The block was hand-carved from teak in 1978 by the current printer's grandfather. It has been in continuous use since. Every year the printer's son reshapes a few of the finer notches; every third year, the block is rested in oil for a month to keep the wood from cracking.
Twelve colours pass through this one block. First the mud-resist that reserves the future white. Then a light indigo dip that reserves the blue. Then madder. Then another indigo. Then the block itself, twice, in the final register.
The border pattern — the little diamond that becomes our brand mark — comes from a block half its size. That one has been in use since 1963.