Men's Shoulder Cloth

Kalamkariis at its finest when the entire work (including design outlines) is hand-painted using the kalam, a bamboo stick padded with hair or cotton and tied with string on one end, so as to hold and regulate the flow of dye from it. However, this example as well as other kalamkari pieces displayed in the Museum, are produced by a combination of techniques such as block printing and pigment painting.
The coverlet is block-printed and partially dye-painted. The inner white square field has a floral medallion having paisley-shaped petals in the center and a quarter of such a medallion is placed in each of the four corners. The interstices are exquisitely printed with a diaper of intricate floral creepers. The square field is framed within bands of chevron pattern on all sides. The upper and lower ends have two end-panels with a row of large paisley motifs. The spaces between these are fine hand-painted kalamkari fern-like motifs.
Pieces of this nature, especially with prominence of paisley motifs were, in all probability, made in Machilipatnam for export to Iran.