The Indian Block Print Co. has partnered with The Ashmolean Museum to introduce the May Morris-inspired Indian Block Printing Kit – an exclusive sustainably produced craft kit inspired by the Ashmolean’s May Morris collection, coinciding with May’s birthday on 25 March.
Designed in collaboration with the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the wooden printing blocks are inspired by the designs of design pioneer May Morris (1862-1938), and meticulously hand-carved by master craftsmen in Jaipur, India.
May Morris was a leading figure in the Arts & Crafts Movement and a key exponent of decorative needlework. She described design as ‘the very essence and soul of beautiful embroidery’.
The Ashmolean holds one of the largest repositories of her designs, though few of these have appeared in print or online. As a result, the archive remains a relatively hidden treasure trove.
Each kit contains everything needed to create a set of handprinted notelets and envelopes inspired by May Morris’ botanical designs, including three wooden printing blocks hand-carved in Jaipur, fabric paints and a basic printing kit. Each block is carved by hand, making each one a unique work of art in its own right, crafted from Indian rosewood and treated with mustard seed oil to last a lifetime of crafting.
“We were drawn to how Morris’ traditional botanicals and gentle palette were used to create such intricate designs, and felt these would translate beautifully into the medium of wooden printing blocks,” commented Tess Hucker, creative director at The Indian Block Print Co.
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