The Story of Persian Block-Printed Cotton
What Is Persian Ghalamkar?
Known in Japanese as Persian sarasa, ghalamkar is a printed cotton textile associated with the historic Iranian city of
Isfahan. Carved wooden blocks are charged with dye
and struck against the cotton to build up the design.
The maker repeats the process with different blocks and colours,
then twists and ties the fringes by hand. This repeated handwork
gives the finished cloth its particular warmth and character.
 Pattern covers the whole cloth. |
 Flowing arabesque motifs with a long history of cultural exchange. |
 A circular cloth has a stitched edge with an attached fringe. |
 Each fringe is finished by hand. |
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The maker is holding one of the many blocks used for different parts of a pattern. We were told that this pearwood block had been passed down and used for around a century. |
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Each block is pressed and struck by hand, with a different block for each colour. A large cloth may require hundreds of impressions. |
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The design book showed this four-colour motif: four blocks, applied one colour at a time, create the complete pattern. |
After printing, the cloths we saw were taken to the riverbank, washed in running water and spread out to dry. We were struck by how much handwork went into every stage.
A Versatile Decorative Cloth
The cloth is made from soft 100% cotton and can be washed carefully according to its care instructions.
Its substantial yet flexible feel suits a range of uses around the home.
Try it as a tablecloth, sofa throw, bed cover or decorative dust cover.
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Washing and Care
Ghalamkar edges are finished with twisted and tied fringes.
Wash gently by hand where permitted, taking care not to undo or tangle the fringe.
Use cool water and wash separately to limit colour transfer. Follow the item's care advice rather than relying on salt to fix the dyes.
The beige ground can become paler with washing or unsuitable detergent. Use the maker's recommended gentle cleaner and test colourfastness first.
The example on the right shows a paler ground after washing.
