Craft comparison

Under review

Qalamkar block printing vs Zilu (Meybod)

قلمکار · زیلو

Qalamkar block printing: A resist-dyed and block-printed cotton textile, historically associated with Isfahan, in which carved wooden blocks stamp repeating floral and figural patterns onto cloth in successive colour stages. Zilu (Meybod): A dense, pileless cotton floor covering woven on a horizontal loom, historically centred on the town of Meybod near Yazd, known for its plain-weave structure and geometric pattern created through warp and weft colour arrangement.

Side by side

Qalamkar block printingZilu (Meybod)
Persian nameقلمکارزیلو
CategoryTextiles · Printed and painted clothTextiles · Flatweave
Materialscottoncotton
Techniquesblock-printingflatweave-weaving
Regionsisfahanyazd
Periodssafavid, qajar, pahlavi, contemporarysafavid, qajar, pahlavi, contemporary
Motifsgol-o-morgh, eslimi-arabesque, botehgereh-geometric
Current vitalityAt riskEndangered

What they share

  • Materials: cotton
  • Periods: safavid, qajar, pahlavi, contemporary

How to tell them apart

  • Qalamkar block printing typically involves block-printing.
  • Zilu (Meybod) typically involves flatweave-weaving.
  • The stated place of making is a useful clue, but never proof on its own.

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Disclaimer

This comparison is educational and built from entries still under review. It cannot confirm what a particular object is.