General Auction Including Antiques, Collectables, Militaria, Nautical, Gold & Silver (14% Buyers Commission)
Lot 239:
Description
A vintage hand-carved wooden textile printing block of Indian origin, traditionally used in the production of Kalamkari or Ajrakh textiles. The block is constructed from a single piece of dense, dark wood and features deeply carved floral and foliate designs. The pattern is organised into parallel horizontal bands, including a wide central register with stylised flowers and scrolling vines, flanked by narrower borders of smaller blossoms and diagonal hatch marks. One long edge is finished with a scalloped leaf-tip border. The reverse side features an integrated, raised, and rounded handle designed for manual grip, with a small metal ring attached to the top. Visible markings include a contemporary white adhesive label with the handwritten digits 946 on the handle side and a single small character resembling a lowercase h on the wood. On one side of the base, two large characters are painted in a light pigment, identified as the Devanagari numerals ५९, representing the number 59. These markings likely served as workshop identification or sequence numbers. Traces of dark pigment are visible within the deeper recesses of the carving.
Condition report:
The block exhibits a dark, aged patina with signs of historical functional wear consistent with workshop use. There are minor chips, abrasions, and small losses to the sharp edges of the carved patterns. The wood shows general surface wear and rubbing to the handle and base.
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