Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in parts of India. The word is derived from the Persian words kalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.
Dutch merchants named this type of fabric decoration sits, and the British preferred chintz. There are two distinctive styles of kalamkari art in India – one, the Srikalahasti style and the other, the Machalipatnam style of art.
Colors Used:
The dyes are obtained by extracting colors from parts of plants – roots, leaves along with mineral salts of iron, tin, copper, alum, etc., which are used as mordants. Red, blue, yellow, green and black are commonly seen.
Motifs Used:
The motifs used were floral and animal designs. The Persian influence on the designs is visible as ornamental birds, flowers, creepers, and mehrabs or archways found chiefly from Mughal architecture.
