The papers of India are as varied as the culture that produces them, from the wildly vibrant decorative marble papers to the simplicity of the more utilitarian, traditional sheets.
India first learned papermaking through their contacts with China, Japan and Nepal, but developed their own unique style and technique of papermaking based on different artistic requirements and the use of indigenous fibers such ashemp, jute and cotton. These fibers must be prepared differently from kozo or gampi, and necessitated the creation of a different style of moulds and vat for the papermaking process.
India also invented the use of starch as a sizing as well as polishing sheets with an agate burnisher to reduce absorption and hold fine detail. Because of its location as a major hub in the spice and silk trade, India is credited with the introduction of papermaking techniques into the Western World.
Papermaking in India has grown extensively since the 1940's when Gandhi helped to establish the first handmade paper factory in Poona (Pune), utilizing unwanted rags from the garment industry and providing jobs for many of India's poor.
* Indian handmade papers are known for their strength, durability, beauty, vibrancy and eccentricities. They are, however, not known for their consistency. Sheets will vary from batch to batch (and in some instance, from sheet to sheet) in color, weight and even size. Surfaces can vary from one part of the sheet to another. This is the charm of Indian papers and you should think of all samples as an indication of the style of the paper rather than an exact example. We also realize that this can be the cause of some frustration. If you need to match a specific batch, please call for special assistance.
Gold Ink on Brown Wool
Silver Ink on Blue Batik
Gold Ink on Cream
AZTEC BLOCK PRINT - handmade sheets with block-printed design. No deckles.
Patterns:
Gold Ink on Brown Wool
Gold Ink on Cream
Gold Ink on Orange Batik
Silver Ink on Blue Batik
All Styles
Gsm
22" x 30"
140
$2.60/sh
Gold Ink on Orange Batik
BATIK SOLID - handmade and hand dyed; no deckles.
Colors:
Camel
Lime
Periwinkle
Papaya
All Colors
Gsm
22" x 30"
140
$3.00/sh
BATIK SPIRALS - solid color sheets printed from an original batiked patterns.
Colors:
Aubergine
Blue
Bright Green
Forest Green
Natural
Slate Blue
Terra Cotta
Velvet Hot Pink*
All Colors
Gsm
22" x 30"
140
$3.40/sh
*this color has a felted raised surface
click on thumbnails to enlarge
Batik Solid Camel
Batik Solid Periwinkle
Batik Solid Papaya
Batik Solid Lime
Batik Spiral Aubergine
Batik Spiral Natural
Batik Spiral Terra Cotta
Batik Spiral Bright Green
Batik Spiral Forest
Batik Velvet Hot Pink
Batik Spiral Blue
Batik Spiral Slate Blue
BLOCK PRINTS & SILKSCREENS - Colored papers hand printed with patterns such as paisley, floral, elephant and other traditional Indian patterns.
CORAL REEF - the extremely rough surface of these handmades is created by the addition of soap suds in the papermaking vat. As the bubbles pop, the texture remains!
Black
Earth*
Off-White
White
All Colors
Gsm
22" x 30"
212
$2.42/sh
*we have magnified the surface of this color to show the depth of the texture.
Coral Reef Black
Coral Reef Off-White
INDIA FLOCKED - solid color, machine made sheets with a flocked design of vines and leaves.
Colors:
Xylem Flocked I3640A
Xylem Flocked I3641A
Xylem Flocked I3642A
Xylem Flocked I3643B
All Colors
Gsm
20" x 28"
140
$6.60
VINE BLOCKPRINTS - spiral vine motif on solid or batiked color handmade sheets. No deckles.
Colors:
Gold ink on Cream Solid
Gold ink on Pink Batik
Silver ink on Blue Batik
Silver ink on Pink Batik
All Colors
Gsm
20" x 28"
200
$3.50/sh
Xylem Flocked I3641A
XylemFlocked I3642A
Xylem Flocked I3640A
Xylem Flocked I3643B
Gold ink on Cream Solid
Gold ink on Pink Batik
Silver ink on Blue Batik
Silver ink on Pink Batik
INDIA HANDMADE DECORATIVES
BUBBLES EMBOSSED- handmade white sheets embossed with lizard-like, bubble pattern and stained with pastel colors to accentuate the embossed texture.
