To wear · For the home · Gifts
Block-printed cotton shawl
Indigo and madder, stamped by hand on both sides of the cloth.
$30–60
Find block-printed ajrak on Etsy ↗1 more place to buy ↓If you buy through this link we may earn a small commission. It never changes your price.
The story
In Sindh, an ajrak is how you honour someone. It is laid over the shoulders of a guest, tied as a turban at weddings, spread over a bed, and carried in political rallies. Almost every Sindhi household owns several.
Its deep blue and madder red, broken by small white stars and dots, is one of the most recognisable patterns in South Asia. The best ones are printed by hand on both sides, so the pattern is as crisp on the back as on the front.
In pictures
Photos coming soon. Each frame below says what it will show.
History
Block printing and natural dyeing have been practised along the Indus for a very long time. Some historians point to the trefoil pattern on the robe of the Priest-King, the stone figure found at Mohenjo-daro, as an early ancestor of ajrak motifs.
Families of printers, often known as Khatri, have passed the craft down for generations. Many still work by hand in small courtyard workshops, even as cheaper screen-printed copies fill city markets.
How it’s made
Raw cotton is soaked in a mix that traditionally includes camel dung, oil and soda ash, then rinsed and beaten on stones so it takes dye evenly.
Carved wooden blocks are dipped in a paste of gum and lime and pressed down in rhythm. Wherever paste lands, the next dye cannot reach.
The cloth goes into the indigo vat. It comes out green and turns blue as it meets the air.
Alum is printed where red is wanted, then the cloth is boiled with madder root. Only the mordanted shapes turn red.
Repeated washing in running water and drying in the sun brighten the colours. As many as sixteen stages in all.
Kinds
Printed both sides with natural dyes. Slightly uneven, soft, and the one to buy.
Hand-printed on one face only. Cheaper and still handmade.
Machine or screen printing with synthetic dyes. Flat colour, printed one side, sold everywhere as souvenirs.
In Pakistan
Ajrak is worn every day in rural Sindh as a shoulder cloth and sun shield. On Sindhi Culture Day each December, crowds wear ajrak and Sindhi caps across the province. It is also a standard gift: a visitor who leaves a Sindhi home often leaves wearing one.
Buy it well
| Genuine | Likely a copy |
|---|---|
| Pattern on both sides | Pattern on one side only |
| Colours slightly uneven, deep and matte | Flat, bright, perfectly even colour |
| Soft cotton that gets softer | Stiff fabric with a shiny finish |
| Priced for weeks of work | Very cheap for the size |
Where to buy
We may earn a small commission. Your price is the same.
Find block-printed ajrak on Etsy ↗No commission for us. Pay the maker directly and ask for tracking.
Printers selling direct on Instagram ↗Typical price: $30–60, before shipping. Read the “Buy it well” checks above before you order, and ask the seller for photos of the exact piece.
Questions
No. Men wear it as a shawl or turban, and women wear it as a dupatta or shawl. It is also used at home as a bedspread or table cloth.
A little at first, because the dyes are natural. Wash it alone in cold water for the first few washes.
Yes. It works as a large scarf, a throw, a picnic cloth or a wall hanging.
Keep exploring
Hand-painted metal kettle
The painting on Pakistan’s trucks, shrunk to fit a kitchen shelf.
Glass bangles, sold by the dozen
Glass rings in every colour, from the city that makes them for all of Pakistan.
Embroidered mirror-work cap
A round cap covered in mirrors, with an arch cut out at the front.
Lacquered, lathe-turned wood
Wood turned on a lathe and coloured by friction, in bands of red, yellow and green.
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