Print Block for Batik Printing

Label

One tool for creating batik textiles is the cap, the metal stamp or printing block. Cap handles are made from metals, such as iron and steel, while the design itself is made from malleable copper wire which can be shaped into fine details. The block is dipped in wax and pressed to the cloth to produce the final patterns. Notice the fine detail included in the floral designs.

The cap facilitates faster production compared to designs made with the canting tool shown nearby. The print block is made to emulate the hand-made designs of artisans and hide the repeated pattern. Although the cap allows for efficiency and mass production of batik cloth, it can stifle artistic freedom, variation, and spontaneity.

From the 2023 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 115, Connecting Threads and Woven Stories, curated by Caitlyn King '24, Class of 1954 Intern

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 115, Connecting Threads and Woven Stores, Caitlyn King '24, Class of 1954 Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 21 - December 16, 2023.

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