Block for printing on textile

The wooden form, the so-called block from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, was used for making patterns on clothes fabrics. The place of origin and maker of the printing form cannot be established (the exhibit comes from the pre-war collection). It is rectangular (20 x 12 cm), and its surface is rhythmically ornamented with convex circular dots, on which brass plates and sticks arranged in a delicate floral pattern are stuck. The dyer made boards used for printing usually from hard pear or beech wood, thanks to which the engraved ornamental motif retained its form for a long time and did not crumble at the edges. The pattern was hand-carved with a sharp knife, which, depending on the length of the board, could take up to dozen days. The maker was also responsible for preparing paint from crushed paint called Paris blue with the addition of lime; the proportions depended on the desired shade (dark blue, the darkest colour was created by adding soot) and varnish. The resulting liquid mass was applied on special pads, and only through them did the maker spread the paint over the board and press it against the fabric. The board with the fabric was then turned over to imprint the pattern by smoothing it with a special roller along the length of the board. Such were two types of skirts called painted skirts – festive ones made of fine white linen with more pronounced patterns, and everyday skirts made of thicker grey linen with a less pronounced print.