Culture XI Heritage Craft - Living Craft Traditions of India PDF

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Contents
Learning about Crafts 1
Chapter 1
Crafts Heritage 7
Chapter 2
Clay 15
Chapter 3
Stone 25
Chapter 4
Metal 37
Chapter 5
Jewellery 49
Chapter 6
Natural Fibres 61
Chapter 7
Paper Crafts 73
Chapter 8
Textiles 83
Chapter 9
Painting 97
Chapter 10
Theatre Crafts 111
. Suggested Reading 123

Learning about Crafts
If you look around your home, you will find a number of
things used everyday that represent the heritage of Indian
crafts. These may include:
♦ an embroidered cushion or pillow case
♦ a bamboo basket or chair woven with cane
♦ a piece of jewellery
♦ a duree or carpet
♦ a stone bowl
♦ a clay pitcher or surahee, or a lamp or diya
♦ a mat or a broom
♦ a handwoven saree
It is quite possible that one or more objects in this list
have been replaced in your home by an industrial product.
If that has happened, you can ask your parents about what
they used before the modern object arrived.
On the face of it, a broom or a mat, a shawl or a
handwoven scarf may appear machine-made. On the other
hand, you can find nylon mats in the market made
mechanically, which look exactly like hand-woven straw
mats. Unless you observe carefully you may not see much
difference between the two. However, there is only superficial
similarity between an object made by a craftsperson, and
its copy made by a machine. When people talk about
craftsmanship, they often have in mind machine-made
perfection. However, the kind of perfection a work of
craftsmanship represents is quite different from the
mechanical perfection of a mass-produced object.
The difference comes from the traces of individuality
that you can find in a hand-crafted object. These traces
may look like marks of ëimperfectioní in comparison to the
mechanically produced object. For instance, in a handmade
bamboo fan, the surface may be rough in the part where
the bamboo had a knot. The natural texture of the bamboo
continues to ëliveí in a handmade fan. In a comparable
plastic copy of the fan, the surface will be smooth everywhere,
2 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
and every fan will look identical. Contrary to this uniformity,

each craft product is different even if it looks similar to
others. A hand-woven sari has no exact match, just as a
handkerchief you make with your own hands is unique.
All traditional crafts are practised in communities, not
individually. The man or woman who practises a traditional
craft inherits it from senior members of the community,
usually while growing up in the family. The knowledge
and skills involved in any craft are diverse,
starting from basic knowledge about the
material with which the craft is practised,
the tools with which it is made, to the
numerous skills applied in order to transform
the material into a work of aesthetic beauty
and of daily use.
Let us, for example, look at a pitcher or a
flower-pot. The material used for making it
is the most basic and perhaps the oldest
resource used for the practice of pottery as a
craft. The right kind of clay is first collected,
then cleaned and treated, and then turned
into pots of desired shapes with the help of a potterís wheel.
Once a pitcher is given shape, it is fired in a kiln in order to
make it strong. In each of these stages, numerous skills are
involved. The potter must also maintain several levels of
awareness while applying his skill, in order to ensure that
the end product has its basic, reliable quality and beauty.
Beauty and Use

Aesthetic beauty and usefulness need not be two separate
qualities. In modern times we sometimes feel that
something to be used in everyday life need not be beautiful,
or that something beautiful cannot be put to daily use. We
assume that if an object is to be used frequently, it need
not be delicate and graceful. This assumption is quite
mistaken in the context of traditional crafts. The best way
to understand why this is so, is by making something with
your own hands.
Try making an object of daily use in your life as a
student. If you have no experience of stitching and
embroidery, you can still try to make a small book mark,
by wrapping a small, rectangular cardboard with a piece
of cloth which has a design like a flower or a leaf
embroidered on it. In order to make such a bookmark you
will need to take several decisions. Each decision will draw
your attention in two directions: one, towards the choice
of cloth, its colour, the embroidery and its colour; and two,
LEARNING ABOUT CRAFTS 3
towards your own likes and dislikes in these matters. When

you start the actual cutting and stitching, you will go
through a series of thoughts and emotions. You will feel
pleased with yourself when the rectangular cardboard is
wrapped up and stitched tightly with the cloth you have
selected. You will feel somewhat irritated with yourself if
one of the corners does not look as neat and angular as
the other three corners do. Ultimately, when the work is
finished and the bookmark is ready, you will feel pleased
with yourself in a strange sense.
This is an example which can help you appreciate how
craft products combine beauty with use. The imperfect piece
of work will look so intimate that you will look at its
blemishes, like a blunt corner, with affection. A sense of
personal relation with the object in hand will give it, in
your eyes, a beauty that more perfect-looking bookmarks
made of metal and plastic may not have. The secret lies in
the point that a craft product does not pretend to be perfect,
it only aspires to be perfect.
This is what makes it so human. As human beings, we
too can only aspire to be perfect in whatever we do, but we
can never be perfect. Even the Taj, which is a great work of
craftsmanship, and is rightly regarded as one of the wonders
of the world, is not perfect. If you visit the Taj and look at it
carefully, you will find that it expresses a deep aspiration to
be perfect, even as it reveals many examples where the
individual sculptor has left his own mark which prevents
the overall design from looking purely mechanical. The
reason why craftwork is so
satisfying may well be because
it represents a deep urge in us
to reach higher and higher
levels of perfection. What does
the word ëperfectioní mean?
Before we enter the world of
different craft forms discussed
in this book, let us think about
the meaning we can give to the
word ëperfectioní in the context
of crafts. There are two ways in
which we can proceed in this
search. One is to reflect on the
experience that working on a
craft brings to us. The other
way is to examine the outcome
of our work, and look for aspects
of perfection in the product.
The Experience of Craft Work

It is easy to say that the work involved in any craft is
mainly of a manual kind, in the sense that craft work is
done with the help of physical effort on our part. When we
make a small diya of clay or a garland of flowersóm a l a ó
our eyes and hands are actively engaged. However, if we
look at this kind of work more deeply, we will notice that it
is not purely manual. A great deal of mental attention is
required at every stage, and at certain points we must
concentrate on what we are doing, otherwise the mala we
are making may not turn out well. Each flower has to be
accommodated in the mala with care and concern for its
individual character, size and colour. It must have space,
good company, and the needle must pierce it without injury.
If we have made a diya many times we may get so good at it
that we donít need to think about it all the time. In other
words, we get so ëskilledí at this work that our hands and
eyes carry on without conscious decisions being made by
the mind.
You must have noticed how a tailor can continue to
work on his machine while talking. A barber can do the
same thing. But even a highly skilled tailor or barber
does pay attention to what he is doing if he does not
want to make mistakes. Perhaps what happens is that
the mind and the body together enter into a rhythm of
work. Certain decisions which are of a routine kind get
taken without too much thought, hence the person can
keep talking while his hands are working; but at certain
moments when something crucial is to be done, the mind
takes full control and guides the eyes
and the hands to focus on the work
itself. This remarkable unity of body
and mind in craft work is what
makes it a pleasant and deeply
satisfying experience.
If you have never attempted to
learn any kind of traditional craft till
now, you might have ignored the two
suggestions given earlier in this
chapter, i.e., to make a book mark
and a mala. You still need a personal
taste of making something with your
hands in order to get the taste of
mindñbody experience. So, here is yet
another suggestion, for something
simpler than the earlier examples.
LEARNING ABOUT CRAFTS 5
Try something as simple as making a cover for your

textbook. As you start, alert your mind to all the decisions
you are going to take, starting with choosing a piece of
paper large and strong enough to survive for a few months
in your school bag. The kind of paper you choose will have
implications not only for the number of months the cover
will lastóits longevityóbut also for the neatness of the
folds, the sharpness of the corners, and, of course, for the
attraction that any design or picture might have, on the
side which will wrap the front cover of the book. If you
select a page from an old newspaper to cover your textbook,
its size may be convenient, but the neatness of the folds
will suffer because the paper used as newsprint is rather
thin and tears easily if you fold it along a sharp line. Brown
paper used for wrapping or making parcels may be more
suitable. Following this decision about the material to be
used, you will need to think about the length and width of
the piece, depending on how much paper you want to allow
inside the cover, when you fold it along the bookís own
cover. At the corners, you can choose a simple fold or a
somewhat complex fold. This kind of fold, which doubles
up the paper not only gives strength to the corners but
also looks more attractive when you open the book. Why
do corners need greater strength? As a user of textbooks
since childhood, you can easily answer this question.
This example should suffice to indicate how many
decisions are involved in any manual work if it aspires to
achieve as much perfection as possible. You can now
appreciate the role that a long and sustained tradition in
any specific craft plays. If a craft has lived for a few hundred
years, many of the decisions required to practise it will
have been taken by several generations of people who lived
before us. These decisions have now become the basic
knowledge of that craft. We can acquire this knowledge by
sitting and working with a practitioner of that craft. Of
course, you will still need to apply your mind when doing
the craftwork yourself, but at least you will know what to
do. By learning the basic knowledge of a craft from someone
who knows it, you will become aware of the decisions you
will need to take when you start working and also of the
small mistakes you will make as you move towards
completion. The mistakes will not hurt you the way mistakes
in an examination of mathematics or language do. Rather,
the mistakes will look like your signature on the product.
In this sense, they will make the product a precious memory
of your first experience of trying the craft, and the processes
of thought and feeling.
Looking at a Craft Product

As the opening lines of this chapter pointed out, craftworks
are so much a part of our daily life that we take them for
granted and donít observe and appreciate them. Now that
you have opted to study Heritage Crafts as a subject, it
is important for you to look at examples of crafts carefully
and find in them the characteristics of a long and great
tradition. You can, for example, learn several important
aspects of weaving by observing a handmade carpet or
duree in your home or school. First of all, draw your
fingers lightly across the duree to feel the characteristic
texture that a woven cotton duree has. It is quite different
from the texture of a knotted rug. The word ëtextureí
literally refers to the feel that the arrangement of fabric
in a textile gives. Now, if you have noticed the texture,
observe the pattern in which the duree has been woven.
Notice the shapes created by the threads of different
colours. The combinations and shades of colours together
bring about a sense of design. Try to imagine how the
shape you see in its entirety must have emerged bit by
bit as the duree progressed from thread to thread. Do
you think the duree maker could ëseeí the completed design
in his or her mind long before it surfaced fully on the
duree? That is what must have happened, and it must
have required great patience to wait for the work to be
completed. Indeed, the joy of
waiting to complete a piece of
craft is what keeps one going,
slowly and carefully, taking
small steps at oneís own
relaxed pace in a quiet room
of oneís own home. It is
certainly very different to
work in a textile factory,
surrounded by the noise of
superfast machines.
Do think about all the
differences between the two
modes of production, and the
two kinds of products before
you move to the next chapter.
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts

Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted An artisan drawing before
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no carving on wood
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture

Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not

just valuable for their aesthetic quality, but as objects
produced by traditional craftsmen and women for
ceremonial and religious purposes, and most importantly
as a means of livelihood.
Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts

This creative spirit in the midst of the struggle for survival
is one of the unique and significant distinguishing features
between men and beasts. Why else do the forest
communities, even today, lay so much store by painting
the inside or outside of their homes, or adorning their bodies
with decorative tattoos or ornaments? Why are people
Wall and floor decoration in affected, and often spiritually guided, by colours? Why does
a house, Jharkhand a woman fashion an attractive handle for the broom she
uses to clean her home and why does she spend time
invoking the blessings of the gods through her painted
designs on her kitchen floor?
Crafts through the Ages

India has been greatly blessed by having a many-layered,
culturally diverse, rich heritage of craft skills influenced
by historical events combining with local practices and
religious beliefs. These influences have come from multiple
sources. Changes and enrichment have taken place from
trade movements such as those on the Silk Route, which
brought demands and resources from the Middle East and
Central Asia to the Far East, up to China. The skill of
Detail of calligraphy in stone, weaving carpets and superior forms of shawls was brought
Qutub Minar, New Delhi to Kashmir by the pre-Moghul king, Zain-ul-Abedin. Persian
artisans enriched carpet-weaving and shawl-making
according to the needs of Indian courts. On the other hand,
the static nature of the Hindu caste system has kept many
craft forms alive merely because the artisan had no
opportunity to move away to other professions as social
boundaries were rigid and hierarchical. The courts of
various maharajas encouraged excellence in many courtly
crafts connected with the making of armoury or jewellery.
Temples kept alive the finest metal work, stone carving,
mural painting and even textile weaving right across India,
and particularly in South India. Here the Kammalars who
claimed descent from the five divine artisan sons of Lord
Visvakarma, followed the Shilpa Shastras, the technical
tomes on the practice of art in Sanskrit. The high priests
among the artisans follow these rules even today when
creating large vessels out of metal alloys for temple use.
The element of religiosity in the practice of craft work spans
CRAFTS HERITAGE 9
many regions and communities since the practice of their

art is seen as a striving for the ideal through the dedication
of their skill to the gods. It is seen as manís process of
reaching the epitome of his own capability in the pursuit of
excellence, and doing this by dedicating it to a higher being
in the spirit of worship. The silken temple cloths in South
India are woven to drape the stone images of the gods, and
the gharchola and patola of Gujarat are mandatory
purchases for a trousseau and are valued highly partly
because the weavers belong to high-caste families. Even
old and torn pieces are used to cover religious objects in
the prayer room of a house.
Tribal Crafts
Tribal communities comprise about eight per cent of the
population of India. Spread out in different parts of the
country, they have continued with ancient cultural
practices related to their specific ways of life. In Jammu
and Kashmir, the Gujjars and Bakarwals are mountain
tribes who spend their lives crossing over from one side of
the mountains to the other in search of grass for their
sheep and goats. Their jewellery, blankets, embroidered
caps and tunics, saddle bags and sundry animal accessories
are similar to the artifacts of the people of Afghanistan,
Iran, Iraq and the smaller countries of Central Asia. The
robust manner of the people and the heavily ornamented
women folk reflect as far down in India as Saurashtra and
the desert regions of Kutch in Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
Mirror work in embroidery stems from the use of mica from
the desert sands in the garments of those who liked heavy A Kutchi woman
and shining ornamentation. People of nomadic tribes usually embroidering
wore all that they had on their person. They found that the
sun reflected in the mica, making this an accessory that
embellished their garment suitably without any cost. Each
group developed its own style of embroidery and it is this
that can still be clearly seen in the many communities
that inhabit the western region of India. Both, the identity
of the tribe and the marital status of a woman, are embedded
in the style of the embroidery and the colour and cut of the
upper bodice worn by its women. As communities move in
search of greener pastures for their sheep, cattle and camels
across desert sands, a mere glance is enough to identify
their tribe and profession.
The various tribes inhabiting the north-east of India live
among the rich bamboo forests where the finest quality of
skill in the weaving of bamboo, cane and other wild grasses
can be seen. This group links itself culturally to the people
of Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Japan

and China, where mat-weaving and basketry are of the
highest quality. Handloom weaving too is a common skill
of this region. Apart from weaving ceremonial shawls and
lungis, headscarves and waist belts, small scarves for
ceremonial greetings are woven in almost every household.
These cloths are revered for many reasons: they establish
the identity of the tribe or the status of the wearer, they
serve as ëwelcomeí scarves to greet a visitor, they honour
the achievements of a chieftain, and they pass on skills
from generation to generation through their womenfolk.
Other tribes are found in Central and South India,
spread across the States of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and to some extent, in Kerala. In
each region they have different cultural practices and
urbanisation has affected the extent to which they continue
to make or use handcrafted objects. In most cases, however,
their deep connection with the forest in which they live
and their spiritual association with all forms of nature
has enabled them to retain a distinct style of making
bamboo items such as bows and arrows, musical
instruments and baskets. Their metal work incorporates
the world of trees, animals and human beings as if they
were all forged from the same shapes and impulses of
nature. Earthen vessels and toys are painted with bold
black and white stripes. Winnows for grain take on
wondrous hues with strips of bamboo dyed in brilliant
yellows and magenta pinks. Palm leaf brooms are playfully
embellished with decorative handles, and baskets carrying
the trousseau of the bride to her new home are capped
with plumed birds made of bright coloured strips of bamboo.
Bamboo basket, Vietnam The making of craft items is at once a daily practice, a
ritual, and a celebration of creativity in everyday life.
The textiles of the tribals of central India have their
own distinct identity. The tribes of central India spin and
weave thick cream coloured yarn with madder red borders
and end pieces reflecting images from their lives. Birds,
flowers, trees, deer or even an airplane decorate these
cloths. In Orissa, ceremonial cloths to be worn by the priest
or priestess are required to be of a certain colour. Each
colour has an auspicious meaning and unity of communities
is expressed through the similarity of dress and adornment.
Tribal and indigenous arts related to specific cultural
traditions of various communities could be termed as
peopleís art as opposed to the more stylised classical arts
that evolved within the Hindu social system, or those that
CRAFTS HERITAGE 11
were the result of influences from different parts of the

world through trade or historical events. There was also a
gradual change in craft practices because of industrialisation,
and technological and cultural pressures from more dominant
economic groups within and outside India.
Formation of Social Groups

Those who worked with their hands in artisanal skills were
denied easy access to the tasks assigned to the upper castes.
While socially and psychologically detrimental, the caste
system locked artisanal skills in place and ensured the
transmission of this knowledge from generation to
generation in the absence of any alternative, thereby
preserving techniques and processes that may
otherwise have been lost. Even today, the
prajapati or kumhar (potter), the vankar or
bunkar (weaver), the ashari (carpenter) and
all the other identified and categorised artisans
are divided and recognised by the caste
groupings whether they continue to practise
their skill or not.
In The Arts of India by G.C.M. Birdwood, he
cites the nineteenth chapter of the second
section (ëAyodhyakandaí) of the Ramayana, to
list the inhabitants of the city that are
represented in the procession with Bharata to
seek Rama. They are the trade guilds of
artisans: the jewellers, potters, ivory-workers,
Traditional potter (above)
perfumers, goldsmiths, weavers, carpenters,
and weaver (below) at work
braziers, painters, musical instrument
makers, armourers, curriers, blacksmiths,
coppersmiths, makers of figures, cutters of
crystals, glassmakers, inlayers and others. In
present-day India we can formulate broad
groupings of major practitioners of craft as
potters, weavers, metal-smiths, wood-carvers,
cane and bamboo weavers and stone carvers.
While these may be the larger skills, there are
many other crafts from shola pith work, papier-
m ‚ c h È, innumerable styles of mural,
miniature and floor painting, paper crafts,
glass work, and carpet and duree weaving. In
the area of textiles India undoubtedly has the
largest range of skills that can be found
anywhere in the world. While separating the
craft of making floor coverings out of rags and
yarn, we are left with textiles that consist of
ornamentation through pre-loom processes, plain weaving,

patterned weaving in which the ornamentation appears
during the weaving process, and post-loom ornamentation.
The last of these can be further subdivided into embroidery,
beadwork, block printing and tie-and dye techniques,
and zari (metallic thread) work, offering a further array of
skills that express themselves differently from one region
to another.
Empowerment of Women Artisans

In Bhadohi District of Uttar Pradesh hundreds of women
took up carpet weaving since young boys went to school
after the anti-child-labour campaign came into effect.
Sometimes four or five women weave a carpet together under
uncomfortable conditions, earning a meagre Rs 1500 per
carpet collectively. For women-headed households the
burden of bringing up children and staying alive under
such conditions can hardly be imagined. During a visit to
some carpet producing villages it was found that these
women, as a part of tradition and custom, weave baskets
with local moonj grass to serve as containers for sweets,
saris, jewellery, fruit and other items on ceremonial family
occasions. The brightly dyed grass of moonj is woven into
small and large baskets with intricate designs depending
on the creativity and mood of the maker. With some minor
suggestions regarding colour, size and costing, the women
were encouraged to bring a collection of these baskets from
every home and sell them at Dilli Haat in New Delhi. What
began as a shy and hesitant venture ended in delight as
the women sold out their stock earning Rs 17,000 in
the process. They described their experience as one of
independence, for they had control of the raw material (free
Women weaving baskets grass from the fields), control over production (home- and
with local moonj grass,
leisure-based work), control over creativity (they design each
Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh
CRAFTS HERITAGE 13
basket as they wish), and control over sales (they had sold Baskets, mats, coasters
the items at the stall themselves). The earnings were free designed for everyday use
of the male/malik control prevalent in the carpet industry
and were entirely based on their own efforts. After some
design workshops were held in the villages and the produce
exhibited at different places, they were able to sell more
than six lakh rupees worth of baskets in one year. Perhaps
this is the closest example of what empowerment actually
means when translated from abstract jargon into reality.
But, there is still a lot of work to be done such as organising
the women into self-help groups, encouraging savings and
delivering micro credit to them so that they have money
for raw material, transportation and other needs.
There are many issues and areas of work involved in
this story: child labour, womenís work, the skill of basket
making, designing new baskets, finding new uses for these
baskets, calculating the cost of each basket so that they
fetch a fair return without making the basket too expensive,
planning a marketing strategy including an exhibition, a
catalogue, web marketing, learning about the benefits of a
self-help group and the availability of micro credit.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Even though craftspeople produce objects of great utility
for every home, this community is often marginalised
in terms of what it earns and where it lives in the
village. Investigate and find reasons for this. Is this
situation changing?
2. In several parts of India, women are prohibited from

using the wheel to make pottery. However, in Manipur,
women can also be potters. In your own area, identify
the tasks done by men and women at different stages
of making any craft object.
3.† In India, the crafts sector is the second largest exporter.

Collect data on crafts that are the most successful export
items and complete the following table.
† Item Quantity Price Exported to

Textiles
4. In your opinion, why is basket-making, mat-weaving

and making of brooms largely done by women?
5. How do market forces influence the making of a craft

object? Think of a kite, a traditional paper toy, and a
papier -m‚chÈ object. Consider: raw material, process,
form and shape, design and decoration, the ecologically
conscious buyer, the export market etc.
6. Which types of embroidery were traditionally done by

men in our country and why? Find out.
7. In your opinion what are the factors that give a

distinctive character to crafts in a specific region?
8. Looking at objects drawn from at least four different

regions of India, made from specific material such as
textile/clay, make a study of the variety found in
technique, design, colour and shape. Describe in detail.
2 CLAY
The art of pottery is probably as old as human history. No
other art traces the story of human beings on this earth as
clearly as pottery does. The tides of time have washed away
many civilisations but evidence of their existence remains
in fragments of pottery.
There are two reasons why this is true: the first is that
clay is found in abundance in practically all parts of the
world; the second is that clay objects are the least perishable
of all materials.
The history of pottery tells of the daily life of human
beings, their death and burial, of human migration, trade
and conquest, cultural practices and influences.
As to the discovery of how clay could be manipulated to
make pottery, it is easy to imagine how, as prehistoric
communities walked through rain-soaked mud, they noticed
their footprints and how these impressions became
hardened by the wind and sun. Exactly when human beings
intentionally used these discoveries for making pottery is
unknown but it may have been invented independently in
many parts of the world.
However, the process of making a pot is a long and
difficult one that has evolved over many generations of
Potter shaping a
trial and experiment. horse-head
What is Clay?
Clay is universally found as it forms part
of the earthís crust that developed due to
weathering over thousands of years. In India
different types of clay are found along
riverbeds and banks, lakes and ponds, and
agricultural lands. Clay is essentially silica Pots
but the varying mineral content in clay adds
to its colour and determines how suited it
is for different processes.
Clay is cleaned by removing large stony
particles, gravel and humus.
When clay is mixed with water it becomes malleable, elastic. Thinner

clay solutions can be created to use as paint for walls and on
sculptures.†By controlling the amount of water that is mixed with clay
it can be used in different ways.
♦ It can be made into a creamy compound that can be poured into
moulds and allowed to set.
♦ It can be mixed to a leathery consistency and cut like a sponge.
♦ When dry the surface can be scraped off as fine powder.
♦ Straw and grass can be added to create a strong, rough texture
ideal for the creation of very large images.
So each artist treats clay differently to suit the type of object that is to
be created.
Pottery
Artists, through the ages, have loved clay as it is the most
sensitive material on earth for it captures the slightest
touch or the gentlest imprint. As soon as the clay object is
dried or fired, a chemical change occurs and the object
becomes rigid and is no longer sensitive to touch.
Clay of some kind or the other can be found almost
anywhere in the world. India, too, has an unbroken
continuous history. Artists have used clay to produce
objects for the home ó cooking pots, roof tiles, clay bricks
and sculptures.
Oh! the pot is everywhere!

Where there is buttermilk, in the cupboard, a pot
Where water is stored, at the waterstand, a pot
Where food is kept, on the stove, a pot
Where there is jaggery, in the attic, a pot.
In the heart of the home,
As ëgotrají, ancestors, a pot
Vastu, during house warming,
At the threshold of each home, a pot
Where a marriage ëpandalí is built, a pot
When the ëgarbaí dance takes place,
In the courtyard, a pot.
During sickness,
Left in the outskirts of the village, a pot
At every stop in a pilgrimage, a pot
In death, at the cremation ground, a pot
At a ëYagnaí representing the planets are pots
In the village square, the singer plays a beat on a pot.
ñ from Prakriti, Indira Gandhi National

Centre for the Arts
CLAY 17
Clay objects are prepared using two basic techniques:

♦ wheel-turned pottery
♦ hand modelling.
A variety of processes within these two techniques have
evolved.
Wheel-turned Pottery
The earliest method of making pots for storage may have
used the coiling technique. The artist rolls out strips of
clay and then places one coil upon another, joining them
together with his fingers to form a hollow pot.
Roll a coil with Join and add coils to form Finally, smoothen the
outstretched fingers. interesting patterns. coils from the inside
for good binding.
A potter at his wheel

The most important change came with
the invention of the potterís wheel. There
are many kinds of wheels used in India
today. The first is a simple flat stone or
wooden disc that is turned with the hand
or a stick. By placing a soft lump of clay
on the centre of the disc and turning the
wheel the potter can change the shape
of the clay. By varying the pressure of
her/his fingers and palms she/he can
create a pot of different sizes and shapes.
By pushing with her/his thumbs down
into the centre of the ball of clay and
pulling gently outward and upward the
shape of the hollow pot takes form.
Another type of wheel is mounted on a
vertical shaft. By extending the shaft and
adding another disc at the bottom it is
possible to turn the wheel with the feet,
leaving both hands free to make the pot.
Today even motorised wheels are used.
Hand Modelling
Modelling is a process used with materials like clay, wax
or plaster.†Clay modelling enables the artist to work from
the inside core to the outside. The artist begins with a well
mixed lump of clay and starts working with his fingers to
give it shape and form.†Clay can be rolled, coiled, pinched
and attached to the main form. This technique has several
advantages that the artist can use to create a sculpture.
He can add legs and arms to the figure by wetting a smaller
piece of clay, rolling it and attaching it to the main body.
The process gives the artist freedom to change, modify
and repair areas at will. If, for example, the nose of the
figure falls off, the artist can just wet the clay piece and
Making clay masks stick it back on to the face. He can then continue to add
smaller details of hair, bangles and necklaces in clay.
Decoration: Clay offers endless

possibilities to create textures and
designs on the wet surface of pots,
which can be pressed or imprinted,
cut out or added on like appliquÈ and
then many parts of the clay object can
be assembled together to forge a
cohesive whole.
Painting: After firing, the craftsperson
can pour a slip, which is the thin liquid
solution of clay that gives the clay
object an even colour. The sculpture
can be painted with mineral colours
to add value to its appearance.
Sometimes clay objects such as pots,
diyas etc. are also painted.
Clay figurines, West Bengal
What Is Terracotta?
Once the clay object is made, it can be dried in the sun and
fired in a local kiln made of cowdung and wood. This process
transforms the clay into terracotta. Clay can be fired at
different temperatures from 700ñ1400 degrees C. The intensity
of heat and the type of firing gives the terracotta its colour
and hue that range from dark brown to lively reds.
Once fired, the terracotta becomes insoluble, un-plastic
and durable. On firing, the clay loses its chemically
Terracotta: Firing a clay combined water, and becomes hard and almost imperishable.
object in a kiln transforms That is why 5000-year -old seals from the Harappan
the clay into terracotta. Civilisation still exist.
CLAY 19
Making of Giant Figures

Traditional potters live and work in almost every part of
India. Pottery is a specialised profession and often the
community lives together in a separate section of the village
or town.
Each potter or kumhar has the skill to create hundreds
of pots for different uses ó from huge storage jars for grain
and water, to tiny oil lamps for Diwali. He can design a
childís toy and sculpt giant figurines for worship as well.
To make giant figures, artists have evolved various
techniques. One of them is to make each piece of the figure
on the potterís wheel. This is to prevent the clay figurine
from breaking when it is fired in the kiln. When clay is
fired, it contracts considerably owing to the loss of water
and moisture. A solid model made of ordinary clay would
burst under the pressure of the heat of the kiln. A sculpture
with uneven wall thickness would warp and crack.
Therefore, using the potterís skill in creating parts of the
figure in which the walls are of even thickness is a unique
way of overcoming this problem.
The potter throws clay to create the hollow shapes of
legs, body and neck of the figure he wants to create. These
individual pieces are then assembled by the potter to create
the required form. The four pot-shaped legs are attached
to the hollow torso. To this the artist adds bits of pinched,
pressed and coiled clay for decoration.
This unusual process
involves the imaginative
use of the material and a
great deal of inventiveness
goes into making the form
both technically sound and
aesthetically satisfying.
Some of these votive
figures are two metres
high and their towering
presence only adds to the
genius of the village
potter. Potters make these
figures for their patrons in
lieu of money or food.
A craftsman finishing an
Aiyanar horse
Clay through the Ages

3000 ñ 1500 BCE Harappan Civilisation
Small figures of animals, domesticated
animals like the bull and the ram,
tiny images of house animals like a
bird in a cage, cats, lively Indian
squirrels munching on a juicy nut
Toys for children similar to the clay

toys made for children today by the
village potter and sold at the haats
or village bazaar like the bull with a
movable nodding head
300 ñ 100 BCE Maurya and Sunga Periods

Clay figurines from excavations at
Pataliputra, the ancient Mauryan
capital, Kosambi, Gaya and other
important sites of the Mauryan and
Gupta Periods
100 BCE ñ 300 CE Kushan Period

In the northwestern region of India
the Greco-Buddhist stupas were
often decorated with stucco designs
and motifs. There are several
Gandharan heads with evidence of
paint. Strong red mineral colours
were used for the lips and black
charcoal hues for matted locks and
curly hair.
CLAY 21
300 ñ 1000 Gupta and Post-Gupta Periods

Life-size terracotta sculptures were
used to decorate temples and secular
buildings.
1600 ñ 1800 Local rulers of Bishnupur in West

Bengal built temples in a unique style
that were profusely decorated with
terracotta plaques and stucco patterns.†
1900 ñ 2000 Despite colonial exploitation the potter

has continued to innovate and work.
Every village, town and city in India
has a vibrant living tradition of pottery
that is unique to its tradition.
Giant Clay Figures of India
Votive terracotta figures are made in Madhya

Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In Bastar, on
amavasya (the no moon night) of Bhadrapad
(August to September), tribals offer terracotta
bulls, tigers, elephants and horses, sometimes
with one or two riders, to the goddess whom
they worship for wealth, health and protection
from evil spirits. These clay animal gifts or
votive offerings have replaced the practice of
animal sacrifices of earlier times.
In Tamil Nadu the dramatic larger-than-life

size image of Aiyanar, the local deity, is
surrounded by a sea of attendants, horses and
bulls. They serve as gram devatas who stand
at the entrance of the village and protect it.
CLAY 23
During Durga Puja in West Bengal

enormous figures of the goddess are
created. The artists use different
techniques and mixtures of natural
materials to make these excellent stately
statues. They follow the traditional
practice to create the inner core with local
grasses bound together to form the legs,
arms and head. The grasses are often
swathed with thin cotton cloth. Then layer
upon layer of clay is carefully applied to
the body of the goddess to gradually build
it up. Over a period of several days, each
layer is allowed to dry completely so that
no cracks appear and there is no warping.
Once dry, the entire figure of the goddess
is painted with natural mineral colours.
After this the figure is dressed in a sari
and adorned with jewellery made of paper
or artificial jewels, and garlands of
flowers, before it is ready for worship.
Ornately decorated clay horses, huge
armies of terracotta figures and assemblies
of village deities with their attendants can
be seen under the trees in village grounds
in Bankura District, West Bengal.
Mati kahe kumhar se tu kya raundhe mohe,

Ek din aisa ayega main raundhoongi tohe.
ñ KABIR
E XERCISE
.............................
1. No technique emerges in a day. In any craft a technique
is sharpened over centuries. What do you think were the
various stages that pottery-making went through that
led to the use of the wheel in pottery? Describe in detail.
2. In many parts of India water is stored in clay pots.
What aspects of the design and material of a surahee
or matka make it suitable for storing drinking water in
summer?
3. With reference to the photographs given below,

identify the different techniques used by the artist
to create each.
Plaque Pot Votive object
4. The history of pottery tells of the daily life of human

beings, death and burial, of human migration, trade
and conquest, cultural practice and influence. Survey
ten houses in your neighbourhood and create a table of
various pottery objects found there giving information
regarding when they are used, their shape, how they
are used and from where they were obtained. Especially
refer to the daily life, rituals, trade and transport in
the surveyed households.
5. The invention of the wheel had a profound effect on
every apect of human life. Explain the many uses of
the wheel and how each has changed human life and
culture through the ages.
6. Why, do you think, pottery is a specialised profession
from the point of view of skill, tools, techniques and
entrepreneurship?
7. On the Internet, search for new uses of clayóin
industry, in homes, in science, in space travel etc.
8. Artists, poets and writers, through the ages, have used
the image/metaphor of pottery. Find examples to
illustrate the concept in Indian art and literature.
Create your own poem using clay as a symbol.
3 STONE
Even today the stone carvers of Tamil Nadu begin with a
prayer that first begs forgiveness from Mother Earth for
cutting the stone. The prayer ends with offerings of sweets
and milk to the earth and a solemn promise never to misuse
or waste stone.
The stone cutter starts by locating a good stone quarry.
Then begins the process of cutting what he needs from the
mother rock. Metal pegs are hammered in a straight line
into the rock at intervals. Water is poured on to the rock to
wet it. The change in night and day temperatures causes
contraction and expansion and the rock gradually slits
along the straight peg lines into perfect slabs.
The most interesting part of the creative process is when
the artist chooses the stone piece to work on. How does he
decide which is the perfect piece of rock to use? What Relief sculpture, Halebid,
qualities of the rock does the artist look for ó colour or Karnataka
grain or texture, or the softness or hardness of the stone?
Can he ëseeí the image within the rock piece? Can he
imagine what its form will be or can he tell by touch how it
will feel when it is completely carved?
Types of Stone
There are myriad varieties of stone to be found in India.
Soft soap stone contrasts with the hard granite, an igneous
rock of the Deccan. Sedimentary rocks of the northern plains
of India produce a variety of coloured sandstones; and
metamorphic rocks, hardened over centuries under the soil
form marble and limestone.
Rocks acquire their properties from minerals that give
them colour, lustre, and strength. Depending on how the
rock was formed, igneous or sedimentary, its molecular
structure enhances it with a grain, layers and patterns.
Each type of rock, be it granite or sandstone, has
intrinsic qualities that the sculptor explores when he
creates a work of art.
Descent of Ganga in granite, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
The nature of the stone will determine how the sculpture

is made and also its possibilities. Soft soap stone allows
for delicate, intricate carving whereas sandstone, a fragile
sedimentary rock with layers of fine compressed sands and
grains, has to be handled with extreme care as it breaks easily.
Within each category of stone there is enormous variety.
Sandstone ranges from the golden yellow of Jaisalmer to
the soft pitted and speckled stone of Mathura and Fatehpur
Sikri. The sculptors of India have been using these stones
for the past five thousand years.
The difference in treatment of one stone from another in
the hands of an artist can be seen in the granite sculptures
of Mahabalipuram and the sandstone figures of Khajuraho.
Hard granite stone was used in South India to make temples
and household items like grinding stones. The quality of
stone available in each region of India distinguishes the
style and form that can be created.
Carving
Once the stone is selected the measurements for rough-
Carving is a process in hewing and cutting of the sculpture are taken. Carving is a
which forms are cut away difficult process, requiring skill, concentration and extreme
or subtracted from the caution. It is a process in which forms are cut away or
original solid material. subtracted from the original solid material.
STONE 27
A block of stone is carved by chiselling away tiny chips in

order to create the desired shape. Once the stone has been
carved the chips cannot be put back or replaced. This means
the artist has to have a precise and accurate idea of how far
to carve and what to remove. One cannot afford to make
mistakes in this process for once the stone is cut away or
carved it cannot be put back. Imagine the acumen needed
to plan in advance the shape of the face, the size of the
smile and the right angle of the jewel that will adorn a
carved image. Once the rough work is over, details are carved
with finer tools and then the stone is polished. Some stones
can be polished to shine like a mirror.
Types of Stone Works

Stone objects include household objects like bowls, plates, grinding
stones, and pillars, beams and brackets for construction of houses.
Figures made in solid materials like stone are further classified into
categories that explain their technical dimensions:
♦ Relief-sculptured panels
♦ Three-dimensional figures in the round.
Relief-sculptured Panels: A relief has carvings only on

one side. The carving can be shallow or deep while the other
side is flat and is usually embedded into the masonry work
of the building. A low relief can be 1ñ3 cm deep and high.
Relief can almost look like a three-dimentional sculpture.
Three-dimensional Figures: Such figures can be viewed Low relief: Mahakapi Jataka,
from all sides. They can also be used to create free-standing Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh
pillars like those erected
by Ashoka throughout
his empire in the third
century BCE.
Three-dimensional figure:
torso of Vishnu in red
sandstone, Mathura,
Uttar Pradesh
Stone Sculpture through the Ages

At Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, there are a number of
rock shelters of the Stone Age period. Early inhabitants
lived in natural caves and created fine tools and flints of
agate and other natural stones in the area. These tiny flints
and well-carved stone implements are the first examples
in the long story of Indian sculpture.
At Ellora, in Maharashtra, there are Hindu, Buddhist
and Jain rock-cut shrines. The Kailash temple at Ellora of
the ninth century is an entire temple that was carved out
of the natural hillside. The temple is really a massive
sculpture cut out of a single piece of the hill. The artists
started work from the top and carved downwards,
beginning with the towering roof, the windows, the doors
through which one enters into halls with enormous
sculptured panels.
View of Kailashnath Temple, Ellora

STONE 29
Sandstone panels with

geometric and floral design
were made to decorate palaces
and tombs during the medieval
period. The Mughals in the
sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries built some of the most
beautiful buildings in the world
like the Taj Mahal in Agra. The
sculptural decorations are of
many varieties ó marble jalis
are made out of a single slab of
stone that is cut to create a
lattice window that allows for
light and ventilation.
To make inlay marble or sandstone panels the artist Marble carving, Taj Mahal
has to carve out the design in the form of compartments
on the flat stone slab. Then precious and semi-precious
stones are cut into exact pieces of the pattern and laid
into the compartments. The inlay work in the Taj Mahal is
so extraordinary that over twenty pieces of different
coloured stones were used to create a single flower.
Jali work, sixteenth century, Sidi Sayyid Mosque, Ahmedabad

Stoneware
Rajasthan is famous for delicate jali

work, for domestic architecture in
yellow and pink limestone and white
marble. Jaipur also produces stone
figurines.
The sculptors of Karnataka carve

images, panels of gods and
goddesses, ornaments, bowls, vases,
and book-ends from a variety of
stones available in this State.
In Madhya Pradesh the soft

marble rocks of Bhedaghat on
the banks of the Narmada
provide craftsmen with excellent
raw material to make carved
panels, figurines and boxes.
STONE 31
Uttar Pradesh is one of the leading

producers and exporters of stoneware in
India. Soft marble and soft streaked Gorahari
stone of many shades are inlaid with semi-
precious stones. Inlaid table tops, plates and
decorative items are produced in Agra.
Tamil Nadu: Famous stone

sculpture centres have been
established in many places such
as Mahabalipuram, where a
training school has trained a
number of young artists in
In Orissa the stone cutters of Puri work traditional stone-carving techniques
mainly in soapstone. Harder stone is and in making statues.
used for temple building. Traditional
stone carvers in Mangalpur make stone
utensils from semi-hard grey stone and
add to it a beautiful polish. Grey stone
from Khichling are made into items for
the urban market, like boxes and
containers, bowls and vases.
Patrons of Crafts
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy in his book entitled The Indian
Craftsman describes the craftsmen of India and Sri Lanka
that he had studied in the early twentieth century. He
divided crafts communities into the following categories.
♦ Those who lived and worked in the village
♦ Those who travelled from village to village and towns
♦ Those who lived and worked in towns
♦ Craftsmen who were employed by the ruler in royal
Detail of an ornate pillar in
a landlordís house, workshops.
Chettinad, Tamil Nadu The Village: The potter, carpenter, stone sculptor, mason
and goldsmith lived and worked often in their own homes
in designated parts of the village. Everyone in the village
knew their local craftsmen and therefore he had no need to
autograph his works. The jajmani system ensured that
hereditary artisans were bound to the dominant agricultural
groups through traditional ties. This was a hierarchical
and symbiotic relationship, in which the artists worked
under the protection and hospitality of the landowning
class. When there was a festival, the landowner or the
jajman would request the potter to make ceremonial pots
and diyas and in return pay him in kind with food for the
rest of the year. When his household needed a grinding
stone, the stone cutter would make one to the specified
requirement and size.
Itinerant Craftsmen: Some artisans like the blacksmith
even today are itinerant craftsmen who move from village
to village servicing the community and spending as much
time as is required in each place. These crafts communities
were often paid in kind with gifts of grain and food, clothing
and money so that they did not have to cultivate land for
food but could pursue their craft to perfection.
Much of Indiaís architectural In the Town: While the artists in the village worked as a
heritage, like the Ajanta
family, individual artists in the towns formed guilds to protect
caves, was created by
artisansí guilds. their interests and to ensure the quality of their work. The
guild protected the group and its occupational interests,
punishing the wrong doer, negotiating prices and enforcing
standards of work. The artist in the town was also paid in
kind and with land grants or produce from land.
In the Court: Through the ages rulers tried to attract well-
known performing artists and craftsmen like sculptors to
work in their court. It is the creations of such artists that
provide an idea of cultures and eras gone by. Rulers
understood that having brilliant architects and sculptors
STONE 33
would enhance their empire in many ways. They knew that

the creation of magnificent buildings, shrines and sculptures
would carry the message of their grandeur to distant places
and countries. This is why there are many royal records of
grants and gifts to artists who excelled in their work.
The artist who attached himself to the court found
employment in the royal workshops and was often a
privileged person, given payment for an assignment not only
in kind but also in land. The Jetavanarama Sanskrit
inscription (first half of the ninth century) of a Buddhist
monastery records that:
There shall be clever stone-cutters and skilled carpenters in the
village devoted to the work of temple renewal. They allÖ shall be
experts in their respective work. To each of them shall be given
one-and-a-half kiri (in sowing extent) for their maintenanceÖ an
enclosed piece of land. And one hena (or a plot of dry land) shall be
granted to each of them for purposes of sowing fine grain. Chaitya Prayer Hall, Ajanta,
Maharashtra
ñ Ananda K.Coomaraswamy, The Indian Craftsman
Emperor Akbarís royal diary records that payment was
given to artists for their work and special awards for
excellence were given on pleasing the emperor with the
creation of a rare object.
The practice of gathering skilled artisans in the palace
workshops and homes of rich landlords continued right
into the nineteenth century.
In the east the princes and great nobles and wealthy gentry, who
are the chief patrons of these grand fabrics, collect together in
their houses and palaces all who gain reputation for special skill
in their manufacture. These men receive a fixed salary and daily
rations, and are so little hurried in their work that they have plenty
of time to execute private orders also.
ñ George C.M. Birdwood, Industrial Arts of India
Tomb of Salim Chisti in
Who are the patrons of stone artists today? Is there a marble commissioned by
difference in how they are paid in rural areas Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra
and urban centres? Is there any recognition of
their work? What are the problems that craft
communities face today? These are some of the
questions that have to be asked to understand
the health of the crafts sector in India.
Growing Up as an Artist
Living and growing up in a family of artists
enables a young child to acquire skills and
sensibilities from his/her parents and
grandparents. The child growing up in a potterís
home knows how to mix clay from childhood and
is sensitive and familiar with the qualities of clay, knowing,

for example, by its scent whether it is dry or wet or ready
for firing. The sensitivities developed through such
familiarity would seem almost natural and effortless.
Critics of Indian art and craft have remarked that Indian
artists rarely invented or experimented with tool-making
to improve their work, or to develop labour-saving devices.
Tools were kept to the minimum, while the process of
achieving perfection was as important as the job itself.
Skills practised for over 5000 years are still in use in India.
In every region of India a Today artists, whether they are stone or wood carvers,
distinctive style of
potters or weavers, continue to work with the technology
architecture developed.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple, and methods used by their forefathers.
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh It appears that once a simple way of making something
was developed it lasted for centuries and became the most
uncomplicated way of achieving the real goal of crafts.
Perhaps finding time-saving devices, effort-saving
technologies was not the goal of crafts communities as is
illustrated by the experience of a well-known wood carver
from Kerala (see box below).
He had studied with his father and has narrated how long and difficult
the training was. His family made wooden masks for Krishnattam, an
ancient danceñdrama of Kerala. He said that as a child he worked with
his fatherñteacher who instructed him on how to carve the mask for
the character of Krishna. He used simple tools, the chisel and the
hammer, and different types of scrappers. His teacher kept telling him
to do it again and again. This went on for seven years! Finally, one day,
his teacher looked at his work and saw that his son had captured the
ëidea of Krishnaí, the bhava or inner expression of the deity in his
wooden mask. Through this lengthy process the son acquired not only
mastery over woodcarving but was able to express deep philosophic
ideas through his craft.
At the turn of the nineteenth century when machines

and technical training were overrunning the old system,
many scholars like Coomaraswamy wrote about the loss of
this parental education and the discontinuity of culture
and living craft traditions.
Ö for in the East there is traditionally a peculiar relation of devotion
between master and pupil, and it is thought that the masterís
secret, his real inward method, is best learnt by the pupil in devoted
personal service, so we get a beautiful and affectionate relation
between the apprentice and the master, which is impossible in the
case of the busy professor who attends a class at a Technical school
of a few hours a weekÖ
ñ ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY, The Indian Craftsman
STONE 35
Coomaraswamy believed that by living and working with

the family the child acquired valuable trade secrets, an
understanding of the culture and customs to which they
belonged, the rituals and festivals for which their craft was
required and the philosophic traditions that transformed their
work into art. By attending festivals and rituals, listening to
grandmothersí legends and stories, the child learnt the content
of sculptures that he would make later in life. Such an
education is not available in technical or art schools of today.
It was this guruñshishya and parentñteacher system that led
to the continuity and excellence of Indian art.
Contemporary Demands
In Mahabalipuram the sculptors make certain figures which
they feel have a demand. They also execute orders received
from various organisations, like temples. There is a
preponderance of the so-called traditional iconographic forms:
gods, goddesses, the elephant god Ganapathy and the whole
gamut of religious figurines. The background to this is the
College of Traditional Art and Architecture where traditional
iconography and architecture is taught. They take on various
kinds of contracts for both the local and the export market, Contemporary pillar base
especially tombstones for Korea and Japan. (above) and sculpture (below),
There exists now a burgeoning construction industry Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
almost all over the country. People are demanding more in
terms of ëfinishí to their houses than just plain cement
and concrete. They like to beautify houses with objects of
art both functional and aesthetic, traditional and modern.
Carved stone lends itself to both interior and exterior spaces.
It can be used in construction work, objects of art,
traditional and modern designs. Stone can be used in a
variety of combinations with other materials.
Innovation comes in when there is an active interaction
between customer/designer and the craftsman. The
craftsman needs to understand the requirements of the
client and the customer/designer needs to understand the
material, its capabilities and the capacity of the craftsman.
Another important factor is cost. The craftsman would
obviously like to make and sell something that can be made
as cheaply as possible and sold as dearly as possible. It is
important that the price worked out should be such that
the craftsman gets the maximum benefit at an affordable
cost to the client. A simple example would be carved pillars
for a portico. A range of styles should be available from
simple columns to carved ones so that they can suit the
taste and budget of the client.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. What are the inherent qualities of stone as compared
to clay? How do such qualities determine the techniques
that can be used on one material and not on the other?
2. Compare the patronage structure of the past with the

present. How does this affect the objects created?†
3. Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic are different

varieties of stone, each having its own properties. How
does the craftsman use these properties to advantage
in his craft? (Example: Granite, because of its hardness,
has been used to create temples of lasting value in
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.)
4. Coomaraswamy makes a distinction between classroom

learning and apprenticeship with a traditional
craftsperson. Compare your practical work in the field
with crafts communities with your experience of classroom
teaching. Do you agree with Coomaraswamyís views?†
5. What do you think are the occupational health hazards

and environmental concerns around the use of stone
in crafts and buildings?
6. The boom in the construction industry, with every

middle-class house boasting of marble floors and granite
counters, has led to depletion of stone resources. Draft
a Bill or write an article for the local newspaper keeping
in mind the following:
protecting forest lands from quarrying and mining
protecting the rights of the craftsmen to access the
stone
suggesting alternative materials to replace stone in
buildings.
4 METAL
At the time of Dussehra, Kullu valley comes alive with the
arrival of many mohras (metal plaques of Durga) from
different parts of Himachal Pradesh. These gold and silver
masks were commissioned by the kings in ancient times.
Each village brings its mohra from its local temple to Kullu
in a decorated palki (palanquin). The mohras are then moved
into a huge wooden rath that is pulled by hundreds of
devotees. At the time of Dussehra you can see processions
of these raths as they weave down the mountain. Musicians
accompany each of the processions and the whole Kullu
valley fills with the sound of their long metallic pipes.
There are a variety of pipes, long telescopic ones known
as shanal or karnal and the ëSí-shaped curved trumpet
known as narasingha. These are made by local metal-smiths
who are often attached to the temple.
Wind instruments,
Himachal Pradesh
The Role of the Blacksmith

Metal craft is one of the most vital traditions of Himachal
Pradesh. Here blacksmiths, carpenters and stone workers
consider themselves a single group. While they maintain
their occupational distinctions, they frequently intermarry.
Carpenters and metalsmiths call themselves Dhimans and
trace their origins back to Vishwakarma.
Blacksmiths are the largest craft group in Himachal
villages and, like all other artisans, they are largely employed
as farm labour. They are also traders who sell their products.
Like many crafts communities in India, their workshops
are in their homes. In Himachal the blacksmiths usually
work from their workshops located on the ground floor of
their homes.
In any village in the world, the blacksmithís importance
springs from the fact that he is indispensable. The lohar
(blacksmith) makes and mends the agricultural implements
that are made of iron and also fashions utensils with
material provided by the customers. In addition, he also
makes tools for other artisans, creates icons and
ornaments, and repairs damaged metal objects. His
payment usually comes in the traditional way ó he receives
a share of the produce.
Inside the Metal Workerís Studio

The wheelwright was also the blacksmith and the tinker of our
locality. He and his apprentices did all sorts of odd jobs ó
plumbing, carpentry, cabinet-making, forging pots and pans,
overhauling carriages and carts, repairing boats and barges and
a hundred other things. The things that he did not undertake
Inside a metal would make a shorter list than those he did.
workerís studio We could not imagine a wizardís cavern more
fascinating than our wheelwrightís workshop.
Its furnaces, big one and some smaller ones, were
a great attraction. What interested us most about
these furnaces was the intense glow the coal gave
when the bellows worked. It was also engrossing
to watch the red hot metal bars hammered into
shape. Cascades of sparks flew as from a fountain
of fire. It was like fireworks at the Diwali festival!
It took our breath away to see the bullocks shod
with iron hoofs and the cartwheels fitted with
iron bands and then dipped into water. How the
sizzling steam came out ó vapour coloured by
the light of the furnaces!
ñ SUDHIN N.GHOSE, And Gazelles Leaping
METAL 39
Patrons of Metal Craft

The patronage of the temple and royal court gave rise to
highly accomplished craftspersons, one generation following Mohras are fashioned out
another practising the same skill for centuries. of ashtadhatu, an alloy of
As time went by, temple and rural art traditions came eight metals ó gold, silver,
closer together. Innumerable bronze figurines cast by rural brass, iron, tin, mercury,
metalsmiths can be seen in village shrines and in home copper and zinc.
altars even today. These images appear to be timeless.
For our traditional rulers, the nobility and wealthy
landowners, objects made of precious metal were symbolic
manifestations of power. Much of their income from taxes
was converted into treasure (khazana) in the form of objects
made from precious metals and jewellery. It was in
workshops (karkhanas) that goldsmiths and silversmiths,
whether private or public servants, practised their skills The Himachal State
Handicrafts Corporation
under the patronage and close supervision of their masters.
has established metal craft
Some of these objects were made to be presented as gifts training centres all over
on special occasions such as the public assemblies (durbars) the State to impart
that formed part of court ritual, while others were only training in bronze casting
brought out for specific religious rituals. Still others were and all metal craft
designed for everyday use. techniques.
Less well off zamindars followed the example set by the
court. Even the rural population, with little money at its
disposal, copied the customs of their superiors. Whatever
surplus earnings they had was invested by them in silver
ornaments worn by women daily. These proclaimed the
wearerís social and economic status like the beautifully
attired women of Rajasthan.
Durbar of Bahadur Shah Zafar Gold Coins, Gupta Period

Did you know that...

For 11,000 years human beings have been fashioning metal for their
use.
♦ Ore metals are the source of most metals. First the ores are mined
or quarried from beneath the earth, or dredged from lakes and rivers,
then they are crushed and separated, and finally they are refined
and smelted to produce metal.
♦ By 5000 BCE copper was used to make beads and pins. By 3000
BCE tin was added to copper to produce bronze, a harder metal.
Iron, even harder than bronze, was widely produced by 500 BCE.
♦ The technology of how to master metals (copper, bronze, iron)

developed independently in various parts of the world.
♦ By 3000 BCE, most of the gold extracting techniques used today

were already known in Egypt.
♦ The concept of carats indicates the amount of gold in gold! Nowadays

copper and silver are often added to gold to make it harder. The gold
content in this is known as carats.
♦ More than half of the gold mined

with so much labour, returns to
the earthóburied in bank vaults!
METAL 41
Crafting Metals
Human cultures around the world have a long history of
experimentation and expression using alloys like brass and
bronze, and precious metals like gold and silver, and in
more recent human history using iron and steel.
We have created countless objects from different metals,
from tiny coins to buildings, pots and pans to timeless
images of gods and goddesses.
Materials and Processes

Other than silver, the metals used in our country for
Soldering is used to join
craftwork are brass, copper and bell-metal. Brass is an two parts of an article
alloy of copper and zinc, bell-metal is a mixture of copper when it is manufactured
and tin. in more than one piece.
The shaping of an object is done either by beating the Joining together is done by
ingot or sheet metal to the approximate shape with a using a metal alloy which
hammer while it is hot, or by pouring the molten metal in the artisan prepares.
a mould that is made of clay for ordinary ware and of wax
for more delicate objects. The beating process is preferred
particularly for bell-metal and copperware as it is supposed
to make the object more durable. Further, tempering is
done by heating the article till it is red-hot, and then dipping
it in cold water. If it turns black in this process, light Commonly used
hammering rectifies it. traditional metal vessels
The Lost Wax Process

The lost wax process is a specific technique used for making
objects of metal. In our country it is found in Himachal
Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
In each region, a slightly different technique is used.
1. The lost wax process involves several different steps. First

a wax model of the image is made by hand. This is made
of pure beeswax that has first been melted over an open
fire, and then strained through a fine cloth into a basin
of cold water. Here it resolidifies immediately. It is then
pressed through a pichki or pharni ó which squeezes
the wax into noodle-like shape. These wax wires are then
wound around to the shape of the entire image.
2. The image is now covered with a thick coating of paste,

made of equal parts of clay, sand and cow-dung. Into an
opening on one side, a clay pot is fixed. In this the molten
metal is poured. The weight of the metal to be used is
ten times that of wax. (The wax is weighed before starting
the entire process.) This metal is largely scrap metal
from broken pots and pans.
3. While the molten metal is poured in the clay pot, the

clay-plastered model is exposed to firing. As the wax
inside melts, the metal flows down the channel and takes
on the shape of the wax image. The firing process is
carried out almost like a religious ritual and all the steps
take place in dead silence. The image is later chiselled
with files to smoothen it and give it a finish. Casting a
bronze image is a painstaking task and demands a high
degree of skill.
METAL 43
Sometimes an alloy of five metals ó gold, silver,

copper, brass and lead ó is used to cast bronze images.
The oldest bronze images in our country date back to
Mohen-jo-daro (2500 BCE). Today metalsmiths make
images with a mixture of brass, copper and lead due to
a scarcity of raw materials and the tremendous cost of
precious metals.
Govind Jhara, a metalsmith Making of a Bronze Image

from Raigadh, sitting before
In ritual items made of bronze the best is statuary which
his primitive kiln, starts his
represents the visible forms of the deity to be worshipped.
metal casting with a little
prayer: For this the Shilpa Shastraís elaborate treatise is faithfully
followed. From the Rig Vedic times there have been references
Ao Dai (Come, Devi, sit
to two casting processes, solid and hollow, termed ëghanaí
with me)
and ësushiraí. While the images are countless, each is very
Andhe ko chaku dani (To
individualistic, and the craftsman has to learn not only the
the blind give the seeing eye)
physical measurements of the right proportions to make the
images but also familiarise himself with the verses describing
each deity, its characteristics, symbolism and above all the
aesthetics. These verses are known as ëdhyanaí, which means
meditation. This is to convey the need for intense concentration
Chola Bronze, Tamil Nadu on these instructions.
While the tradition is there to preserve the
core of our heritage, obviously the craftsman
is expected to do much more than merely put
the limbs together; he has to endow them with
the character each image has to convey from
out of his own emotions, thoughts and
volitions.
To give guidance in modelling each of the
important parts of the body, it is likened to
some object from nature: eye-brows modelled
after the neem leaf or a fish; nose, the sesame
flower; the upper lip, a bow; chin, a mango
stone; neck, the conch shell; thigh, the banana
tree-trunk; knee-cap, a crab; ear; the lily, and
so on.
Icon-making is still a laborious and time-
consuming job which requires a lot of
concentration and demands a formidable
array of tools, extreme skill and precision.
Usually a coconut palm-leaf is used for
marking out the relative measurements for
the icon with marks made by folding the leaf.
When the mould is broken, care is taken to
see that the head of the icon is removed first
as a good omen.
Tamil Nadu is one of the famous bronze-
casting regions. Stylistically, the images
belong to different periods like Pallava,
Chola, Pandyan and Nayaka and the images
that are now produced belong to one or the
other of these styles. The icon- makers are
known as stapatis.
ñ KAMALADEVI CHATTOPADHYAY,
The Glory of Indian Handicrafts
METAL 45
Silver
According to Hindu tradition, if objects made of gold and
silver become ritually polluted, they can be restored to
purity by the simple act of washing them in water or
scouring them with ash or sand. It was believed, for
example, that water is automatically purified when placed
in a gold or silver container. In the case of silver, this
theory has been scientifically validated and we now know
that the ionic reaction of silver with water does have the
effect of killing its bacterial content.
Even though silver occurs rarely in its pure and natural
state in India, it has always been widely available. Then
where did it come from? The answeróthrough 2000 years
of trade. While we exported spices, dyes, textiles, diamonds
and other luxury goods in both raw and finished forms to
the Mediterranean, East Africa, the Arabian seaboard, the
Red-Sea and the Persian Gulf, the islands of the Indonesian
archipelago and even China and Japan, our main import
has always been precious metals.
Contemporary studies show that through centuries of
accumulation followed by recent import (through both legal
and illegal channels!) the people and temples of India
possess more than four billion (4,000,000,000) ounces of
refined silver! This staggering figure is only a conservative
estimate.
As silver has always been 15ñ23 times cheaper than
gold, it lies within the reach of a much broader section of
our society.
Utility items in metal

from different parts of India,
eighteenthñnineteenth centuries
Metal Craft Across India
In the Kinnaur District of

Himachal Pradesh, the metal
objects used for religious purposes
are a unique synthesis of Hindu and
Buddhist designs. The thunderbolt or
vajra motif is commonly seen on kettles and jars.
Fruit bowls with a silver or brass stand designed
like a lotus, prayer wheels inscribed with the
ëom mani padme humí mantra, conch trumpets,
miniature shrines and flasks are also made.
Many of these forms come from ritual objects
used in Tibetan Buddhist temples which are
located next to Hindu temples all over Kinnaur.
Teamwork is essential in the craft of Koftgari is the term for a type of silver
metal-work. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and gold damascene work produced in
for example, the production of an Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Jaipur,
enamelled hookah base would involve Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
several different specialised skills, each and Punjab. In ordinary damascene (tar-
practised by a different craftsman. A i-nishan), a technique used frequently
sunar makes the object; a chitrakar or to adorn the blades of swords, a chiselled
nakashiwalla marks out the surface groove is first made into which precious
design; a chatera chisels away the metal wire is hammered. The koftgari
depression in the design needed to hold process is simpler and less time
the enamel; a minakar carries out the consuming, and allows for much freer
actual enamelling; a jilasaz polishes the decoration. The entire surface of the
object; a mulamasaz might gild it, while object is first chiselled in at least two
a kundanaz sets the stones required in different directions so as to roughen it
the design. Successful teamwork of this and then the wire (either silver or gold
sort clearly relies on a strong underlying or both) is hammered onto it in intricate
design concept and a high degree of patterns. ëT rueí damasceners looked
stylistic coherence, as well as a feeling down on this method, but it is simply an
of technical harmony amongst those alternative process. Once the
responsible for each stage of the process. manufacture of arms and armour had
ceased, craftsmen began to apply this
decorative technique to trays, boxes and
other objects.
METAL 47
Bidri, a technique named after its place of origin, Bidar,

Andhra Pradesh, is the application of inlay (mainly silver)
to objects cast in a relatively soft alloy of zinc, copper and
lead. After the inlay work is completed, the ground is
stained black using chemicals, thus creating a splendid
contrast to the silver decoration.
Among the numerous In Kerala to make the uruli (wide-mouthed cooking

ritualistic articles made vessel, with flat or curved rims) the lost wax process is
of metal in Gujarat are used. A giant cauldron called varpu, which is
large temple-bells. The magnificent in form, is used in temples for making
famous temple-bell on prasad to feed thousands of devotees. Kerala also has
the Girnar Hill weighs a great tradition in making metal tumblers for drinking,
240 kg. Another popular which range in size and are very elegantly shaped.
item is the typical low
square stool and low arm
chairs. This pure metal
furniture was highly
ornamented in a variety
of styles and was used
by royalty.
Nachiarkoil in Thanjavar District of Tamil Nadu is an important

bell-metal centre. This is due to the presence of light brown sand
called vandal on the banks of the Cauvery, ideally suited for making
moulds. Some of the articles made by casting are vases in different
shapes, tumblers, water -containers, plain and decorated
ornamental spittoons which are a speciality of this place, food-
cases, bells, candle-stands, kerosene lamps, picnic carriers, and
a large variety of oil lamps.
No other country has such imagery and symbolism

built around lamps as India. As a symbol of Agni,
the fire-god, lamps are auspicious and used at
marriages, and also to welcome important guests.
Lamps are found in many different forms often
with a handle attached to a small tray, shaped as
a cobra, fish or swan. These vary in size from
little ones for quiet personal worship, to large
pedestal ones to light a spacious hall.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. The metal workerís craft is indispensable in India. List
their contributions in different sectors like agriculture,
construction, transportation etc.
2. Refer to a national newspaper and record the prevailing

rates of gold and silver. Plot a graph showing the price
fluctuation of these metals over a fortnight/month. What
factors do you think contribute to this fluctuation?
3. Traditionally, metal objects were sold by weight and

the cost of workmanship was not taken into
consideration for deciding the price. In the West the
cost of workmanship is often greater than the value of
the material. In your opinion how should the price of
an object be determined? Give reasons to support your
argument.
4. Looking at the map page of this chapter, create a table

listing reasons why various metal work techniques are
used in different parts of the country (see following
example). Define precisely each one of the processes.
In your own region find out which of these techniques
are used in working with metals.
Region Technique Process
Himachal Pradesh RepoussÈ A thin metal sheet is
placed on a carved
wooden block and
hammered so that the
design appears clearly
on the metal sheet.
5. Metalsmiths are indispensable in our lives. Find out

their social status in your region. Are they called to
perform any special ceremonies?
6. Sudhin Ghoshís passage explains the crucial role that

fire plays in metal crafts. What measures can you
suggest to reduce fire and smoke related hazards?
7. In several religions, precious and semi-precious metal

objects are used. Find out what these are and who
makes them.
5 JEWELLERY
All of us enjoy decorating our bodies.
In ancient times it was believed that
besides enhancing its beauty,
decorating the body gave it
additional strength and power. Even
today many tribal societies use
flowers, wild berries, leaves and
feathers for this purpose. Flowers
and fruits celebrate nature and Strings made of different
growth while feathers are valued for types of seeds
their colour and for the power of
flight. Seeds, even wings of insects such as
colourful beetle wings are used as embellishment
and decoration.
One of the oldest forms used in jewellery was
that of a sphere, representing the seed, the bija.
Later a range of beads were made from clay, glass,
metals and precious stones. This symbolised
fertility, growth and the origin of life.
Many jewellery forms made in metal
reproduce forms of flowers and fruits.
Champakali is a necklace made of jasmine bud
motifs and is worn throughout India. Karanphul
jhumka is a combination of the form of an open
lotus at the ear lobe and a suspended half open
bud. Mangai mala is a rich necklace from Tamil
Nadu, with stylised mango forms studded with
rubies. Precious metals such as gold and silver
were for the rich while the less affluent used
even brass and white metal. Gold was
associated with the sun, and silver, chandi, with
chandrama ó the moon.
In the past when there was discrimination on
the basis of caste, only the upper castes were allowed
to wear gold. This is now changing and those
who can afford it, wear gold and precious jewels.
Meaning and Significance of Jewellery

In some tribal societies, each ornament was a symbol of
the rank and status of the wearer, and it was also believed
to have certain magical powers. Thus, the purpose of
ornamentation was not only to satisfy an instinctive desire
to decorate the body, it was also invested with symbolic
significance. This aspect is clearly expressed in the form of
Streedhan: From Vedic amulets which carry inscribed prayers to protect the wearer
times onwards, jewellery
from evil influences. All communities and faiths use this
was counted as a womanís
wealth and comprised a part
form of jewellery as protection against harm or to activate
of her inheritance from her certain positive qualities.
father, as well as a gift from It was with the establishment of a settled agrarian society
her husband. that jewellery became a form of saving and a symbol of
status. A variety of designs in folk jewellery evolved over
the years, and the important position of the jeweller in
village society also points to the fact that jewellery was
considered as the only form of investment which could be
encashed during an emergency.
It was mandatory for married women to wear jewellery.
Necklace, earrings, head ornaments and bangles were
essential for every married woman. It was only widows
who were deprived of jewellery.
Jewellery for Every Part of the Body

Each region in India has a particular style of jewellery
Ornaments worn by a that is quite distinct. Differences occur even as one goes
Bhartanatyam dancer from one village to another.
Despite the variety in jewellery patterns in
different parts of the country, the designs in each
region are also at times strikingly similar.
Head and Forehead: Women wear the bore resting
upon the parting of the hair in Rajasthan and parts
of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, whereas the tikka,
a rounded pendant at the end of a long chain which
falls on the forehead, is used throughout India. The
shringar patti which frames the face and often
connects with the tikka on the top and the earrings
are also used widely. In earlier times men wore the
kalgi, a plumed jewel, on top of the turban.
Nose: The ornament worn all over India has
variations from the simple lavang, clove, to phuli,
the elaborately worked stud, or nath, the nose-ring
worn in the right nostril, and the bulli, the nose
ring worn in the centre just over the lips.
JEWELLERY 51
Neck: One of the ornaments is the guluband,

which is made up of either beads or rectangular
pieces of metal, strung together with the help of
threads. A ribbon is attached at the back to
protect the neck of the wearer. Then there is
the longer kanthi or the bajaithi. Below this is
worn either a silver chain or a necklace of beads.
The men would wear a charm or a tawiz at the
neck and a kantha, a long necklace.
Fingers: For the hands there are a number of
rings. On festive occasions women wear the
hathphool or ratthan-chowk to decorate the back of the hand.
Wrists: For the wrists there is the kada, the paunchi, the
gajra and the chuda, which quite often extends six inches
above the wrist.
Arms: The bazoo, the joshan, and the bank are worn above
the elbow. Men wore a heavy kada or bangle.
Hips: A series of silver chains formed into a belt are worn
at the hips and are generally known as kandora or kardhani,
while the men would wear a silver or gold belt.
Ankles: Solid, heavy metal anklets combine with the
delicately worked paizebs ending in tinkling, silver, hollow
bells, while men would wear a heavy silver anklet. Only
royalty wore gold on their feet.
Toes: The bichhua, scorpion ring, for the toe is put on by
women at the time of their marriage.
Jewellery for various

parts of the body
Jewellery through the Ages

3000ñ1500 BCE Harappan Period
India has an unbroken tradition of over
five thousand years of jewellery making.
The excavations at the Harappan site
have uncovered beads and shell bangles.
The shell bangles are exactly similar to
the ones worn by married women in
Ladakh. Gold sheets shaped into head
bands were also found.
300 BCEñ300 CE The richest collection of jewellery was

discovered in Taxila, an important
Buddhist centre of learning. It was on the
trade route, as well as the road for
migration of people entering India. Here
the jewellery exhibits Greek influence and
the introduction of new technology such
as filigree and granulation.
It is interesting to observe, however,

that there are marked similarities
between our present-day jewellery
designs and the jewellery of the
Sumerians and the early Greeks.
A necklace excavated at Ur, which is

made up of finely designed pendants of
lion-heads with granulated work, and
supposed to have belonged to Queen
Bathsheba, has a remarkable likeness to
the garuda necklace prepared in Kerala.
Early Greek jewellery has a close

similarity with some of the traditional
jewellery of Kutch and Saurashtra. The
patterns of some Egyptian jewellery,
especially armlets with snakeheads, are
found in India, as well.
400 CE There is a close similarity in the

jewellery design of today with those of
early times. This we know from
descriptions in literature, and in the
depiction of jewellery in sculpture and
painting.
JEWELLERY 53
The kanthi, a necklace worn close to

the neck and the phalakhara, a long
necklace comprising a number of
tablets strung with a series of beads,
is seen in the early Gupta period
and is found in use even today in
most parts of North India. The
chudamani, shaped like a full-blown
lotus with many petals, was worn
at the parting of the hair and is
similar to the present day bore of
Rajasthan.
In the Ramayana, there is mention

of Sita wearing a nishka necklace.
Nishka, a gold coin, is also referred
to in the Jataka stories. The
About 26 per cent
tradition of wearing of coin
of Indiaís exports
necklaces continues.
comprise gems
and jewels.
900 CE The use of the nose ornament was
introduced into India quite late, as
the early sculptures and murals do
not show nose ornaments. It
appears to have been introduced by
the Arabs after the tenth century
and, over the years, it became
common all over India and became
associated with marriage.
1500ñ1900 The Mughals had fine jewellery and

used large precious stones. Jahangirís
treasury, described by Sir Thomas
Roe, an English traveller, had 37.5
kilograms of diamonds and 3000
kilograms of pearls and rich jewellery,
often colourful enamel jewellery
embedded with precious stones.
1900 onwards With body piercing becoming

popular in the West, young Indian
men and women have begun
piercing not just the nose and ear,
but their tongue, the navel and
other parts of the body to wear
jewellery.
Regional Varieties of Jewellery

Despite the fact that styles in jewellery have, on
the whole, tended to develop region-wise, we find
that certain distinctive forms have been developed
by specific sections, groups or areas.
The jewellery of Kashmir is quite distinct.

The most important are the ear ornaments,
known as kan-balle, worn by Muslim
women on both sides of the head. They
comprise a number of rings, which are
attached to the hair or the cap. This
jewellery is also worn in Ladakh and other
Himalayan areas such as Lahaul, Spiti,
and Kinnaur.
In Punjab, women wear a special Though all the hill jewellery of Kullu and
ornament, chonk. It is cone-shaped and is Kinnaur Districts is made in Hoshiarpur
worn at the top of the head with two in Himachal Pradesh, it has its own
smaller cones, known as phul, worn at the particular style. The pipal patra, made
sides. out of bunches of heart-shaped silver
leaves fastened to an enamelled piece of
silver, is worn in these areas by women
on both sides of their caps. It frames their
faces with the light shimmering in
cascades of silver. Their necklaces are
formed out of large metal plates,
engraved with the traditional designs of
the region and filled with green and
yellow enamel. The most common design
The belts worn in Andhra Pradesh is of Devi riding her lion.
have intricate clasps of the double The nose ornaments of Kullu are also
head of a rakshas or kirtimukha. highly specialised. The large-sized nath
Another pattern of a kara, which and boulak designs of a single leaf are
is common in Andhra Pradesh, is not to be seen in any other part of
that of serpent-heads which appear India. On festive occasions they
to be holding the earth in their wear a large nath, often
mouths. The necklaces often derive larger than the face
their designs from shapes of grains. of the wearer.
CE
JEWELLERY 55
In Assam the tribes patronise silver jewellery, while

In West Bengal, the filigree
in the plains gold jewellery is preferred. The patterns
work on gold and silver
of gold jewellery are extremely delicate. The jewels,
jewellery is extremely
though few, are finely finished. The earring, known
delicate. The finest pieces of
as thuria, has the form of a lotus with a heavy stem.
jewellery are the hair
The shape reminds one of the traditional kamal
ornaments like the tara kanta
earrings mentioned in ancient literature. Thuria is
and the paan kanta ó hair
usually made of gold and studded with rubies in the
pins designed like a star and
front portion as well as at the back.
a betel leaf.
The folk jewellery of

Orissa in silver and gold
is rich in patterns, forms
and designs. The most
popular technique is
filigree. The traditional Kerala has a very rich
filigree work is robust in variety of gold designs. The
character and distinct use of precious stones is not
from what is being produced commercially today in so common here. Variety is
Cuttack. Very few head ornaments are worn in Orissa. seen mostly in necklaces.
The accent is on arm jewels, necklaces, nose-rings The garuda necklace
and anklets, with the finest designs found on nose produced here bears
ornaments. One design known as maurpankhi, is testimony to the fine
crafted like a peacock with open feathers, made with workmanship of the
the processes of granulation, craftsmen of the area.
filigree and casting.
In Sambalpur, brass jewellery
is common. Bangles in different
patterns are polished daily and
appear to be made of gold.
In Tamil Nadu, silver filigree armlets worn by Vellalars

of Coimbatore District have excellent workmanship in
granular work.
Chettinad jewellery, made of uncut rubies, is one of the
finest. The addigai is a necklace made of a string of uncut
rubies set in gold. A central motif of the padakam imitates
the lotus. The mangai-malai is a necklace of mango-shaped
pieces studded with uncut rubies and diamonds. The plait
cover often has at the top the head of a naga or snake.
The jewellery of the Todas and the Kotas of the Nilgiris
in Tamil Nadu, are very distinctive.
Meenakari or Enamel Work
One of the most sophisticated forms of jewellery developed

in North India is meenakari. Jaipur is the main centre,
but some craftsmen practise this art in Delhi, Lucknow
and Varanasi as well.
Meenakari is combined with kundan to produce a delicate
and rich effect. The meenakari or enamelled patterns are
so fine and intricate that they need to be examined with a
magnifying glass. This tradition continues even today.
A step-by-step description of how the techniques of
meenakari and kundan are combined to make exquisite
jewellery is given below.
1. The shape of the jewellery is first created.
2. The jeweller cuts out the sections where precious stones

need to be inlaid.
3. It is then handed over to the meenakar who fills the

sections with lac, fixes it on a stick of lac, and outlines
delicate designs of flowers, foliage and birds.
4. After making the outline, the entire area is engraved

for filling the enamel colour.
JEWELLERY 57
5. To contain each colour different compartments are

created. Within the enclosed, tiny compartments, lines
are engraved to hold each colour and also to reflect
light, since many of the colours are transparent.
6. After this the colours are filled in and fired in a simple
clay oven at maximum temperature.
7. Colours which require a lesser degree of heat are then
filled in their respective compartments in the design
and fired again, until the whole piece is worked with
enamel on both sides.
8. Then the piece is given to the kundan worker, who
heats it on warm ashes and fixes the stones in the
empty spaces, which had earlier been cut to shape.
9. A fine gold filling, shaped to the size of the opening and
intended to hold the gem in place, is then heated and
fused to the base of the piece.
10. The finished piece is then polished with a soft leather
cloth till it glows. The beauty of the meenakari ornament
lies in the combination of elaborate patterns in enamel
with the lustre of precious stones.
The uniqueness of the meenakari ornament lies in the
fact that even the back of the piece is elaborately decorated,
though it will only be seen by the wearer.
The Edge of Tolerance

Following is a poem ëAn Amethystí by a school student which
depicts the hardships in the life of a gem-cutter.
I am an imported amethyst from Africa
I can see the difficulties of my shaper
His age is 39 years.
And he had been working from the age of eight,
The machine is his own and cost him 250 rupees
It looks to me as if he is being killed by degrees
Shaping an amethyst on a wheel,
With his B.A. degree packed with a seal
Sat Shaldir Ahmad, the stone cutter
He was oppressed but no cry for help could he utter.
Late to bed and early to rise,
He wakes at five and sleeps at 10 oí clock in the night
Concentrating to shape me, the right size
Due to this process he weakens his eyesight.
This was the work his father Sammu Khan
Had to do
And his grandfather Illahi Achan did the same work,
His children go to a school
He wants them to read and write
And not like him be in a plight.
The labour is one rupee per carat
He gets 1000ñ2000 rupees in a month
For all his hard work, no part time job he can do
The machine might be his, but the seth owns the Factory.
The uncut amethysts like me are imported,
Uncut amethyst After being worked at they are exported.
Itís not because the foreign workers are slow,
Itís because the cost of our cut amethysts are low
Because the workersí pay scale is low.
How hard he works, how little he gets,
How hard he struggles, but, alas! He fails.
This is my tale,
This is my story,
You for yourselves can now
Understand a workerís sadness and fury.
Bangles and the Bangle-maker

In Firozabad it is a familiar sight to see people on bicycles,
wheeling handcarts or cycle rickshaws which are piled high with
brightly coloured bangles. They are either being taken to peopleís
homes for completion or back to the factory for refiring.
Within homes also known as ëjudai addasí, the bangles go
through the stages of jhalai, judai and katai. The bangles come
in large bunches of 312 bangles, of which 12 bangles are reserved
for breakage.
JEWELLERY 59
The first stage is jhalai. This work is done by the women

and children in the family. Four to five members sit in their
one-room house, which serves as their living, sleeping and
working area. The roof and the walls of this room are absolutely
black with thick soot. The soot comes from the kerosene lamps
that are used in their work.
In front of each person are 10 ñ12 small kerosene oil wick
lamps placed in a semi-circle. Each bangle is then held by both
ends and the middle is heated over the flame. The heated bangle
is then placed on the ground and gently pressed to align the two
ends. Care has to be taken to ensure that there are no burns
either from the flame or the heated bangle.
These aligned bangles are now taken over by the men or older
boys for the next stage which is that of joining the bangle or
judai. In this process the two ends of the bangles are heated over
a kerosene and acetylene flame. The ends are pressed together
and the flame melts the glass enough to join the bangle and make
it a complete circle.
In both the stages of jhalai and judai the workers suffer the
risk of being burnt besides straining their eyes. Cramps, pain in
the joints as well as severe backache are some of the other
problems faced by these workers.
The joined bangles are now ready for the katai addas. The
carving is done on a fast revolving wheel on which designs are
etched into the glass. During this process it is very common for
the worker to get cut on the wheel or get flying glass particles
into his eye. This is accompanied by aches and pains including
a strain on the back.
Gold coating is the next step that the bangles go through.
Here a solution of pure gold and chemicals is poured into the
designs etched on the bangles, giving them an elaborate look.
During this stage the workers handle all the raw chemicals
without wearing any protective gloves or aprons.
As the gold solution is very expensive, the workers have to be
very careful in handling it, so as to minimise wastage.
The bangles are now sent back to the factory for refiring, which
gives them a sheen. These are put individually on a tin tray and
placed in a furnace. They have to be pulled out to check and
recheck if the process is complete. The workers run the risk of
exposure to excessive heat, burns and heat cataract. Finally the
bangles are sorted out and packed in boxes.
ñ FEISAL ALKAZI, MARTHA FARELL and

SHVETA KALYANWALA, ëThe Danger Withiní
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Designs translate natural forms into symbols. What do
you think were the sources of inspiration and symbolism
of the following. (Example: Bija or seed represents
growth, fertility, prosperity.) (a) Mangai mala, (b)
Shikhar of a temple, (c) Dome of a mosque, (d) Wooden
tribal pole, (e) Kumbha or pot, (f) Kite.
2. It is said that in Rajasthan a woman carries all her

wealth on her body in the form of jewellery. This is one
of the ways of investing wealth. What are the other
ways of conserving oneís wealth?
3. It is difficult to decide whether it is folk jewellery which

has influenced urban jewellery, or vice versa. There is
no doubt, however, that many of the forms like the bore,
the har, the hathphool, the gajra, originally developed
in folk jewellery were later adopted by city jewellers
who refined them by using gold and precious stones.
Do you agree? Argue your case giving examples of
contemporary male and female jewellery fashions in
your region.
4. It is interesting, however, to find that children of all

castes and communities wear the hasli as it is supposed
to protect their collarbone from dislocation. What do
children of your community wear and what is the
significance of each piece of jewellery?
5. Until recently designs in clothes and jewellery of the

people all over India were governed by their particular
caste and the community to which they belonged. Do
you think this tradition is changing, and why?
6. Investigate the occupational health hazards in different

aspects of jewellery production, as for example in
meenakari work or in the bangle industry. How can
this be addressed?
7. A recent Hollywood film called Blood Diamond describes

the political conflict, exploitation of children, and
slavery involved in the mining of diamonds in Africa.
Write a poem or story on a related theme based on your
observation/experience/research.
6 NATURAL FIBRES
Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are A traditional Japanese
encouraged to explore, research and study with these kimono
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started

Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
wisdom. The forms of several baskets have evolved as a

response to function, as seen in examples such as the open-
weave baskets of Mizoram which are flexible and allow the
person to carry firewood, while the close-weave baskets of
Garo hills in Meghalaya are used to transport and store
rice grains. Other forms of baskets have been determined
by culture or in responses of different communities.
What Is a Natural Fibre?

Natural fibres made of cellulose or plant matter can be
obtained from almost every part of the plant such as the
root, stem or shoot, leaf, fruit and bark from many tree
species (see following table).
Fibre can be extracted from a leaf which is fibrous,
pliable, strong and green. If the leaf can be wound around
a finger without breaking, then it indicates a potential
Banana fibre source for making fibre.
Root Stem Branch Leaf Fruit/Seed
Khus Bamboo Willow Palmyra Cotton

Kora grass Palm date Coir
Jute Palm coconut Arecanut
Hemp Arecanut palm
Water hyacinth Sisal
Banana Banana
Kauna reed Pineapple
Khus fibre Cane palm Screw pine
Moonj grass
Sarkanda
Wagoo reed
Sikki grass
Cannabis/pulla
Wicker
Bhindi
Nettle
Flax
Arhar/Pigeon pea
Sisal fibre
Beauty of Natural Fibres
Natural fibre products have certain distinctive qualities:
they share a common language of colour, texture and of
belonging to the earth. The appearance, feel, and texture of
a bamboo basket is clearly different from that of a plastic
bag. No two bamboo baskets are of the same colour while
they could have the same form. A woven surface, like a
Fibre: filament or thread
reed mat, could have many shades of white or brown.
of a natural or synthetic
material that can be Leading fashion houses today search for such beauty as
spun into yarn lies in asymmetry, irregularity and natural warmth.
NATURAL FIBRES 63
Fibres are obtained by shredding or peeling parts of plants, or pounding

them to make threads or by cutting them to make strips.
Fibres from plants pre-date cloth woven from yarn spun from cotton.
Ancient communities must have used natural fibres to build shelters
and thatched roofs.
Qualities of Natural Fibres

Different fibres have varying physical properties of strength,
appearance, pliability, colour, texture and fragrance.
Traditional skills and knowledge of working with these
materials is an economic activity, often undertaken as an
additional activity, to earn a little extra income when there
is a break in the agricultural cycle of work.
Roots
Khus or ramacham in Malayalam (Vetiveria zizaniodes) is
the aromatic root of a densely tufted grass. The grass has
a thick root system which helps in checking soil erosion. It
is thus an excellent stabilising hedge for stream banks,
terraces and rice paddies. Khus grass grows wild in many
states but is cultivated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Khus is known for its fragrance and cooling properties.
The roots are used for making mats, beds, and pads for
desert coolers. The dried stems are used for making brooms,
fans, hats and footwear, and for thatching.
Stems
A great variety of baskets, mats and floor coverings are
made from grass and reed fibres which are referred to in
local languages as moonj, sarkanda, kora, sikki, chipkiang,
madur kathi, rice straw, kauna reed. Reeds grow naturally
in marshy land and in ponds.
Kauna is the local name for a reed or rush belonging to Unfinished reed mat,
the family Cyperaceae which is cultivated in the wetlands Manipur
of the Imphal valley. It has a cylindrical, soft and spongy
stem which is woven into mats, square and rectangular
cushions and mattresses by the women of the Meitei
community of Manipur. The raw material for the craft is
obtained by simple processing wherein the reed is cut near
the base of the plant and dried in the sun. It is also smoked
if it is to be preserved and stored for a longer time. The
mats are woven by interlacing the stalks with jute threads
using basic and simple tools. The mats and cushions have
a unique edge finishing which is done by hand.
Korai (Tamil Nadu) or kora (Kerala) also of the Cyperaceae

family is a sedge or wetland plant which is cultivated in the
southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The stems are cut near
the base of the plant, spliced vertically and dried in the
sun. On drying the spliced stems curl into a smooth and
tubular form. A large variety of matsówith stripes,
geometrical motifs, natural and dyed coloursóare woven in
several districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The mats are
woven on horizontal floor looms. The ribbed natural coloured
mats are popularly used as floor coverings.
In Midnapur District of West Bengal, another type of reed
similar to kora called madur kathi (Cyperus corymbosus) is
cultivated, harvested and processed. Finely spliced madur
is woven into mats that have a central field enclosed by
A kora mat weaver on the patterned borders. The weavers ingeniously use two subtly
traditional loom, Tamil Nadu differentiated natural colour splits or selectively dyed parts
of the splits to differentiate the borders with dyed colour.
Both the loom and the weaving technique used are very
basic but require the use of manual skills and craftsmanship
rather than sophisticated equipment and technology.
Unlike the woven mats, shital pati or ëcool matsí made
by the plaiting technique are made in Assam and Tripura.
The mat has a smooth and lustrous surface. The murta
plant or (Maranta dichotoma) is harvested when green,
washed in soda water and dried. It is then boiled and sliced
into strips for plaiting the mat.
In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar women make baskets using
the technique of coiling. These compact containers are made
for local use with spliced moonj or sikki grass stalks. The
Shital pati, Assam trays and shallow containers are used to store foodgrains
and flour. Moonj baskets with multi-coloured fibres and
bold patterns are made for a daughterís trousseau.
In the Madhubani District of Bihar, women make
Mat weaver separating the stem
of the sedge or kathi from the
figurines of deities, animals and birds for ritual and
leaf stalk,West Bengal everyday use with sikki or golden grass used in combination
with multi-coloured dyed stalks. The imagery of these forms
echoes the folk art of Mithila, the cultural region on the
northern banks of the Ganges.
Strips obtained from the palm leaf are also used to make
coiled baskets and containers in Haryana. A bunch of moonj
grass fibres forms the core material of the coil and a palm
leaf strip is wound over the coil and binds consecutive
rows of coils in place.
Furniture items such as the mooda or stools are examples
of elegant products made entirely from natural fibres such
as sarkanda and moonj. Sarkanda is a wild grass found in
Haryana and its long stems are used in making the
indigenous mooda.
NATURAL FIBRES 65
Bamboo is a giant tree-like grass

which mostly grows wild in the tropical
and sub-tropical regions of the world.
Bamboo is significant as a renewable
resource that is found abundantly in
India. These tall grasses have straight,
woody and cylindrical stems, which
have nodes. Some stems are hollow and
some are solid. These cylindrical stems
or culms taper at the top. The nodes at
the top have branches with leaves and
flowers. Bamboos grow closely in
clumps. There are 136 species of
bamboo in India. The botanical name is
bambusae. Bamboos grow quicklyó
60mm to 200mm in a day and some
species grow up to 900mm in a day. It
is a widely used material that is hardy,
durable, economical and biodegradable.
Bamboo is used whole as well as split
in different widths to make a large range
of products. Simple tools like a dao or
bill-hook knife or wide-bladed knife are
widely used for making splits. Bamboo
has long fibres running along its length Bast fibres are generally
and the bond between the fibres is long fibres. Consequently
they are used in making
relatively weak while the fibres
yarn and weaving cloth
themselves are extremely strong. This
structural characteristic affords easy
splitting along the length.
Local communities use this
characteristic in an appropriate manner
while devising different products.
Jute, a stem or bast fibre, is
cultivated in West Bengal. Jute cloth is
brittle and deteriorates with exposure
to sun and rain. It has been popular as
inexpensive packaging material. In the
craft sector, today, there is a renewed
interest in finding innovative
applications of jute such as fashion
accessories, bags and wall panelling
using macramÈ, crochet, braiding and
other non-woven techniques.
Detail of a contemporary wall
panel made with jute yarn using
macramÈ or knotting technique
Boxes made of palm strips for various uses
A large variety of baskets, containers, mats and

furniture are made from the leaves and stem of trees
and plants belonging to the palm family.
Palm trees are commonly found in the coastal
regions of India and some varieties like the date palm
grow in semi-arid regions. While coconut, arecanut
and date palm trees have feather like leaves, the
palmyra or toddy palm has fan-like leaves.
The local population of coastal Tamil Nadu is
known for judiciously using every part of the palm
tree for a wide range of applicationsóthe trunk is
used in local architecture and for making rafts; the
leaves are used whole as roof thatch and wall panels
while strips are woven into baskets, winnowing trays
An artisan making strips of the and for packaging fish and jaggery. Palm oil and
palm leaf by inserting a knife
in the leaf fold and separating
palm fruit are edible products.
the leaf from the midrib
A palm-leaf craftsmanís house, Tamil Nadu
NATURAL FIBRES 67
Cane is an important forest produce

found mainly in north-eastern parts of
India. It is cylindrical and of uniform
thickness, solid and brown in colour. Its
properties of being tough, flexible and
elastic have made whole cane suitable
for use in furniture, hats, walking sticks,
fishing rods and baskets. In Arunachal
Pradesh even suspension bridges are
made of cane. Cane splits are used for
tying and binding, and are especially used
for finishing the rims and edges of baskets
due to their smoothness and pliability.
Canes are long slender stems of
climbing plants which belong to the palm
family. India has about 30 species of cane
growing in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
the Andamans, Nagaland, Manipur,
Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala, Karnataka
and Tamil Nadu.
Cane-and-bamboo suspension bridge over a

torrential river in Along, Arunachal Pradesh
A shallow circular basket

made from whole cane
Cane furniture made

by skilled craftsmen,
Nagaland
Fruit
The coconut palm tree also
has multiple uses of its
stem, fronds, fruit and nut.
Coir fibre extracted from
the outer husk of green
coconuts is spun into yarn
and ropes while the fibre of
brown coconut is used as
stuffing in mattresses.
The coconut palm tree
Coconut husks have to be
grows wild. retted or steeped in water to loosen them from the tough
husks. Coir producing villages are located in the backwaters
habitat of Kerala which abound in the skills of processing
and spinning coir and of weaving coir floor coverings. White
coir extracted from the green husk is of superior quality
and withstands salt corrosion. It has wide-ranging
applications, for instance, in ship-building and for making
floor coverings.
Leaf
The screw pine is a tropical plant known for its soil
conservation properties. It is grown as a hedge or as a
boundary wall in Kerala. It is available in abundance and
provides a source of income to rural women who make
Coir fibre strips from the leaves to weave mats. The leaves are also
used as roof thatches. Strips are interlaced diagonally to
weave mats and large surfaces that are
then cut and sewn to make containers,
bags and hats.
There are male and female species
of the screw pine. The female screw
pine produces a finer quality of fibre
used in weaving traditional mats called
mettha pai which are soft and cool to
sleep on. The male screw pine produces
coarser fibre. In Thazava in Kollam
district of Kerala, double layer mats
are made which are edged with a vivid
coloured strip used to stitch the layers
together. The white mat is burnished
with a stone that gives it a polish.
The pinnate or compound leaves

being woven together
NATURAL FIBRES 69
All the World in a Basket

A basket, that common object of daily use, can
powerfully affect the sense and mind ó somewhat
as the contemplation of a grain of sand can lead
to insights on the nature of the world.
What appeals first is the visual texture, that
distinctive aspect of baskets, arising from this
definitive quality of being woven. We delight in
the patterns and textures made of rope, leaves,
grass, rushes, sticks or twigs or other similar
material. We may instinctively run our hands over
the surface: an understandable reaction because
texture, whether physical or visual, is a quality
of surface.
On seeing baskets we feel one with humanity: Traditional bamboo
however rich or poor or highly formally educated or illiterate craftspersons, Orissa
we may be, from virtually any part of the world and, indeed,
from almost any era ó we can relate to the basket. Together
with pottery, basketry is one of the oldest human crafts. Bamboo craft practised by
Gathering material from the natural environment, and making both men and women is a
from it a receptacle useful for the storage and transportation traditional and hereditary
of objects; a receptacle designed for ease and comfort of use source of livelihood for
as relating to the human anatomy ó what an act of creative several people in the states
transformation this is! from Gujarat in the west to
However, our admiration of the quantities of the design is Assam in the east, and
often directed at a group rather than an individual ó who Uttar Pradesh in the north
knows which anonymous craftsperson added an innovation to Kerala in the south.
which was later refined, preferred and adapted by many?
Particular types of baskets do gain associations with particular
regions and cultures, such as the conical basket of the apple
gatherers in the Kullu valley, and the basket of the Kangri pot Functional products made of
which could even be regarded as a symbol of Kashmir. ekra bamboo by the Khasis
Another human and social point is an economic one: when of Meghalaya
one buys a traditional basket it is more likely
that the sale would benefit not a factory owner
or company but an individual who is possibly
not wealthy and is working with a greater
degree of autonomy such as by being a member
of a cooperative.
Baskets may be considered desirable today
from an ecological point of view, being made
from fast growing plant materials used
without much processing (hence saving
energy). The production of baskets does not
require energy ó and resource-rich factories
or processes; and baskets are bio-degradable
and hence less polluting.
ñ DEEPAK HIRANANDANI, The Times of India,
28 May 2001
Worldwide Use of Natural Fibres

The importance of papyrus, a fresh water reed in ancient
Egypt is evident from its primeval origins. Papyrus is a tall
flowering reed and its use is functional and religious and
was part of the mythology of ancient Egypt. Papyrus had
multiple usesófrom paper for manuscripts to papyrus boats
that were the lifeline of the River Nile, sails were made
from the bark, seams of the larger wooden boats were
caulked with papyrus, rigging was made of papyrus fibres
and papyrus flower was a sacred symbol of the pharaohs.
The Mbuti Pygmies living in the Ituri forests

Eskimos in Alaska and
of Equatorial Africa are hunter -gatherers
communities in the islands of the
known for their knowledge of plants for
Pacific Ocean such as Tonga,
multiple usesóas food, shelter, medicine,
Samoa, Hawaii, Papua New
furniture, weapons, poison for hunting, as
Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand,
cloth and dyes.
produced bark-cloth by a
repeated action of beating strips
of bark of the fig tree. When the
strips are thin, several strips are
taken together and beaten into In Europe, North America and
a large sheet. Sometimes starch Alaska mats are made of grass, rush
was applied in parts to join the and sedge; baskets are made from
strips. Tapa or the barkcloth of split wood, shoots of hard wood trees,
Tonga is painted using a stencil willow, wicker and barks of trees.
that is cut from the midrib of
the coconut frond.
The grasslands of South Africa

provide material for coiled basketry
while wetlands provide reeds and
rushes for mats; deserts are the home
of agaves or succulent cacti, tropics
for palms and cultivated land for
straw.
NATURAL FIBRES 71
In the cold and temperate forests of North

America and Europe, the barks of the birch
tree and hardwoods of deciduous trees are
used as slats in basketry.
In the tropical and sub-tropical regions of

Asia, Africa and South America, the
jungles are a rich source of bamboo and
cane, which provide bamboo and leaves
for building shelters, tools and implements
for agriculture, fishing and the daily needs
of settled communities.
Coiled basketry made of grass The use of bamboo in Bangladesh,

fibre or palm leaf fibre is found Burma, South-East Asia, China and
in Morocco, East Africa, India, Japan is very extensive and is integral
Ghana, Mexico, Bolivia, to the culture of the East.
Guatemala and islands of the
Pacific Ocean. Ceremonial
baskets and headwear are often
formed by techniques such as
coiling, twining, plaiting and
are embellished with feathers,
shells, coins and a bold use of
pattern and colour.
Japan has a unique sensibility

for bamboo that is reflected in
the forms of traditional
architecture, fences, craft, art
and textiles. It is a craft
tradition that values the pristine
quality of nature, studied
simplicity and excellence in
craftsmanship.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. All cultivated plant materials as well as those found in
the wild in our forests are potentially renewable
resources that can be used for a large number of
applications if their use by humans is moderated in a
sustainable manner. Compare and apply the principle
of sustainability in three craft traditions ó stone, metal
and natural fibre.
2. In your opinion what differentiates plastic objects from

objects made of natural fibres?
3. What are the qualities and properties of natural fibres

and how have these properties been used in craft?
Explain with examples.
4. Refer to the Internet and describe the use of natural

fibres in one Asian country.
5. The conversion of forest land into agricultural and

industrial areas has led to problems for the bamboo
crafts community in India. Develop ideas that can help
solve these problems.
6. Draft a scheme that you would like to start in India to

elevate our craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
7. What is the impact of the intrusion of plastic ware into

rural and urban homes? (Think of the following: the
rural economy, traditional crafts and skills, environment
and health.)
8. Unlike clay and stone, basket-making is not a full-time

profession. Compare and contrast and give reasons why
this is usually the case.
7 PAPER CRAFTS
Paper came to India with Muslim traders, in the eleventh century
C.E. It only slowly and gradually displaced the Corypha palm
leaf, the use of which had the sanction of age and religion among
the conservative Indian literates who looked with distrust upon
this new productÖ
There is no Sanskrit word for paper. The Chinese word is
kog-dz, the ëpaper made of the bark of the paper-mulberry treeí.
When the Arabs, in the eighth century, learned paper-making
from the Chinese, they adopted the Chinese name for their own
paper made of linen rags. The Persian word for paper, kaghaz,
became kagaj in Hindustani.
By the fourteenth century, paper became popular in India.
By the beginning of the seventeenth century paper had
displaced Corypha leaves throughout northern India.
ñ A. F. R. HOERNLE, ëPalm-leaf, Paper and Birch-barkí,
Journal of Asiatic Society, Vol. LXIX, 1901
How Paper Is Made

Factory-made paper
Can you imagine a day in your life without paper? A time
when there was no paper or books or when people looked
with distrust at it? Originally clay, stone, birch-bark, cloth,
aloe bark and palm leaf were some of the materials on
which writing was done.
Paper is one of the raw materials for making various
types of craft items like folk paintings, illustrated
manuscripts, lamp shades, photo-frames and a variety of
decorative artefacts. Handmade paper
Factory-made paper is now generally made of tightly packed and

pressed fibres of rags, straw, wood, bamboo etc.
Handmade paper is made of pulp (obtained from the bark of certain
trees) mixed with glues, and waste cloth from garment manufacturers.
Paper Toys
Toy-makers, especially those living in cities and industrial
areas, make use of materials like paper, cardboard, palm-leaf,
clay, bamboo strips, pith, and papier-m‚chÈ along with other
recycled materials to create toys for children. Discarded items
including newspaper, string, rubber bands are recycled to
create toys. The toymaker creates a number of different
playthings such as kites, puppets, string-manipulated toys,
rattles, drums, damrus and whistles, moving toys like wind-
wheels, animal toys like the jumping snake, mystery boxes,
and jack-in-the-box kind of toys. Apart from toy-making, Indian
craftsmen also produce a wide variety of decorative and
utilitarian items by using plain, white and coloured papers.
Paper toy, Delhi Paper Cuts: The craftsmen of MathurañBrindavan area
make intricate paper -cut designs (locally known as
Sanjhi) depicting various Krishnalila scenes. During
festivals and marriages the craftsmen make exquisitely
beautiful paper -cut flowers and varied colourful items
that are used for decoration.
Stencil: A stencil is a piece of paper, plastic or metal which
has a design cut out of it. When the stencil is placed on a
surface and paint applied over it, the paint goes through
the cut out portions and leaves a design on the surface
when the stencil is removed.
Sanjhi, Mathura Use of Paper Craft in Different Societies

♦ During Muharram a model of the tomb of Imam Hussain called
the Tazia is adorned with floral designs made out of coloured
papers.
♦ In Poland people use paper-cuts of the ëTree of Lifeí, guarded
by two cocks. The symmetry of the paper-cut technique is
Paper toy, Delhi said to protect the house and home.
♦ The Mexicans use cut-paper flags with designs of planets,
plants and a repetitive border with triangles that symbolise
male and female energies. While sowing, farmers place a paper
man to represent the male spirit of germination, while the
harvest is represented as a female doll.
♦ In China, peasants have developed paper-cuts into a rich
individual popular art. The paper cuts are stuck on walls or
window-panes of their cottages and changed frequently. The
most popular themes are the ëTree of Lifeí, cocks and hens,
etc. that are all symbols of life.
PAPER CRAFTS 75
History of Papier-m‚chÈ
Papier-m‚chÈ is used to create moulded forms of a variety
of objects. It involves ornamentation of smoothened
surfaces built up of paper pulp or layers of paper. The
most sophisticated form of paper craft appears to be
papier -m‚chÈ.
The tradition of papier-m‚chÈ in Kashmir began in the
fifteenth century. While in prison, in the magnificent
Central Asian city of Samarkand, a young Kashmiri prince
observed the craft of using paper pulp as the base for
painted objects. This prince soon became King Zain-ul-
Abidin and invited accomplished artists and craftsmen from Set of papier-m‚chÈ
Central Asia to his court to make papier-m‚chÈ objects. coasters and box
The craft was originally known in Kashmir as Kar-i-
qalamdan, being confined to ornamentation of cases then
used for keeping pens as well as some other small personal
articles. The craft was also known as Kar-i-munaqqash
since it was used for ornamenting smooth surfaces made
of paper pulp or layers of polished paper.
The Mughal period saw the art extended to palanquins, Papier-m‚chÈ: a French
ceilings, bedsteads, doors and windows. In the old days term meaning ëmashed
the technique of papier -m‚chÈ was artistically applied paperí
to wood work, especially windows, wall panels, ceilings
and furniture as is evident from the fine ceiling at Madin
Sahib Mosque (1444), the ceiling at the Shah Hamdan
Mosque at Fatehkadal and the Mughal Gardens at Shalimar
in Srinagar.
During the seventeenth
century, early European
travellers discovered this
highly decorative and
marketable craft. Papier-
m‚chÈ artists of Kashmir
tailored some of their
production to the needs
and taste of a western
market that demanded
nested boxes (a set of boxes
that fit into each other),
vases and other suitably
exotic trinkets. Just as the
export of Kashmiri shawls
boomed, so did the papier-
m‚chÈ business.
Papier-m‚chÈ box
Papier-m‚chÈ of Kashmir
The raw materials used in making papier-m‚chÈ articles
usually include old newsprint, methi (fenugreek) powder,
Multani mitti or clay.
In South India, waste paper pulp is hand-beaten into a
soft substance and mixed with local clay. It is rolled out
into thin sheets placed over any complicated mould. The
articles are finally dipped into a thin solution of paper
pulp and white clay to provide a smooth uniform surface.
The objects are then painted in oil or water colour.
The process of papier-m‚chÈ making in Kashmir, which
described below, is rather elaborate and interesting and
undertaken by a group of people called Sakhta makers.
1. Waste paper, cloth, rice straw and copper sulphate

are taken together and ground into pulp.
2. After the pulp is ready, clay, wooden or

brass moulds are used to give it the
required shape. When the pulp is dry
the shape is cut away from the mould
in two halves with a fine saw and glued
together again.
3. The surface is coated with a white layer

of gypsum and glue and rubbed smooth
with a stone or a piece of baked brick,
called Kurket.
PAPER CRAFTS 77
4. Then the object is pasted

with layers of tissue paper
to prevent it from cracking.
5. F i n a l l y , t h e o b j e c t i s
sand-papered and
burnished, ready for the
colourful artistry of the
naqash or painter, who
seals his work with
several coats of a varnish
made of linseed oil and
pine resin.
6. The ground may be in
colour or gold or tin foil; it
is burnished with a piece
of agate after drying.
7. It has to dry naturally and
only then is the design
drawn and painted in
water colour.
8. These days painting is done
in distemper colours. The
colours are made from
pigments diluted in water
to which some glue is
added to fix it to the ground.
The brushes for painting
objects are made from the
bristles of the hair of cat,
goat or ass.
9. The final varnishing is
done with a very pure and
transparent glaze of copal
dissolved in turpentine.
Painted Designs
In the papier-m‚chÈ of Kashmir the rich and varied
floral designs include the chinar, the iris, the Persian
rose, the almond, cherry blossom, the tulip,
narcissus, and hyacinth. The most famous is the
hazara (thousand) pattern which seeks to display
every conceivable flower on the smallest of objects
and gulandergul or ëflower within flowerí. The
kingfisher and the bulbul are common bird forms.
Papier-m‚chÈ in India
The craft is practised in a number of States,
namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and
Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
In Kashmir, a large variety of both utilitarian

and decorative papier -m‚chÈ items are
produced such as writing table sets, dressing
table wares, boxes, bowls, bangles, lamp-
stands, flower vases, cups, boxes, powder
cases, trays, shields, wall plaques, panels
for ceilings, picture frames, caddies, screens
and cabinets.
Nazir Ahmed Mir was born in Srinagar on 16

February 1969 in a family engaged in this
traditional craft.
While he was pursuing his studies in
school, the sudden death of his father forced
him to earn a livelihood for the family.
He developed great skill and interest in
papier -m‚chÈ craft which inspired him to In Madhya Pradesh, a wide
make many new, range of products are available
uncommon and delicate in papier -m‚chÈ, such as
designs. There are at least human figures, birds, animals,
twenty of his designs in caricatures, statues of gods
the market. and goddesses, models of
Nazir Ahmed Mir received Khajuraho and Sanchi.
the National Award for Important centres for this craft
excellence in papier-m‚chÈ are Gwalior, Ujjain, Indore and
craft in 2000 and 2001. Harda.
In Rajasthan too, papier-m‚chÈ is a Amusing folk toys with detachable or

traditional craft with a concentration hinged parts such as nodding tigers and
of craftsperson in Jaipur. The products elephants, old men and women with
include animals and birds, comic expressions, are made in papier-
particularly cocks, parrots and m‚chÈ in Orissa. Masks of popular
pigeons. Papier-m‚chÈ bowls are also mythological characters are also made.
produced in Banasthali. The craft is concentrated in Puri,
Cuttack and Ganjam.
PAPER CRAFTS 79
Subhadra Devi was born in

1936 in Darbhanga District,
Bihar. She started working
with papier -m‚chÈ at the
age of fifteen. At first she
made idols for festivals. As
her interest, grew she joined
Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan,
Patna for training. In 1980
Subhadra Devi was given the
State Award in appreciation
of her artistic merits. She has In Bihar, the craft is found in various parts of
exhibited her craft all over the State. Papier-m‚chÈ figurines and different
India and recieved the kinds of birds are made by women from
National Award for excellence Madhubani and Darbhanga Districts. Though
in papier mache craft in 1991. papier-m‚chÈ containers cannot be used to hold
liquids, it is used for the storage of dry items.
Papier -m‚chÈ is also popular in Kerala.

Trained artists in Kozhikode make a large
number of figures based on Kathakali and
temple models out of paper pulp. They also
produce lively figures of animals and birds
that are in great demand.
The craftsmen of Purulia in West

Bengal make a variety of masks of
mythological characters that are
used during folk festivals by the
Chhau dancers of both Orissa and
West Bengal.
The Future
Paper-craft objects are mainly created by people either for
their personal use or for a limited clientele with whom
they are in touch. The items are disposed of through the
following marketing channels:
♦ sale at residence
♦ local fairs or seasonal melas
♦ weekly haats or bazaars
♦ hawking
♦ local shops
♦ exhibition-cum-sale
♦ export
Except for papier -m‚chÈ items made by the master
craftsmen of Jammu and Kashmir, no other paper-craft
item appears to have found a market abroad. Besides the
export and urban markets there exists another large market
which caters to the needs of the millions of rural and poor
urban consumers.
Many of the paper crafts
described above use recycled
materials and hardly use any
chemical or harmful substances.
In a world now growing conscious
of the need to preserve the planet,
paper crafts and our Indian toy-
maker have a lot to teach.
Product designers, design
institutions and development
corporations need to apply
themselves to study the needs
of this developing craft. After
all it is still the toy-maker and
the kite-maker who bring joy to
thousands of children in India!
Institutional Assistance
Development measures that would increase and improve production
are urgently needed. Craftsmen require assistance in refining and
improving their techniques, gaining access to good quality raw materials
and development of new designs. These artists need access to credit,
direct marketing channels, and protection of their interests by ensuring
adequate wages and socio-economic benefits.
PAPER CRAFTS 81
Paper-cutting: a Disappearing Art

One of the few accomplished exponents of the disappearing
Indian art of paper-cutting ó devasthankala or sanjhi ó Prabal
Pramanik has single-handedly built a bewitching repository of
his art in the hills of Himachal Pradesh.
In Mathura, Brindavan, Bengal and Orissa, where Vaishnav
communities lived and enriched the lore of Radha and Krishna,
this rare art manifested itself in different schools through sharp
silhouettes and stencil forms.
The forms cut out in devasthankala take little time but it
requires years of patience and practice to ìattain the skill of
cutting out balanced compositions without the aid of drawingsî,
Pramanik says as he deftly shapes a charging bull.
A unique feature of paper-cutting is that the design to be cut
is never traced out.
ìOnly superb neuro-muscular coordination, a sense of
balance and composition, knowledge of anatomy and proportion
enable the ëustadí to lift his work to a high level of perfection.
ìPaper as a medium was cut, folded and fashioned to produce
everything from animals to pirates,î he recollects.
ìThe hours passed silently and day by day this world of paper
widened in form and vision through new experiments and
experienceÖ The depth and diversity of this world has allowed
pieces of paper to fill the vacant moments of my life and added
an innovative touch to my imagery.î
He says it flourished in the community of Vaishnavas for
hundreds of years. ìUstads or masters plied scissors and sharp
cutting blades, creating amazing art works to decorate temples,
nat-mandirs and kirtan sabhas during Vaishnava festivals like
Ras, Janmashtami and Jhulan.
ìI have experimented with composition, using the basic
traditional techniques, and have proved through my work that
this medium or art is just as flexible as water colour, oil or
tempera in its diversity, depth and rhythm.î
ñ Extract from a report in The Times of India
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Many motifs and designs painted on paper products
reflect the immediate environment of the craftsperson.
Pick three examples from different parts of India to
illustrate your answer.
2. Originating from Kashmir, how has papier-m‚chÈ been

adapted in Bihar, Rajasthan and Kerala?
3. Looking back at your childhood, describe three objects

made of paper that you either bought or created.
4. Craftsmen need assistance in refining and improving

their techniques, gaining access to good quality raw
materials and developing new designs. These artists
need access to credit, direct marketing channels, and
protection of their interests by ensuring adequate wages
and socio-economic benefits. Prioritise the above issues
and devise a strategy to address some of them over a
period of five years.
5. Find out the word for paper/clay/stone in at least fifteen

Indian languages.
6. A hundred years ago Kashmiri shawls were exported in

large papier-m‚chÈ boxes. Find other examples in which
two or more crafts compliment each other.
7. Design a series of paper -cut stencils capturing

contemporary life and ideas.
8 TEXTILES
Textiles are a part of Indiaís history ó its past, present,
and future. Indian textiles were found in the tombs of the
Egyptian Pharaohs, they were a sought-after export to
ancient Greece and Rome, they also became part of the
fashionable attire of both European and Mughal courts.
Suppressing and replacing the Indian handloom cotton
trade with mill-made alternatives was a key factor of the
British Industrial Revolution. That is the reason Gandhi
made handspun khadi a symbol of the Indian Independence
movement. Even today, millions of craftspeople all over
India produce extraordinary traditional textiles that appeal
to the international market.
Weaving a Tradition
Sathya sat at the big Brocade work, Varanasi
wooden loom, throwing the
shuttle through the shining
silk threads stretched on its
frame. As he wove the warp
and weft together, the fabric
that unfolded was a
Kanjeevaram silk saree,
purple and red, with gold
tigers, elephants and
peacocks dancing together
on its resplendent pallav.
The ëthak-thakí sound of the
shuttle as it moved to and
fro had always been part of
his life. His father, and his
fatherís father, and his
fatherís fatherís father, had
all woven sarees on the
same family loomóas had
their forefathers as far back
as memory could stretch.
Sathya was 17. He had learnt to weave when he was eight,

though he longed to play football with the other village boys.
New laws do not allow children below fourteen years of age to
work. But everyone in his village was involved in weaving.
The women spun the thread, and stretched the warp on the
loom. The village dyers and washermen dyed the yarn in
wonderful colours, starched, and sized the finished fabric.
Traders came to the village from all over India to buy the
sarees, while other traders from Surat brought the gold zari
thread with which they were woven. The village economy
depended on women continuing to wear these traditional
sarees for weddings, festivals, and special occasions. Sathyaís
father had a picture cut-out from a magazine of a famous film
star in one of his sarees.
Sathyaís grandfather was now too frail and blind to weave
the intricate sarees. He told Sathya stories of the days, many
hundred years ago, when South Indian weavers were one of
the richest communities in India. Their wealth built the huge
temples and funded royal armies.
Whole communities were known for their weaving skills, and
their surnames proudly denoted their trade ó Vankars in
Gujarat, Ansaris in UP, Mehers in Orissa ó just as the Kutchi
Khatris were dyers and printers.
Sathya knows that these days even highly skilled weavers
are desperately poor, even though their sarees are worn only
by the very rich. Weavers depend on traders for loans in order
to pay for the expensive silk and gold yarn from which the
sarees are woven. Machine-made sarees made in the big
industrial mills and cheap synthetic silk copies from China are
Kanjeevaram saree, taking over the market.
Tamil Nadu
TEXTILES 85
Indian hand-crafted textiles are unique today for their

variety and beauty. This is a living craft, practised by millions
of craftspeople ó many in their teens and twenties. No other
country in the world has a weaving tradition that goes back
thousands of years and is still part of the mainstream economy.
Sathya and other young craftspeople like him make India
special and proud.
Yarn, Threads and Fibres

In the story about Sathya you read about many aspects of
weaving. You came across terms like ëyarní, ëloomí and
ëshuttleí, ëwarpí and ëweftí, ëstarchingí and ësizingí, ëtradersí
and ëweaversí. Some of the fibres commonly used in textile
weaving are:
♦ cotton
♦ silk
♦ wool
♦ mixture of the above
♦ gold and silver thread, etc.
Cotton: It has been cultivated in India since the Harappan
Civilisation. Raw cotton is a round fluffy white ball growing
on a bush about three feet high. Earth, seeds and other
impurities are removed from the cotton balls by ginning.
The loose fibres of cotton are collected and bowed with a
bow made of canes and the string of the mid-rib of a banana
leaf. The vibration of the string fluffs and loosens the cotton. Warli representation of
gathering and spinning
It is spun on a charkha or spinning wheel to the required cotton, Maharashtra
thickness and texture and is then ready for weaving.
Cotton Shawl, Gujarat
A variety of cotton fabrics were woven all over the country,

ranging from course, strong gauzes to the finest of muslins,
that represent the highest achievement of the cotton-
weaving industry in India.
Indian muslins were used as shrouds for royal Egyptian
mummies, and used as garments to adorn Mughal
emperors 3000 years later. Delicate muslin cottons were
given poetic names like ëflowing waterí (abrawan), ëevening
dewí (shabnam), and ëwoven airí (bafthava), by their court
poets. Now they are commissioned by national and
international designers!
The thread is classified by its thickness: the thinner the

thread, the higher the number of counts, and the finer the
fabric. Its fineness and its absorption quality make it an
ideal fabric for the heat of the Indian summer.
Silk: It is made from the cocoon of a cream-coloured moth
which feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree. The
caterpillar of the silk moth spins an oval cocoon of very
Silk cocoon fine silk, the size of a pigeonís egg. The silk is generally
yellow, but sometimes white.
About 1600 silk worms produce nearly 500 grams of silk
and one hectare of land produces enough mulberry leaves
to feed caterpillars that can produce 46 kg of silk. It takes
about seven days for the cocoon to be fully spun round
with silk.
The cocoons are collected and sorted into different qualities
and then boiled. The silk thread is reeled and twisted, dried
and polished. It is then wound on a spindle and spun. The
softness, the lustre and the tensile quality of silk make it
Kanjeevaram saree,
Tamil Nadu one of the most prized materials for weaving fabrics.
Secret of Silk
Some textile traditions came to us from other parts of the worldójust
as silk came to India from China. According to legend, the Chinese had
banned the export of silk worms; however, they were smuggled into
India by Chinese Buddhist monks in the hollow shafts of their cane
walking sticks.
Mix of Silk and Cotton: Another glorious fabric is mashru,

a lustrous weave from Gujarat, patterned in brilliant
multi-coloured stripes, or dots as fine as rice grains.
Though it appears like silk it is not really silk. Mashru,
and himru, have a twisted weave with a silk underside to
replicate the look and feel of satin while technically
remaining cotton.
Tussar, Eri and Moga: India is the only source of tussar
silk that comes from the Antheria Assamia moth, which
feeds on the leaves of the Som and Wali trees. Tussar silk
Mashru and Himru, Gujarat has a coarse, uneven texture and a slightly yellowish
Ikat silk saree, Orissa brown colour. Since it is less strong in texture and cannot
be refined it does not have the same sheen or fineness as
mulberry silk.
Women weavers of Assam make their traditional mekla-
chador costumes with golden moga and eri silk, which
come from worms that feed on Ashoka and castor leaves
rather than mulberry leaves.
TEXTILES 87
Wool: It is spun from the fleece of animals. Sheep wool is

the most common, but in India goat wool, camel hair, and
ibex hair is also used. In North India the angora rabbit is
bred for its fine, long, very soft and silky hair. Its warmth,
tensile strength and resistance to fire, give this wool its
special quality.
The fame of the Kashmiri Jamawar shawl can be gauged
from the fact that the English word ëshawlí is derived from the
Persian ëshalíóa length of woven woollen fabric. Shawl weaving
in Kashmir was introduced by the ruler Zain-ul-Abidin in the
fifteenth century bringing in Turkistan weavers to teach
the twill tapestry technique to local weavers. As many as
fifty colours were used on one shawl.
The rough goat wool dhablas worn by shepherds and
camel herders in Kutch and the Thar Desert have been
reinvented into wonderful contemporary shawls, home
furnishings and throws. Today designers are translating
indigenous motifs and colours from tribal shawls of the Jamawar shawl, Kashmir
North-east and Kinnauri shawls of Himachal into softer
merino and sheep wool.
The celebrated Kashmiri shahtoosh ëring shawlí made from the fleece of
the wild Himalayan ibex is so fine that a metre of this woollen shawl
can pass through a manís signet ring. Production and sale is banned
today for ecological reasons and to prevent the extinction of the ibex.
Weaving it was a fine art, wearing it now a forbidden luxury.
Woollen shawls from

different states of India
Textile Techniques
Indian textiles may be divided into two groups: loom
decorated and post-loom decorated fabrics.
Loom-decorated fabrics are provided with artistic
treatment when on the loom.
Loom-decorated fabric
Working at a loom
Post-loom decorated fabrics are textiles in which artistic

treatment is given after it is woven. In other words, plain
textiles are decorated with techniques such as:
♦ dyeing; tie and dye
♦ hand printing; hand painting
♦ embroidery
♦ patchwork and appliquÈ
Tie and dye
Hand painting Embroidery AppliquÈ

TEXTILES 89
Loom-decorated Fabrics: In different

states of India handloom weaving is done
on a variety of looms such as:
♦ throw-shuttle loom
♦ fly-shuttle loom
♦ loin loom
♦ pit loom
♦ jacquard
The art of weaving is governed by three
movements ó shedding, picking and
beating.
The shedding movement consists of
moving the treadle with the feet, to make Loom decoration of fabrics
the alternate warp threads open for the
shuttle.
The picking movement propels the
shuttle to run across to the other side.
The beating movement consists of
patting the weft thread into place.
As the process is repeated, the weft
thread passes from side to side, over one
set of warp threads and under the other.
These movements are repeated to produce
the basic fabric. Textures are produced
by varying the count of the warp threads,
and by weaving them tightly or loosely.
Patterns can be produced with the
introduction of coloured warp and weft threads.
Women of the North-Eastern states weave bold black,
red and white cotton shawls with images of shields, swords,
butterflies and snakes, using a narrow loin loom which
they attach to their waists with straps.
An 80-year -old Manipuri woman wearing a wor n

handloom shawl was asked whether she was cold and
why she did not buy a warm synthetic mill-made sweater
that was inexpensive and easily available in the market.
Her reply reminds us of so many intangible things
we disregard: ìIíve spun this with my own hands; my
mother and sisters have woven it. The warmth of so
many fingers has gone into this. How can a machine
make anything warmer?î
Block Printing
Block printing, as it is practised all over Western and Central
India, is described below.
Each design is printed with a series of different
intricately cut wooden blocks.
1. Carving the blocks is itself an artóduta, the block for

the outline, gud, for the background, one block for each
of the other colours. Some designs have as many as six
to eight different colours.
2. The block is dipped in liquid colour, and pressed firmly
onto the specially treated cloth with a little bang of the
other hand to make it register evenly.
Making a block
3. Once the whole cloth has been printed with one block,
printing with the next block follows, and then the next,
in sequence.
4. Printers have to be careful to place the little marker at
the corner of the block to make sure it doesnít slip and
that each colour fits into the design accurately.
Wooden blocks
Block-printing is a
post-loom method of
decorating fabric.
TEXTILES 91
Distinctive Designs and Techniques

Like weaves and embroideries, block-print designs and
colours have the special stamp of the places from where
they originate.
Those from Sanganer in Rajasthan have designs that
include delicate floral butis in a range of colours.
Farrukhabad of Uttar Pradesh has all-over paisley jaals.
Bagh prints from Madhya Pradesh are in dramatic red
and black.
Dhamadka of Kutch is famous for its double-sided ajrak,
interlocked hexagonal motifs in shades of indigo, crimson
and black, which requires 15 different processes to achieve. Wooden block of
There are also numerous block-printing techniques ó paisley motif
direct, resist, batik, discharge, khari chhaap (gold and
silver stamping).
In some, the dye is applied directly to the cloth, in others,
areas are prevented from getting coloured by the use of
wax, mud, or chemicals. Each technique is distinctive.
Printed motifs
Top left: Bagh,
Madhya Pradesh
Bottom left: Dhamadka,

Kutch, Gujarat
Top right: Farrukhabad,

Uttar Pradesh
Bottom right: Sanganer,

Rajasthan
Indian Embroidery
The explorer, Marco Polo, said in the

thirteenth century about India: ì...embroidery
is here produced with more delicacy than
anywhere in the worldî.
There are shawls from Kashmir that are

magically two-sided with the same design
embroidered in different colours on each
side. This is known as do-rukha. A single
shawl may take over two years to complete.
In Kutch in Western
India, the women,
whether Rabari, Ahir,
Mochi, Meghwal,
Darbar or Jat, learn to
embroider from a
young age. They Punjab is famed for its traditional
embroider their embroidery called phulkarió
trousseausóskirts, flowering work. Using threads in
cholis, veils, quilts, brilliant colours like flaming pinks,
decorative pieces for oranges, mustard yellows and
their homes. Most creams, the reverse satin stitch is
Kutchi embroideries done on a brick-red khadi cloth. An all-
use wonderful colours ó magenta, emerald over embroidered shawl (dupatta) is
green, yellow, and purple. As bright as their called a bagh, literally resembling a
desert landscape is bleak, their embroideries garden of flowers.
are exuberant, with designs of flowers,
peacocks, elephants and parrots. Each village
and community in Kutch has its own
distinctive set of stitches and motifs: cross-
stitch, satin and herringbone stitch, and a
very fine chain stitch done with a hook. Shiny
mirrors are stitched onto the fabric.
Sujni, from Bihar, is a form of

quilted embroidery with mainly
narrative themes.
TEXTILES 93
There are 22 different chikan stitches. Legend has it that Empress

Noorjehan invented chikan while making a cap for her husband,
Jehangir. Chikan-work from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has many
different stitches worked on cotton mull, creating a textured
relief of flowers, paisleys and stars. The stitches have wonderful
namesóghas-ki-patti as delicate as grass, murri which looks just
like a grain of rice, and keel, the tip of a nail. The most common
are: bakhia, a herringbone stitch done on the reverse of the
material so that the design appears like a shadow, tepchi, a
linked running stitch, and phanda, a tight round knot, used to
form flowers and leaves.
Kantha, embroidery from Patchwork and appliquÈ are other

Bengal, is made of textile skills practised by women all
thousands of fine stitches, over India. They range from the tiny
giving the fabric a puckered geometric patchwork gota done in
quilted look. In Bangladesh Rampur and Lucknow, to the bold,
and India kantha was used vividly patterned pictorial quilts of
to make quilts and coverlets. Rajasthan and Gujaratóeach
Old sarees were folded bride was expected to have at least
together and embroidered a dozen.
with coloured threads Pipli in Orissa has its own
pulled from saree borders. unique form of appliquÈóbold red,
Now kantha embroiderers yellow and green dancing elephants
make sarees and dupattas and parrots, outlined with white or
for the metro market. black chain-stitch on equally
colourful base fabric. It was
developed initially to make the rath
procession hangings for the Puri
Temple, but is now used for garden
umbrellas, cushions and for other
urban needs.
The Lambani, Lambada and Banjara gypsy tribes from Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka in South India create spectacular embroidery. Like
the Kutchhis, they too wear wonderful skirts, backless blouses and
veils, covered with vibrant, colourful mirrored designs, silver or metal
coins and ornaments at the edges. Their designs are geometric rather
than naturalistic flowers, birds and animals.
Kasuti of North Karnataka is a combination of four different
stitches, done on the borders, pallav and blouse of the blue-black,
indigo-dyed Chandrakala saree, an essential part of the trousseau of
Hindu brides of the region. The motifs are pictorial in character: the
Tulsi plant, temple chariots, eight-pointed stars, parrots, peacocks,
bridal palanquins, cradles, and flowering trees.
Did you know...

♦ Colour is the first thing one notices about India. As
Kamladevi Chattopadhyaya has said, every colour has
its tradition, emotion, social context and rich
significance.
Red, the colour of marriage and love; orange and
saffron, the colour of the ochre earth and the yogi who
renounces that earth; yellow, the colour of spring,
young mango blossoms, of swarms of bees, and of
mating birds. Blue, the colour of indigo, also the colour
of Krishna, the cowherd child-godÖ. Even the great gods
had their colours ó Brahma was red, Shiva was white
and Vishnu was blue.
♦ The Vishnudharmottara speaks of five white tones ó
ivory, jasmine, the August moon, August clouds after
rain, and mother-of-pearl.
♦ It is not surprising that by the seventeenth century,
William Moorcroft could list over 300 colour shades in
use among the shawl makers of Kashmir.
♦ As early as the first century BCE travellers along the
Silk Route recorded fabrics in seven shades of brown,
four shades of blue, and four shades of green.
♦ In India colours were made of vegetable and mineral
materials: pomegranate, lac and madder for the pinks,
reds and browns; black from iron castings; myrobalam
petals for yellow. Colour was produced from most
unlikely sources: onion skins produced a beautiful
reddish brown; pistachio shells, green; glowing lacquer
red came from a humble beetle. The concentrated urine
of cows fed on mango leaves gave a rich orange yellow.
♦ There is a story of a British Raj billiard table baize
(cloth used for billiard tables) which was stolen from
the Regimental Mess to extract just that exact green
required in a Jamawar shawl.
♦ As always, colours, even those derived from mineral
sources (silicates and borates of different metallic
saltsó cobalt oxide, potassium chromate and
manganese carbonate) were given poetice names: Ab-
e-leher (ripples of water), tote-ka-par (parrotís wing),
khoon-e-kabutar (pigeonís blood).
TEXTILES 95
Home and the Market

In India, commercial embroidery made for the
market was always done by men. Even chikan work
was traditionally a male preserve, with women only
doing the coarser filling details. The intricate gold
wire and sequin work of Uttar Pradesh (zardozi,
kamdani and mukesh) done on a stretched wooden
frame, and Kashmiri ari, wool crewel work, tilla
and sozni embroidery are still almost exclusively
a male domain.
The lives of my family hang

on the thread I embroider.
ñ RAMBA BEN, embroidery
craftswoman from
Banaskantha
Sozni with its intricate

detailing of flora and fauna
derives its inspiration from the
verdant, flowering beauty of the
Kashmir valley.
T illa work is now a major
business for wedding costumes,
movie costumes and the fashion
ramp, and it reflects the glory
of the Mughal court that brought
gold wire work from the Middle
East and Byzantium.
Today, rural women
embroiderers are finding new
empowerment and earning an
income from their embroidery
skills in the market. All
over India, be it Bihar or
Banaskantha, women now
embroider for a living.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Read the verse by Kabir on page 23 and develop your
own poem using images from textile weaving.
2. Look at traditional textiles in your home and develop a

table like the following example.
Origin Textile Motif Meaning
Tamil Nadu Silk Flower Life, beauty,

auspiciousness
3. From the farmer who grows the cotton, to the

advertising agency that sells the finished product, the
textile industry employs thousands of people with
specialised skills. Create a profile of each.
4. ìThe bones of the Indian weaver are bleaching the plains

of India,î said William Bentick in 1835. From your
understanding of history, describe the impact of
colonialism on the Indian textile industry.
5. Consider Gandhiji and khadi and explore reasons why

and how the meaning and significance of khadi has
changed over the last 100 years.
6. Consider the clothes worn by members of your extended

family. Why do they choose to wear what they wear?
Think of caste, religion, age, gender, traditions, and
fashion as expressed in the materials, headgear,
footwear, costs etc.
7. How is your own philosophy of life reflected in the clothes

that you choose to wear?
8. Which types of embroidery were traditionally done by

men in our country, and why?
9. Research and document the textile traditions of your

state.
9 PAINTING
All children love to paint. Through this activity they discover
the shapes and colours of the world around them. Men and
women, through the ages, found satisfaction in creating
multiple forms through colours and textures to tell their
own special stories. The human impulse to paint is related Kalighat painting,
to the need to communicate, express and make sense of West Bengal
the world around.
The subject of painting is, in fact, the painting. It can
be the expression of a mood, a reality as seen by the artist,
a graphic interpretation of a philosophical idea, an
invocation of blessings from the gods, or just decoration
as part of a celebration. It can be done by an individual, a
group, or a community, using different grounds, colours,
adhesives and tools. In India, community painting reflects
the identity of a region or a particular culture and follows
common characteristics.
Why Snakes?
ìWhy do traditional paintings, particularly in Gondi and Mithila
art have so many artistic and respectful representations of
snakes?î
This was a question asked by a German visitor Mithila painting, Bihar
at an art exhibition in Frankfurt.
ìSince there are usually many snakes in the
fields and in our village, we propitiated them
in this manner to prevent ourselves from being
bitten,î the artist from Mithila explained.
ì Western society is aggressive and would
think only of attacking the snake, but in a
spiritual and non-violent society like India, this
was a beautiful way of living with nature,î
responded the German visitor.
She was so inspired, that she bought all the
snake paintings at the Indian stall at the
exhibition!
There is a marketing lesson to be learnt here.
Mordant is a fixing agent What Is a Painting?

used to fix colours on to
cotton cloth during the The following are the basic physical components of a
process of printing, painting:
painting or dyeing.
♦ ground on which the painting is done
♦ colours that make up the painting
♦ adhesive or glue
♦ tools to apply colours to the ground
Colours and images often represent meanings and concepts. Red and
yellow are auspicious. The Panchavarna murals are in five coloursó
red, yellow, green, black, blue. A fish depicts fertility. Find out how
colours from traditional paintings affect people.
Ground on Which the Painting Is Done: Right through

history in India, rock faces and caves, walls of the home,
the floor, the threshold, a palm leaf, a piece of wood, cloth or
even the palm of a hand was used as a background to paint.
In English many terms for paintings refer to the ground.
Have you heard of canvas painting, fabric painting, glass
painting, wall painting also called ëmuralsí, or even face
painting? The ground determines what colours, adhesives,
and tools should be used. Wood has an oily surface therefore
water-based paints cannot be used.
In India we have many imaginative names for each type
of painted surface in all our languages.
Colours That Make Up the Painting: Colours for a painting
can be organic or inorganic depending on how they are
obtained or made.
The ground for painting can

be as varied as a wall (top
left), the floor (extreme left),
or even the body of an
elephant (left).
PAINTING 99
Organic Colours: Infinite colours provided by nature from

flowers, leaves, stones and even cow dung or soot collected
from inside a chimney fill the artistís palette. Common
colours for cloth in use even today are:
♦ indigo laboriously obtained from the indigo plant to create
many hues of blue
♦ madder red with powdered bark and leaves
♦ dried karaka flowers with powdered alum and water for
an ochre yellow
These are only the basic colours whereas each region uses
some special materials from its own area to add to this
common natural colour range.
Before chemical colours came to be produced industrially,
people sought to bring vibrancy into their lives by using
colours extracted from nature. Each region had its own
materials and mixtures which people used to create
aesthetic moods. Also, the instinctive urge to honour nature
and to capture it without destroying it inspired people to
search for colours in the natural world. Traditional wisdom
everywhere enabled people to experiment with available
natural resources.
Dyes: Natural dyes have been used since time immemorial to
add colours to cloth. It was India that first invented the
technique of printing or painting on cotton cloth by using a
fixing agent termed a ëmordantí. The most common type of
mordant used is myrobalam which is made from unripe karaka
fruit and mixed with fresh unboiled milk. The cloth is bleached
with sheep or cow dung dissolved in water before it is dyed.
Inorganic Colours: Inorganic or chemical colours such as
arcylic, emulsion etc. came into existence as a result of
industrialisation. They are commercially sold and since
they are easily available, they are widely used.
Respect for All That Is Natural

In Mithila painting of Bihar the artists are instructed to:
♦ use only fallen leaves and flowers
♦ not use edible material
♦ never take anything from a neighbourís garden
Adhesive or glue fixes the Adhesive or Glue: A painting is said to be permanent if an

colour to the ground. adhesive is used to fix it to the ground. For centuries, in
western countries (Europe), oil was used to fix colours and
the paintings were called oil paintings. When water is used
it is called water colour paintings.
Resin extracted from trees is used

as an adhesive agent.
Tools to Apply Colours to the Ground: Painting is done

with a variety of implements or tools made from natural
materials such as:
♦ thin sticks stripped from long grasses
♦ brushes made of birdís feathers, squirrelís and catís hair
♦ bamboo slivers buried in the ground until they become
fibrous
Painter, Jharkhand
PAINTING 101
Textures are obtained by using combs, toothbrush and

leaves. The effect of a spray of colour is made by blowing
coloured organic liquids through a blower.
One Painting for Each Day: In India we have many
impermanent forms of painting like rangoli and alpana that
are created on the floor and at the entrance to the home.
Coloured powders are used to colour the rangoli on the ground
without an adhesive or glue as the art work is not meant to
be permanent but done each day. There are special designs
for festivals, to celebrate the birth of a child, or a marriage.
Kolam: the floor painting

made by women at the
entrance of their homes
with white rice powder in
Tamil Nadu
Did you know...

♦ Royal families engaged artists to create painted
books or manuscripts to illustrate poems and
stories. Great libraries of hand-written and hand-
painted books were collected by rulers and kings.
Often royalty had their own portraits made to adorn
their palaces, and illustrate their diaries, like the
Akbarnama and Jahangirnama. To paint delicate
strands of hair and details of flowers in Mughal
manuscript paintings, the artist used brushes with
a single tail hair of a squirrel.
♦ Miniature artists in Jaipur can paint your portrait as
if in a Mughal miniature setting? Can you create such
a painting yourself through cut-outs, artwork or by
learning from an artist?
Cloth Painting
Making a Kalamkari: Kalamkari or vrathapani from Andhra

Pradesh demonstrates the variety of natural materials used
to create a work of art. Kalamkari means ëpen workí in
Persian and refers to both printed and painted cloth. In the
seventeenth century Persian influences led to artists
experimenting with the depiction of trees, fruits, flowers
and ornamental birds.
Using a Kalam to Paint: The painting is made exclusively
with a pen, the kalam made out of a bamboo sliver wound at
one section with wool and then dyed with natural colours.
Black ink is used to make outlines, and jaggery, rusted iron
filings and water are used for making colours to fill in details.
Painted Stories: The art of painting stories on cloth is
located in Sri Kalahasti, a town in Andhra Pradesh.
Originally large
paintings on cloth
served as pictorial
renderings of the
great epics, the
Ramayana and the
Mahabharata for
temples. Paintings
were also made to
illustrate spiritual
poems of eminent
writers.
PAINTING 103
The process of
painting the cloth
and the fineness of
the lines depends on
the artistic talent of
the painter. Great
skill is also required
in laying the colours
on the cloth, careful
washing of the cloth
in flowing water,
sprinkling water on it
regularly to ensure
colour fastness, and
drying it suitably in
the sun.
The making of a
kalamkari is a
strenuous process,
which, if done
carefully according
to the prescribed methods, produces a painting in which
the colours retain their brightness and vigour for centuries.
What is most interesting is that this cloth painting
process involves no chemical product and the excess dyes
that flow into the rivers while washing do not pollute it. A
kalamkari artist once working on a painting in New Delhi
preferred to return to his hometown to dye the cloth,
because he felt the River Yamuna was too polluted to enable
him to bring out the richness of colour that he wanted.
The quality of the water, air and sunshine are all-important
in the process of art-making of this nature.
Wall Painting
The tradition of wall paintings has been passed down from
pre-historic times to us today. As society moved from forest
dwellings to agricultural-based communities, the art of
painting continued as a part of their life and to transmit
their traditional beliefs through their art.
This forms part of the universal culture of most
agricultural societies. Paintings are done on walls to invoke
the gods to bless the soil, keep animals healthy for work in
the field, grant a family healthy progeny after marriage,
and bless a newly constructed home.
Paintings found on the walls of religious buildings depict
a human quest to understand a larger universe and power.
Wall painting, Kerala India has the largest number of art forms, call them
styles or schools, anywhere in the world, mainly because
itís cultural heritage is rich, many-layered and a vibrant,
living one.
Is It New, Old or Timeless?

The aborigine art of Australia reflects the traditional way of life
of the aboriginals. The people lived in difficult natural
surroundings and began by using walls of caves or the barks of
trees to paint. They painted their own world of sacred objects,
animals, birds and images from daily life. It was both ceremonial
and secular just as is Indian tribal art. Many of their paintings
represent dreaming in some manner as the images have a magical
and mystical quality. The style of using many coloured dots and
lines to build up an image is remarkably like the art of the Gond
adivasis of Madhya Pradesh.
Aborigine art,
Australia
PAINTING 105
Wall Painting through the Ages

10,000 – 8000 BCE Prehistoric paintings in rock shelters
and walls of caves show early life and
activities of human society.
1–1000 Buddhist viharas or monasteries and

chaitya or prayer halls in Ajanta in
Maharashtra, Alchi monastery in
Ladakh, and in Bagh in Madhya
Pradesh have murals depicting the
life of Buddha and other religious
stories.
1000–1700 Wall paintings can be found in the

temples of Kailashnath Temple of
Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
Recently wall paintings were found
in the Brihadesvara Temple of
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Early
examples of Jaina paintings were
found in Sittanavasal in Pudukottai
District of Tamil Nadu. At
Virubhadra Temple in Lepakshi are
examples of the Andhra style of
mural painting.
1600–1900 Mural paintings also adorned

palaces. Excellent examples are
found in Bundi, Jaipur and Nagaur
and the fortified palace in Patiala in
the Punjab.
1900–2000 Mural paintings continue today in

many of our village communities
especially Bihar, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan and Gujarat. Artists
of today, like Jatin Das and
M.F. Husain, have created paintings
for contemporary building interiors.
Wall Painting
In a wall painting or mural, the ground is the wall or
the stone of the cave. Paint is applied on to the wall
plaster. To bind the paint to the plaster the colours are
often put on wet plaster so that it fuses with it.
In many villages in India women apply wet lime paint
to the dry mud walls. Lime is a natural disinfectant
and prevents ants and termites inhabiting the walls.
As they use no adhesive the paint flakes and has to be
redone every season, especially after the monsoons just
before Dussehra and Diwali.
All paintings done on walls are not necessarily called
mural paintings. This term is usually reserved for
classical styles used for temples, churches and palaces.
Sometimes these are called fresco paintings. An example
of fresco painting is the mural technique revived from
pre-historic cave paintings in Wynad, Kerala. It has
religious and historical epics as subjects. The colours
and costumes are related to the performing arts. Yellow
ochre, red ochre, leaf green, lamp shoot and lime white
colours are applied in layers from light to dark. These
paintings do not spoil when exposed to natural elements.
The internet will help you find the locations where
Kerala murals can be seen.
Children studying wall painting

traditions, Rajasthan
PAINTING 107
Marketing Means More than Just Selling

Indian contemporary art has attained international recognition.
Earlier pioneers from the Shantiniketan school and artists like
Amrita Sher Gill drew upon Indian colours and themes. The
work of these artists fetches lakhs of rupees at auctions and
sales in the international market.
It is worth considering why communities that practise their
own traditional art forms are barely known and earn very little
compared to contemporary artists.
One answer is that a single painting of an individualís unique
expression is worth more than many paintings on similar themes
by many people. It is the simple law of economics that defines
supply and demand.
Secondly, individual, urban art explores new themes while
community art prefers to repeat traditional subject matter
connected to seasons, celebrations, festivals and popular legends.
Community art was painted on walls and floors. A change in
building materials and lifestyle aspirations created surfaces in
homes that could not be painted upon. Here, the skill and
practice of community paintings declined, and along with it the
knowledge and connection with a heritage.
Community art is now adjusting to presenting itself in different
ways for commercial activity. There are interesting examples of
how different traditional art forms can be adapted to new surfaces
and on to three-dimensional products which can be sold...
...Paintings traditionally applied to walls are now done on boxes
or trays or fabrics of different kinds. Traditional folk painting has
even been used to illustrate story books or make animation films.
An important aspect of appreciating the cultural heritage and Artist, Jharkhand
art forms of different societies and communities is to learn that
adaptations must not distort the art form so that its origins and
meaning are lost.
An appreciation of the culture, the meanings and significance
of particular motifs, and a basic respect should be the foundation
for adaptability.
These are all aspects that add value to traditional art works
and help in fetching better prices for its practitioners. At present
the difference in commercial value between contemporary and
traditional paintings is considerable. A painting done in a traditional
style represents the heritage of a community and region. It gains
value when the person buying it knows about its special cultural
meaning and characteristics. It also helps to see the artist at work
and appreciate the painstaking manner in which the work is done.
Exercises in raising awareness about such art and being
able to tell the difference between pure forms and hasty
attempts at ësellingí folk art will certainly raise its value to
deserving levels.
ñ JAYA JAITLY, Activist for the Rights of Artists
Styles of Painting
Almost every state and agricultural and tribal
community of India has its distinct painting
style, and some have more than one.
Artists in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan make

wooden temples with doors that can be opened
up to reveal elaborately painted stories of
historical or religious importance. These
wooden kavads are used for worship and on
festive occasions.
Warli tribals of Thane district in Maharashtra Tanjore Painting is an interesting

decorate their house walls with paintings combination of art and craft that
depicting their lives: planting saplings, grew in the region of Thanjavur,
carrying grain, dancing, travelling to market Tamil Nadu under Maratha
and other routine activities of their daily influence. The main colours are red,
lives. Symbols of the sun, moon and stars yellow, black, and white. The
along with plants, animals, insects and birds distinctive features were
show their belief in the integration of all aristocratic or religious figures
forms of life. adorned with jewellery and
On ritual and ceremonial occasions Warli surrounded by elaborate architectural
home walls are plastered with dung. Rice arches and doorways. Originally
paste is used with red ochre powder to tell done on wood, it is encrusted with
stories and to invoke the blessings of their semi-precious stones. Later the
goddess of fertility, Palaghata. paintings were executed on glass.
The glass
paintings are
coloured from
outside inwards.
The outlines and
final touches
have to be done
first since the
artist paints the
picture from the
reverse side of
the glass.
PAINTING 109
Painting on the Palms of Hands: Mithila painting, popularly known as

Henna or mehndi, is used to create Madhubani art is from the district of
auspicious symbols, motifs and the same name in Bihar and is now
designs on the hands and feet on well-known all over the world. Women
festive occasions. It is part of the decorate the nuptial chamber and the
creative Indian urge to paint as a inner walls of their homes to
form of community worship and celebrate festivals. The
celebration rather than an return of Ram from exile and
individualistic exercise of pure Krishna playing with gopis
self-expression in which the artist are the preferred subject
then needs to market the results matter. Artists often show
for survival. scenes of nature, an
abundant harvest, tantric images of snake
worship, and even city scenes if they have
visited one.
Any traditional art can be adapted to
contemporary subjects. Recently the United
Nations in India decided to display Indian folk
paintings for the eighth Millenium Development
Goals programme for which Madhubani artists
Satya Narain and Moti Karn created a beautiful
expression of prevention of child mortality by
showing how elephants and other animals
protect their young ones.
The jharnapata-
chitra of West
Bengal is a long
vertical paper
scroll used to
tell stories from
religious epics.
The artists
compose songs
that they sing
The patachitra of Orissa depicts stories
while they slowly
from the famous poem, the Geet Govind,
unroll each scene of the painting. Old
and devotional stanzas by ancient poets,
fabric is pasted on the back of the scroll
singers and writers. The pat was earlier
to make it stronger. These village story-
made as a temple offering. Stories are
tellers travelled from village to village
drawn in sections on palm leaf as
listening to news and passing on
etchings or as paintings on paper and
information much like television today.
silk. Deep red, ochre, black and rich blue
The Gujarat earthquake of 2001 and the
colours from minerals, shell and organic
tsumani of 2004 inspired such singer -
lac are used in these paintings. Modern
artists to present ballads of these
developments have encouraged them to
natural disasters.
paint on wooden boxes, picture frames
etc. for contemporary use.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Choose any one type of painting (wall, miniature, book
illustration) and describe its development over the
centuries.
2. Search the Internet and identify two examples of wall

painting from other parts of the world.
3. In the World Heritage Site of Ajanta the paintings are

disappearing because the plaster on the stone walls is
falling off due to water seepage and the humidity caused
by the breath of thousands of visitors. How can we
preserve and protect crafts objects made of cloth, stone,
wood, paper, fibre and metal?
4. Marketing means more than just selling. Explain and

give reasons.
5. In India we have permanent and impermanent forms of

traditional painting. In a museum/art gallery what are
the ways of preserving and restoring paintings? What
can be done to preserve the knowledge and skills of
impermanent forms of art?
6. Market forces demand that the craftsperson adapt the

craft to meet contemporary needs. Find examples to
show the negative and positive influences of this
market requirement on the crafts, skills and on the
crafts community.
7. In your region find out the traditional names given to

colours, when they are used, and the social significance
of these colours.
8. How would it look if traditional Indian art were used on

bus stops, school buildings, railway stations or even
on furniture to propagate awareness of our traditional
art? Give your views on this. Suggest other methods of
promoting such awareness.
10 THEATRE CRAFTS
The air was sizzling with the energy of the crowded spectators;
children in front, women in a special section, and everyone else
crowding in over the palace walls and ledges. The dancing began
with an aarti. The music here is sophisticated, as is the style, with the
arms moving in beautiful patterns, both geometric and lyricalÖ The
masks are heavy and do not permit the dancers to breathe normally,
so after a particularly strenuous piece, the performer flings himself
onto the line of attendants, gasping madly. They inevitably collapse
like dominoes onto the screaming children, as they frantically rip
off their masks. This adds to the strange, unearthly feeling of
the evening...
On the fourth night, the dance festival begins at the Kalika Ghat.
The dancer wears a black costume and covered in black body paint
looks terrifying. He dances his way up in a trance from the river,
surrounded by the bhaktas, and comes to the Shiva temple. Outside
the temple a brief ceremony takes place in front of a small fire while
the dancer sways his body and rolls his eyes.
ñ Extract from an article on Chhau by RAM RAHMAN
Chhau performance,
West Bengal
Story-telling
Everyone loves a good story. We have heard stories from
our grandparents, parents, family and friends throughout
our childhood.
In India we have invented many ways of telling stories.
A few of them are described below.
Puppetry: A puppet is a doll or figure representing a person,
animal, object or an idea and is used to tell a story. The
puppet is made of various materials and can be moved in
different ways. Puppets are classified as follows on the basis
of the way they are moved in performance:
♦ string puppets
Glove puppet, Kerala ♦ glove puppets
♦ rod puppets
♦ shadow puppets
Shadow puppets, Andhra Pradesh String puppets, Karnataka
Scroll Paintings: There are

different kinds of scroll
paintings in India. Scroll
paintings usually done on
cloth are narratives on
different social and religious
themes. The narrators sing
and explain these themes,
sometimes accompanied by
instrumentalists. Especially
famous are the scroll
paintings from Rajasthan,
West Bengal and Orissa.
Bhopa (narrator), Rajasthan

THEATRE CRAFTS 113
Theatre: It is a great form for story-telling in which one or

more actors using the skills of dancing, acting, singing,
talking, miming and theatre crafts like masks, make-up
and costumes create a story world for us.
Every corner of India has its own unique form of folk
theatre ó the lively Nautanki of Uttar Pradesh which often
draws on romantic Persian literature for its themes; raw
vigour and bawdy humour characterise the Tamasha of
Maharashtra or the Bhavai of Gujarat; the blood and
thunder of the Jatra melodramas of Bengal which are in
Masks, make-up and costumes
great demand during Puja (Dussehra) festivities: or the
dance-drama form of Yakshagana from Karnataka, to name
just a few.
In this chapter we look at only a few of these to encourage
you to look for and discover any similar traditions that
exist in your own neighbourhood.
Theatre: a Composite Art Form

Theatre is a composite art form in which many skills, arts and crafts
are brought together. A wide range of craft objects are made especially
for use in drama, dance or music performances, such as the following:
♦ masks ♦ lightweight jewellery
♦ make-up ♦ sceneries and stages
♦ head-dresses ♦ music with drums and
♦ costumes trumpets, manjiras
Masks
Why did our ancestors use masks, and why are they still Kathakali mask, Kerala
being used in several parts of our country?
In many tribal societies across the world, masks still
have a ritual significance. People believe that by wearing
or putting on a mask, the person ëbecomesí the character
depicted on the mask.
Masks, those magical objects with which we cover our
faces and assume a different identity, have a rich and varied
tradition in our country.
From the delicate pastel coloured masks and shimmering
head-dresses worn by Chhau dancers to the demon dance
masks of the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh to the
inexpensive animal masks of papier -m‚chÈ available in
our cities, India has a vast and ancient tradition of masks
and make-up for rituals and theatre.
How the Chhau Mask Is Made

The most beautiful masks in our country are made for the
Chhau dance form. Chhau is a style performed exclusively
by men from the triangular area where Bihar, Bengal and
Orissa meet. This is the tribal belt of India ó home to the
tribal groups of Bhulya, Santhals, Mundas, Hos and
Oraons. The masks they use vary depending on the style
of Chhau practised ó Seraikella Chhau or Purulia Chhau.
In the third form of Chhau, Mayurbhanj Chhau, masks
are not worn.
The Chhau mask is made of pottersí clay
(matti ghada) over which layers of muslin are
pasted followed by paper (kagaz chitano). Using
a delicate wooden chisel, different features of
the mask are polished ó the nose, eyes, ears,
chin and lips. Once it is dried it is painted in
pastel colours (kahij lepa). Then the mask is
separated from the clay model and fully dried
in the sun. The clay is then reshaped to make
another mask. Finally, the mask is worn with a
highly decorated head-dress of tinsel, pearls,
coloured paper and artificial flowers.
Mask making is a hereditary occupation and
mask makers come from Chorinda village in
Bengal. Masks are made between February and
June as it does not rain at this time, but the
fragility of the mask ensures its makers are
always in high demand. It is only in Chhau that
all the dancers wear masks. The sophistication
of technique and expression is most evident
when the mask is seen in movement. Though
they appear flat and neutral with their
distinguishing features of arched eyebrows and
elongated half-closed eyes, the masks acquire
THEATRE CRAFTS 115
a whole range of expression with every twist and turn of

the body. Accompanied by the huge dhamsa drums and
two energetic dhol players who provoke and encourage the
dancers, the Chhau dancer makes lightning body
movements known as chamak.
Excavations have revealed small hollow masks dating
back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. In fact in Bihar a
terracotta mask of the fourth century has also been
excavated. The Natya Shastra speaks of masks and their
use in theatre. Here it is mentioned that masks can be
made of ground paddy husks applied to cloth.
Did you know...

The best known leather puppets in our country are those
used in the Tholu Bomalatta of Andhra Pradesh. The origins
of these puppets can be traced back to about 2000 BCE, as
they are mentioned in the Mahabharata.
Leather puppets are made out of the hides of goat, deer
and buffalo. The skin is treated with herbs and oils, and
then beaten till it becomes translucent. The different parts
of the puppetís body are separately cut out of this skin.
Gods and heroes are made the largest in size, because of
their importance. Minute elaborate shapes are punched in
the skin to delineate the gorgeous costumes and jewellery
of each figure. They are then dyed, according to the different
colours assigned to each of them. Carving out the eyes is
done last for this symbolises bringing the figures to life.
The angle of the head has significance: a downward
glance suggests modesty, a high chin indicates arrogance.
Colours too have meaning: giant bullies and their kind have
red faces, while white stands for a fiery nature. The pieces
are then joined together with a thick knotted string, which
facilitates easy movement. A split-bamboo or palm leaf stem
is used for the main central support of the puppet. The
legs are loosely attached from below the knees, and the
manipulator can
jerk the puppet to
produce the swaying
movement of the legs.
The screen for the
shadow puppet show
is a bamboo box-like
stage erected in the
open air. In the rural
areas, very often, oil
lamps made of split
coconut shells are
used for lighting. The flickering light keeps
the puppets in constant movement, and lends
an air of magic to the show. Music forms an
intrinsic part of the puppet show, and making
musical instruments is a major craft
occupation all over India.
Leather shadow puppet, Kerala

THEATRE CRAFTS 117
Musical Instruments
Music is an important component of the performing arts
like dance and drama, and of rituals. Each community has
its own style of music and tradition of songs.
There are essentially two ways to make music: with the
human voice and with an instrument.
The musical instruments are classified on the basis of
the scientific principle used to create the sound they make.
They are briefly described below.
Percussion Instruments: These instruments are struck to
produce sound. Often these are used to produce the taal or
beat and do not produce all the musical notesómanjeera
or cymbals.
Wind Instruments: These need air to flow through them to
produce soundóbansuri or flute.
String Instruments: These are instruments that use one
or many tightly tied strings that when struck vibrate to
create soundóthe veena or ektara.
Drums: A drum is made of a membrane stretched across a
hollow frame and played by striking ó the dholak or
mridangam.
Drums of India
A membrane made of hide, tautly
stretched over a bowl or frame, is
the key element in generating
drum sounds ó which is why this
family of musical instruments is
called membranophones. Tablas,
dholaks, damrus, naggadas,
chendas and many others fall in
this category.
Drum makers are specialists;
chiselling a solid block of wood
to create just the right pitch is
skilled work, and is very exacting.
Although the drum base is
sometimes carved, the craftsman
is more concerned with the audio
effect of the cavity, its size and
shape, and the thickness of the
wood that is to be used, than
with the form or decoration of
the drum.
Dholak: We come across the dholakwallah most commonly

in our cities. Though it looks simple, dholak making involves
a great deal of effort. To start with, the wood has to be
perfectly seasoned. Dholakwallahs buy the readymade
wooden shells primarily from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.
These shells are smoothened and vigorously polished
with a special mud-paste. Thick string is toughened and
interwoven through hooks in the shell. Goat leather flaps
are hemmed onto the two sidesóand the dholak is ready.
Then comes the sound testing routineórhythmic tapping
to determine if the notes are right.
Chenda player, Kerala
Dholakwallahs belong mainly to Uttar Pradesh coming
from Barabanki, Gonda, Allahabad and Kanpur. They are
nomadic and travel the length and breadth of the country
selling their ëwonder drumsí wherever they go. A market
for dholaks exists all over India, with Delhi, Bombay,
Lucknow and Amritsar as the main centres.
Dholaks are used by almost all sections of society during
religious festivities and on special occasions like the birth
of a child and weddings. The beat of a dholak can be
regularly heard in temples and gurudwaras.
Damru: It is a tiny two-sided drum that often has a string
and a stone fixed to it, and is used by the madari.
Try and find out which Hindu god is depicted playing
a damru.
Naggadda: It is a large, resounding drum used in North
India as accompaniment by folk performers in nautanki, or
traditionally, to announce the arrival of royalty. It is played
using drumsticks.
Its South Indian counterpart is the chhenda that
produces the sharp percussion that accompanies the
Kathakali dance.
Naggadda player Pakhawaj player
THEATRE CRAFTS 119
Wind Instruments
In folk music a variety of wind
instruments are popular, for
example, flutes played both
horizontally and vertically, algoja,
pawa, satara, turhi, shehnai,
shankh, been (pungi) etc.
Been: The snake-charmerís been,
a reed wind instrument of a
strange shape is another
commonplace sight in our cities.
A been is made out of a kaddu
(gourd), that has been dried and
hollowed out. The saperas (snake Been player
charmers) plant the gourd
creeper themselves, in a special way, so that the gourd
does not touch the ground. Growing on the creeper, it
develops a fully elongated shape, best suited for making
the been.
The sapera selects a particular gourd and dries it in the
shade as the rays of the sun can produce cracks on the
outer skin. The gourd is then cleaned, seasoned and holes
are made on the top and bottom of the instrument.
The panja or the reed portion is made separately. Two
bamboo sticks, about a foot long are attached to the gourd
with bees wax. One of the panjas provides a constant steady
note: a drone, while the other is fashioned like a flute,
with all the seven swaras or notes tuned, before it is
attached. A fine tongue of kluck reed (kaanna) is inserted
in both the panjas so that the tonal quality remains the
same. The instrument is then blown upon to produce
different melodies.
The been is accompanied by percussion instruments like
the bugdoo, duff or dholki. A complete been orchestra
consists of two beens, a bugdoo, a dholak and a duff.
Cowrie shells have always been associated with the been.
Strings of these shells are tied around the rounded gourd
and some of the shells may even be hung as tassels from
one end of the been. Silken tassels and sometimes silver
ornaments may be suspended from one end.
The sapera takes great pride in his been. It is usually
hung from a cloth belt around his waist and when not in
use, it hangs from a hook on a wall of his house.
Tremendous stamina is required in order to play the been
for long periods as it requires a lot of breath control.
Musical instruments in Bhangra performance, Punjab
Percussion Instruments
Chikka: It is an instrument unique to Punjab. Similar to
the cane snake available in many parts of the country, the
chikha is made up of 14 wooden sticks joint together as a
lattice. By opening and sharply shutting the chikkha, a
sharp sound similar to clapping is produced.
Chimta: Very similar to an actual pair of tongs used in the
kitchen, the chimta has small metal discs loosely attached
to it which strike against each other when the arms of the
chimta are struck.
Mashak: It is made of the leather bag used by villagers to
transport water! It is like a basic bagpipe, the national
musical instrument of Scotland! The mashak is usually
played by the Dholis of Rajasthan as accompaniment to
popular folk melodies.
Kirla: It is a stick with a carved squirrel or fish at the top.
A cord fixed to the top jerks the galad up with a sharp
click, while bells fixed to the bottom of the kirla jingle.
Khadtaal: We often see this instrument depicted in the
hands of Meerabai and other Bhaktikaleen poets of the
Medieval period. Held in one hand, the khadtaal is made of
THEATRE CRAFTS 121
A pair of manjeeras
two similar pieces of wood with brass fittings. One piece of

it has space for a thumb, the other for four fingers, these
are struck together to produce a simple percussive beat. It
is easy to see the close resemblance between a khadtaal
and the Spanish castanets, used as accompaniment for
the famous Flamenco music and dance.
Manjeeras: These form an important part of the terah-tali
dance, where they are worn all over the body! Manjeeras
are a pair of flat metallic disks that are beaten together to
produce a rhythmic metallic sound. Apart from a pair of
manjeeras held in each hand, the terah-tali dancers wear
manjeeras on their legs and additional ones on their arms
and shoulders! Seated on the ground they rotate and swayó
each movement being punctuated by the rhythmic sound
of several manjeeras coming in contact with one another.
String Instruments
Instruments in which sound is produced by
striking the strings made of iron, steel, brass
or other metals as well as goatís gut, cotton,
silk threads etc. are known as string or
chordophonic instruments. Some of the string
instruments such as ektara, ravanhattha and
gopijantra are used as accompanying
instruments in traditional performances.
Bhopas use the ektara while performing Bapuji
ka phad, a tradtional story-telling performance
of Rajasthan.
E XERCISE
.............................
1. Here is a list of some of the drums of India: pakhawaj,
mridangam, ghatam, thavil, dhol, maddalam, edakka,
talam, nal, thumbak nari. Can you find out where each
one is from? Investigate to find out how it is used, who
makes it, its history, what other instruments are used
along with it, and the names of these local instruments.
2. A wide range of craft objects are made especially for use

in drama, dance or music performances such as masks,
make-up, head-dresses, costumes, lightweight jewellery,
sceneries and musical instruments. Study one such craft
used in the performing arts tradition of your region. How
is it made, who makes it, how is it used and what effect
dose it create during the performance.
3. Make a map of different theatre forms in India.
4. Write a profile of an actor/performer from your region.
5. Several traditional theatre performances during harvest

and Dussehra draw performers from specific
occupational groups. Investigate this in your own region.
6. Theatre is a composite art form involving many different

crafts and skills. Make a topic web to illustrate the idea.
7. Now that you have a birdís eye view of Indian crafts,

imagine yourself to be Chairman of the All India
Handicrafts and Handloom Board. Devise a ten-point
programme indicating your priorities for the development
of the crafts sector. Give reasons for your answers.
Suggested Reading
Art and Rituals of the Warli Tribes of Maharashtra by YASHODHARA DALMIA.
Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi.
Art and Swadeshi by ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY. Munshiram Manoharlal
Publications Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.
Arts and Crafts of India by ILAY COOPER AND JOHN GILLOW. Thames and
Hudson Ltd, London.
Children of Barren Women by PUPUL JAYAKAR. Penguin Books.
Classical Musical Instruments by SUNEERA KASLIWAL. Rupa & Co., Delhi.
Crafts and Craftsmen in Traditional India by M.K. P AL . Kanak
Publications, Delhi.
Crafts of Himachal Pradesh by SUBHASHINI ARYAN and R. K. DATTA GUPTA.
Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Crafts of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh by JAYA JAITLY. Mapin Publishing
Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Dynamic Folk Toys by SUDARSHAN KHANNA. National Book Trust, New Delhi.
Folk Arts and Crafts of India by JASLEEN DHAMIJA. Indus Publishing Co.,
Delhi.
Folk Theatre of India by GARGI BALWANT. National Book Trust, New Delhi.
Forms and Many Forms of Mother Clay by HAKU SHAH. National
Handlooms and Handicrafts Museum, New Delhi.
Gangadevi Tradition and Expression in Mithila Painting by JYOTINDRA
JAIN. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Hand Woven Fabrics of India by DHAMIJA, JASLEEN and JYOTINDRA JAIN.
Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Handicrafted Indian Enamel Jewellery by RIVA DEVI SHARMA and
M. VARADARAJAN. Roli Books, Delhi.
Handicrafts of India by KAMALADEVI CHATTOPADHYAYA. Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh by H.K. MATTOO. National Book Trust, New Delhi.
Incredible India: Crafting Nature by JAYA JAITLY. Wisdom Tree, Delhi.
Indian Embroideries (Vol. II) by J OHN IRVIN and M ARGARET H ALL ,
S. R. BASTIKAR. Calico Museum of Textiles, Ahmedabad.
Indian Folk Arts and Crafts by JASLEEN DHAMIJA. National Book Trust,
New Delhi.
Indian Jewellery Ornaments and Decorative Art by JAMILA BRIJBHUSAN.
Bombay.
Indian Textiles by S.K. SARASWATI. The Publications Division, Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
Indian Textiles by G.K. GHOSH and SHUKLA GHOSH. APH Publishing
Corporation, New Delhi.
Indian Tye ñ Dyed Fabrics by ALFRED BIHLER, EBERHARD FISCHER and
MARIE LOUISE NABHOLZ. Calico Museum of Textiles, Ahmedabad.
Musical Instruments of India by S. BANDOPADHYAY. Orientalia, Varanasi
and Delhi.
Painted Myths of Creation: Art and Ritual of an Indian Tribe by JYOTINDRA
JAIN. Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi.
Paramparik Karigar. Rupa & Co., New Delhi.
Performance Traditions in India by SURESH AWASTHI. National Book
Trust, New Delhi.
Sari: The Kalakshetra Tradition by SHAKUNTALA RAMANI. Craft Education
and Research Centre, Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai.
Stone Craft of India (2 Volumes) by NEELAM CHHIBBAR. Craft Council of
India.
The Arts and Crafts of India and Ceylon by ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY.
Today & Tomorrowís Printers & Publishers, New Delhi.
The Arts of India by G.C.M. BIRDWOOD. Rupa & Co., New Delhi.
The Earthen Drum by PUPUL JAYAKAR. Penguin Books.
The Indian Craftsman by ANANDA K. C OOMARASWAMY. Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.
The Industrial Arts of India by G.C.M. BIRDWOOD. Chapman & Hall, London.
Threads of Identity: Embroidery and Adornments of the Nomadic Rabaris
by JUDY FRATER. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Traditional Wisdom ñ Bamboo and Cane Crafts of North-east India by
M.P. RANJAN, NILAM IYER and GHANSHYAM PANDYA, National Institute
of Design, Ahmedabad.
Tye ñ Dyed Textiles of India: Tradition and Trade by VERONICA MURPHY
and ROSEMARY CRILL. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad.
Visvakarmaís Children: Stories of Indiaís Craft People by JAYA JAITLY.
Institute of Social Sciences and Concept Publishing Company,
New Delhi.

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i

Learning about Crafts 1

. Suggested Reading 123

and every fan will look identical. Contrary to this uniformity,

Beauty and Use

towards your own likes and dislikes in these matters. When

The Experience of Craft Work

Try something as simple as making a cover for your

Looking at a Craft Product

The Definition of Crafts

Crafts and Culture

part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not

Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts

Crafts through the Ages

many regions and communities since the practice of their

of Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Japan

were the result of influences from different parts of the

Formation of Social Groups

ornamentation through pre-loom processes, plain weaving,

Empowerment of Women Artisans

2. In several parts of India, women are prohibited from

3.† In India, the crafts sector is the second largest exporter.

† Item Quantity Price Exported to

4. In your opinion, why is basket-making, mat-weaving

5. How do market forces influence the making of a craft

6. Which types of embroidery were traditionally done by

7. In your opinion what are the factors that give a

8. Looking at objects drawn from at least four different

When clay is mixed with water it becomes malleable, elastic. Thinner

Oh! the pot is everywhere!

ñ from Prakriti, Indira Gandhi National

Clay objects are prepared using two basic techniques:

A potter at his wheel

Decoration: Clay offers endless

Making of Giant Figures

Clay through the Ages

Toys for children similar to the clay

300 ñ 100 BCE Maurya and Sunga Periods

100 BCE ñ 300 CE Kushan Period

300 ñ 1000 Gupta and Post-Gupta Periods

1600 ñ 1800 Local rulers of Bishnupur in West

1900 ñ 2000 Despite colonial exploitation the potter

Giant Clay Figures of India

Votive terracotta figures are made in Madhya

In Tamil Nadu the dramatic larger-than-life

During Durga Puja in West Bengal

Mati kahe kumhar se tu kya raundhe mohe,

3. With reference to the photographs given below,

Plaque Pot Votive object

4. The history of pottery tells of the daily life of human

Descent of Ganga in granite, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

The nature of the stone will determine how the sculpture

A block of stone is carved by chiselling away tiny chips in

Types of Stone Works

Relief-sculptured Panels: A relief has carvings only on

Stone Sculpture through the Ages

View of Kailashnath Temple, Ellora

Sandstone panels with

Jali work, sixteenth century, Sidi Sayyid Mosque, Ahmedabad