Indian Textile Printing Block

Diamonds sit in a hatched band, framed by thin zigzag trim.

This carved wood textile printing block is from Varanasi, India, and dates to the 20th century. Printing blocks are usually carved from a dense, fine-grained wood, because the design must hold sharp edges through many repeated impressions. The piece reads as a long rectangular slab with narrow strips of small diamond motifs along the top and bottom. The center field holds two lozenge shapes amid fine ruled lines and faint scrollwork. Rust-brown spots show through the otherwise dark, dry surface. It is 6 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 3 high.

Restraint, by the standards of a carver with sharp tools.