Add Or 1544

‘Kathri’ (dyer) ornamenting cloth by the wax painting method ‘(roghan’ work). ‘Kathri’ ornamenting cloth by the tie-and-dye method ‘(bandhana’ work).

Inscribed: ‘Kuthree or Dyer painting with varnish on cloth of durable color. Kuthree or Dyer trying with thread on’ ‘different parts of cloth before dying the cloth.’

Note: Cutch was a centre for the production of wax-painted cloths. The ‘wax’ was made by boiling linseed-oil for about 12 hours. The hot oil was then thrown into shallow pans of cold water which converted it into a thick putty-like substance ‘(roghan).’ The ‘roghan’ was coloured with metallic and vegetable pigments. The artisan then put a lump ‘of roghan’ on the palm of his left hand and, with a pointed iron style held in his right hand, whisked the ‘roghan’ until it had the requisite plastic consistency. He then took a lump ‘of roghan’ on the end of the style, placed it on the cotton cloth, drew up the style to form a thread of colour and then guided it over the pattern that had been chalked on to the material, fixing it with a moistened finger tip. In this way pattems were applied to the cloth.