Indian Textile Printing Block

Teardrops and rosettes lock into a lattice of diamonds with ragged edges.

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. Plainly, a rectangular slab whose outline is chipped and rough, with warm brown showing along the edges. The face carries a diamond lattice with leaf shapes and round flower heads in each cell. The relief is shallow and crisply cut. It is 6 inches wide, 2 deep and 3.25 high.

Geometry with a soft spot for flowers.