Persian Rug Fabric - Ghalamkari

Ghalamkari (Calico)

Hand Painted

Persian Ghalamkari, one of the Iranian handicrafts, is a type of textile printing patterned fabric. The fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps made of pear wood which has better flexibility and density for carving and long-standing utility. A tapestry may be stamped depending on its density and size, between hundreds and tens of thousands of times. For example 2 meters by 1.4 meters should be stamped about 580 times up to 4000 times in an elegant work. Ghalamkari name is derived from the words pen and kari craftsmanship meaning drawing with a pen. Isfahan is considered the heart of Ghalamkari art in Iran.

Colours and Materials

Natural Colors

Colors in the past have been a variety of natural colors, including plant colors, animal colors and mineral colors. But today, due to the difficult stages of the preparation of natural colors, chemical colors are used. Red and Black are two basic colors used to paint the Ghalamkari fabrics. In making black color some materials such as: Gum tragacanth, Iron Oxide, Castor oil and for Red color materials such as Rose, Alum, and Gum tragacanth are used. Sometimes mixed colors such as blue, green, yellow and brown colors are appropriately used. Calico makers use a wide range of materials. Usually cotton, silk and linen are used to make Persian calico art.

Uses of Ghalamkari

Tablecloth

The uses of Ghalamkari are many and incredibly varied. Today they are mainly displayed for their intricate beauty around the home as Ghalamkari tablecloths, wall hangings, table runners, light rugs, skirt, bed spreads, women's shoes, bag and purse. Traditionally they have also been known to be used as prayer mats and in clothing. Ghalamkari cloth is gorgeous and fantastic which shows a traditional art from old Persia. Its history is older than the Persian carpet and the layout on carpets has been derived from Ghalamkari. It dates back to the Sassanid period, the second Persian Empire (224 – 651 CE). This art was very common in the Safavid period.

History

Ghalamkari is defined as the art of designing and painting on cloth. The history of this persian textile is even older than the Persian carpet. The layout on carpets has been derived from Ghalamkari, they are similar to tiles, woodcarving, and plaster.

Colors

Colors in the past have been a variety of natural colors, including plant colors, animal colors and mineral colors. But today, due to the difficult stages of the preparation of natural colors, chemical colors are used.

Materials

Calico makers use a wide range of materials, but the mostly used materials are as follows; Unbleached Calico, Long Cloth, Pomegranate peel, Gum tragacanth, herbal dyes such as, white alum, Indigo blue and Glycerine.

Warnings

Do not wash your Ghalamkari with strong wishing materials. Do not put them in the washing machine. Washing them with water, shampoo, and hand prolongs their useful life. In fabric with low quality, the patterns and images are not transferred onto the cloth properly. So, in low-quality calicos there is color dispersion.
The higher quality Ghalamkaris are thicker and the authentic ones have a lacinated or torn-shaped and curved edge.

Souvenir

Ghalamkari cloth is gorgeous and fantastic which shows a traditional art from old Persia. You can discover a country’s custom by its handicrafts, so this can be as an exquisite souvenir to take from Iran. Persian artists produce some splendid Ghalamkari fabric for various uses such as women’s and men’s clothing, scarves, purses, wallets, decorative table cloths and mats, etc. The city of Isfahan is presently the main center for the creation of printed calico in Iran.

Safavid era

During Safavid era, the royals and the elite wore the most exquisite gold and silver threaded Ghalamkari Fabric. Ghalamkari fabric was very famous in that era. Different types of Calico produced and most men’s and women’s clothing made by it. The Safavid Kings, nobles, and the upper class, wore Ghalamkar silk and cotton clothes ornamented with gold and silver. This fabrics was also used to decorate the curtains, bedspreads, and wall coverings.