A Square of Hand Blocked Indian Cotton: Balotra, Rajasthan

contemporary
40" x 40", 101.5 cm x 101.5 cm

This wonderfully patterned, square of power loomed cotton is hand block printed in Balotra, a town in southern Rajasthan, India.  The cloth is finished by machine stitching.

Balotra is a small, rural market town that is fairly remote, which means that many of its craft traditions are still used in every day life.  Textiles printed in Balotra are part of the culture in the sense that the type of pattern worn by a particular person can be a social marker, distinguishing the wearer as being a member of sub-group, showing their social rank, their occupation, their gender, their marital status or their ethnic/religious affiliation.

The pattern on the cloth shown here is called methi, which shows the stylized leaves of the locally grown fenugreek plant.  This beautiful, somber pattern is traditionally worn by widows of many of the tribes in the region of Balotra.

A richly toned square of cotton, this is a handsome and valuable reminder of Rajasthani culture.