craft in India, but it almost died out due to competition from inexpensive machine made fabrics. In the 1970s a Jaipur-based design company (in Rajasthan, India) as well as some foreign artisans became interested in saving and reviving the tradition. ( https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/18/t-magazine/block-print-jaipur-india.html ).

In addition to making blocks for printing fabrics in Rajasthan, the carvers are also making blocks for sale to other markets. ( https://www.artisticartifacts.com/c...set=0&Offset=0&Per_Page=12&Sort_By=disp_order )

The style of the design on your block looks fairly contemporary (to me). That, and the Made in India stamp, would lead me to believe that your block dates to after the 1970's revival of production.

 

The 70s were good...I like the detail in it.
Thank you again