Yasin Savaijiwala

India

Woodblock Printed Textiles

In Gujarat, the type of block printed textiles produced by Yasi Svaijiwala and his family are known as Saudagiri.  These textiles were once a major export item sold to Thai buyers between 1852 and 1958 for skirts. The tradition all but disappeared around fifty years ago but Yasin’s initiative and determination led him to his elder uncle and to the two printers still alive who had any knowledge of the technique. As a result, Yasin was able to renew the Saudagiri printing technique that involves a complex process of bleaching, block printing with natural dyes, and fixing with a pomegranate rind mixture.