Printed Table Cloth, Cotton

Block printed textiles were an integral part of the dress code in India and widely used in both public and private spaces, for rituals and celebrations among other areas. Block printing was practised at several well-known centres in the former princely state of United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) in cities like Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Tanda and Banaras. Farrukhabad, Lucknow and Kanauj are said to have shared a common design vocabulary that included motifs like keri (mango), buta/buti motifs of flowers and floral sprigs. This block printed table cloth from Lucknow has designs that include motifs like keri (mango), flowers with seamless foliage patterns.