DABU: AN OLD ART IN CONTEMPORARY FORM
The process of handcrafting each product is an art that has been passed down over generations. Each textile is unique and perfect in its own, imperfect way. We recognize the value of taking time to make things by human hands rather than machine-made products.
First, the fabric is washed in these large pits. Dried cow dung and other natural soaps help remove the impurities in the fabric and it allows the dye to cling better when it is dipped.
Dabu uses mud as a resist when dyeing. Mud is sustainably sourced from local lakes (thank goodness we live in the watery oasis of Rajasthan!). It is refined and all impurities are removed. Once it is super fine, it is mixed with tree gum so that it will stick to the fabric when it is printed.
Sawdust is sprinkled out over a table and the white fabric is laid out. Master printers, who have honed their printing skills, take a hand-carved wooden block, dip it into the mud and print the design. They need to be precise and accurate with each stamp of the block so the pattern turns out. It is a tedious job and one that takes some serious skill. The fabric is hung to dry and is ready for its first dip in the indigo dye vat.
Indigo is a thing of beauty. These vats are 9 feet deep and full of indigo dye. The fabric, post mud print, is carefully submerged into the vat. Because of how indigo reacts with oxygen, it is not agitated much in the vat. Then it's removed after a few dips, brought out into the hot Rajasthani sun, and laid to dry. The dye first looks green but once it oxidizes it changes to a deep, rich, beautiful blue.
The mud is used as a resist when dyeing so the area covered by mud will turn out white. The mud can withstand three rounds of dyeing before it starts to wear off. Depending on the design, the dyed fabric is printed with another round of mud and the dyeing process is repeated. After drying for three days, the fabric is washed. The mud comes off and the excess dye is removed. This fabric moves on to the next step in the production line: becoming the perfect textile for your home.
These are the three gradations of dabu dyeing:
- The first printed layer is light to white.
- The second layer is medium blue.
- The deep indigo is the last.
A few dark lines are where the dye has seeped through the mud. Mud cracks, but don't we all sometimes?
Perfection is not always perfect.
You can tell if fabric is authentically hand block-printed and dabu dyed if you can spot some variations in the design. Machines are perfect, precise and boring. Humans make mistakes, but they also make life interesting. We choose to invest in humans because without each other, where would we be?