Kalamkari
A craft of Andhra Pradesh in which patterns are drawn or printed on cotton with natural dyes.
Also: kalam kari, Srikalahasti kalamkari, Machilipatnam kalamkari
Kalamkari means pen work: kalam is a pen and kari is craft. The cloth is cotton, and the dyes are natural, made from plants and minerals. There are two main styles in Andhra Pradesh. In Srikalahasti, an artist draws the figures by hand with a pen made of bamboo, in scenes of Hindu myths. In Machilipatnam, carved wooden blocks are used to print the designs. Many steps of washing, mordanting, dyeing and bleaching go into a piece. Kalamkari is used for sarees, dupattas and wall hangings.