Indian Textile Printing Block

Small blooms and paisleys drift through a field pocked with drilled pinholes.

This carved wood textile printing block is from Varanasi, India, and dates to the 20th century. Block printing is done by pressing a carved wooden block, coated with dye or paste, onto cloth, and the block can be reused to repeat a motif. Up close, a rectangular slab with ruled lines along the top and bottom edges. Between them runs a thick carpet of flowers, leaves and teardrops, punctuated by a few tiny round holes. The finish is a flat, dusty black with soft wear. It is 6 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 2.75 high.

The pinholes are the only part of it keeping quiet.