It is said that the blues are the heavens, The clear whites are the twinkling of the stars ...
Ajrakh is the name of a cloth that has been blockprinted in the traditional method using natural dyes such as indigo, madder and pomegranate.
The ajrakh process is a long one, involving several steps of washing and scouring the cloth, then additional steps to mordant the cloth, and still more steps as each colour is either directly block printed or resist block printed with natural dyes. The order is of utmost importance as the layers of colour are built up and the traditional geometric ajrakh patterns emerge.
Producing an ajrakh involves entire communities: block cutters, dye farmers (for the many natural dyeplants), cloth merchants, and of course, the ajrakh craftspeople themselves (those who mordant, print, dye and design the cloth). Maiwa partners directly with the artisans; providing consistent and reliable orders, feedback and marketing in support of this remarkable craft.
