The Carved Block

A walk down the alley brought me past the open half-door of a textile workshop. On a heavy timber bench outside, an antique pearwood printing block caught my eye. Its carved relief of interlaced vines was stained with dark indigo, but a curled dry shaving of cedar had wedged itself into one of the narrow gouges. I paused, letting the midday quiet settle around the courtyard. With measured care, I reached out and eased the sliver cleanly from the recessed grain. When I set the heavy block back onto its thick wool felt pad, the wood sat true and level, ready for the cloth.