Wasli

This article is about the painting material. For the interpreters' organisation, seeWorld Association of Sign Language Interpreters.

Wasli,also referred to aswasli paper,is a type of handmadepaperused specifically for paintingminiatures.It was devised inIndia,in the 10th century, and figures widely inMughal-era painting.

Wasli can be produced to varying thickness and its uses range from classical/traditional painting methods with opaque water colors to building structures of various kinds.

Miniature Painting is a term used for making opaque/translucent water color paintings/illustrations on a small scale inspired fromPersianor Pahari miniature schoolsand Wasli is used as a canvas for makingminiatures.

The term derives from a Persian word Vasl which means union or coming together, oneness, etc.

Wasli is anacid-free paperand it has archival qualities. Paper-eating insects cannot eat it because of a poison copper sulphate (Neela Thootha) used its preparation. The glue typically used to paste sheets together is also acid-free, being made out of cooking flour.

To use it for miniature paintings this layered paper is burnished with either smooth glass or a sea shell. This way the paper is shiny and smooth and has minimal perceptible grain.

External links

• Notes from Modern Art Oxford on the 2007 Imran Qureshi Exhibition; includes illustrated tutorial on making wasli
• Nisar Ahmed Mian's tutorial on making wasli