India · Textile Printing / Surface Embellishment
Khari chhapai; chamki; tinsel printing
A surface printing technique in which a thick roghan paste, cooked from castor oil, is pressed through a perforated brass case (sancha) by a close-fitting wooden plunger (hatha) to print motifs of fine dots and dashes on cloth. While the paste is still wet, gold, silver or mica powder is dusted over it, often from a muslin pouch, and the excess is brushed off and saved once dry. The raised, glittering print imitates the look of zardozi metal-thread embroidery and brocade at far lower cost, and is used on festive and wedding textiles. Real precious-metal dust has largely given way to mica (chamki) and other affordable powders. An older method painted or printed a gum paste and laid varak metal leaf on it; that leaf method is documented separately (CRAFT-2867).
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not inscribed
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