Battala Woodcut Prints

Battala Woodcut Prints
A Battala woodcut print depicting Durga slaying Mahishasura, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Location of productionBattala
No. in existence100-200[1]

Battala woodcut prints are the woodcut relief prints produced in the Battala region of Calcutta.[2][3][4] Although woodblock printing on fabrics has been in India for centuries, the paper adaptation of woodblock printing appeared relatively late, because of the late entry and early exit due to advent of lithography the Battala woodcut printing had a remarkably short run. The Battala woodcuts were printed on a very cheap newsprint like paper to keep the cost of these prints low. Because of the short run, cheap paper and humid conditions of the region very few of these prints have survived.[5]

  1. ^ "A Rare Kali Woodcut from the Era of the Battala Printers : Art in Print".
  2. ^ Christopher Pinney (2004). 'Photos of the Gods': The Printed Image and Political Struggle in India. Reaktion Books. pp. 27–. ISBN 978-1-86189-184-6.
  3. ^ Jehangir Art Gallery (1985). Indian Print Making Today, 1985. Jehangir Art Gallery.
  4. ^ East and West. Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente. 1985.
  5. ^ "A Rare Kali Woodcut from the Era of the Battala Printers : Art in Print".