The timeless art of Block Printing

"Block by block, we carve stories onto cloth, weaving history with every press and print."

Block printing is a traditional form of printmaking in which a carved block, typically made of wood or linoleum, is used as a stamp to transfer ink or dye onto paper, fabric, or other surfaces. It was on the Indian subcontinent where hand-blocked fabric reached its highest visual expression.

Known for its simplicity and versatility, the charm of block printing lies in the handmade and often imperfect quality of each print, giving it a unique and artistic character and this is exactly how Manngiri has been working on since the brand started curating these exclusive collections.

Indians possessed unparalleled expertise in the secrets of natural plant dyes, particularly with mordants (metallic salts that both create colour and allow it to adhere to fabric). 

Rajasthan has had an enduring legacy of some of the most exquisite handmade textiles in India and Jaipur is one of the few cities where you can still see people wearing handmade textile clothes. Over the time, we have taken to working with Jaipur's textiles and have been discovering them.

We as a brand, stand for our ethics, dedication towards our job. All our material and blocks are selected, crafted by hand in our work station residing in the city that gave birth to the idea of Manngiri.

Talking about the form of art we take into work, first one being Sanganeri, a beautiful method of hand- block printing that came in the village of Sanganeri, Rajasthan. It has been around for centuries now and traditionally, artists learned this technique through observing existing skilled artisans, there was rarely any formal training to teach this art.

We acknowledge and admire the work being put up by our artists that are the key pillars of the brand’s inventory and that is why we support the making of our material, including textile, dyes, anything one can think of from scratch, naturally and finely hand-picked material by our team.

The second art form that makes space within us is Bagru, which is yet another form of hand block printing technique that is done by natural colours which came into existence in the Bagru village of Rajasthan and was originally followed by the Chippa community.

In the tapestry of our endeavours, woven with threads of passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, our journey at Manngiri has been nothing short of a heartfelt odyssey. As we reflect upon the strides we have taken, it is not just the garments we've crafted but the stories we've printed into each fabric that truly resonate.