Dabu or daboo is an ancient hand block printing technique from Rajasthan, India. The designs are hand printed on to the fabric using blocks which are dipped into fast dyes. Next, ingredients like mud, gum, lime and waste wheat chaff are combined to make the ‘dhabu’ or mud resist paste which is then patted over certain parts of the design. This covering essentially protects these parts of the fabric from the dye used later on, creating a unique and colorful effect. After the process of printing, the fabric is spread out in the sun where it completely dries out. It is then dipped into a vat of dye, dried again and finally given a thorough washing to remove the paste and any excess dye. The dyes used are typically natural vegetable dyes and pastes. Thus the unprotected parts of the fabric catch the color while the dhabu covered bits remain plain. The fabric may be dyed more than once in different colors to give each part of the design a different hue.
Traditional daboo prints are made with natural dyes like kashish (grey-brown) and indigo (blue), as well as yellows and reds derived from fruits like pomegranate. Fabrics can also be dyed more than once, creating the double dabu and triple dabu effect with a richer, more colorful look. The typical motifs used are nature-inspired ones of peacocks, mangoes, leaves, cornstalks, sunflowers and animal figures. Geometric shapes, dots and wavy lines may also be used. The designs thus created are repeated over and over again all over the fabric. Sometimes, the mud paste cracks and leaks, creating a distinctive vein like effect similar to Batik.
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