Intangible Cultural Heritage
Blaudruck/Modrotisk/Kékfestés/Modrotlač, resist block printing and indigo dyeing in Europe
BlaudruckModrotiskKékfestésModrotlač which translates directly as blueprint or bluedyeing refers to the practice of printing a dyeresistant paste onto a cloth before dyeing over it with indigo dye The resistant paste prevents the dye from penetrating the design thereby ensuring the applied design remains white or undyed after the dyeing process To apply the designs onto the cloth practitioners use handcrafted blocks that are up to 300 years old featuring regionallyinspired patterns as well as generic designs or Christian motifs The representation of local flora and fauna is interrelated with the local culture of the regions Traditional indigo bluedyeing does not end with printing however the textile chain involves preparing the raw materials and spinning weaving finishing printing and dyeing them Nowadays businesses engaged in the practice mainly comprise small familyowned workshops run by the second to seventh generation of printers Each family workshop involves the cooperation of the various family members who each participate in every step of the production regardless of their gender Traditional knowledge is still based on mainly familyowned journals dating back to the nineteenth century and passed on through observation and handson practice Stakeholders feel a strong emotional bond with their products and the element encapsulates a sense of pride in longlasting family traditions
Germany, Hungary, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia -