gurjari - Handicrafts [ gurjari - Gujarat State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited ]

<body> <p> <b><font face="Arial" color="#800000">gurjari - Handicrafts</font></b></p> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2"><b>[ Handicrafts: Hand Block Printing, Embroidery Work, Tie & Die work, Puppets/ Stuffed Toys, Clay/Teracotta Work, Bird Hangings, Leather work, Wood Work, Bead Work, Metal work, Woven work ]</b><br>  </font></p> <p> <b> <font face="Arial" size="2" color="#008000">HANDICRAFTS OF GUJARAT</font></b></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Gujarat is a state of many traditional crafts nurtured by generations of skilled artisans. It is ancient both in history and culture and has supported a number of crafts which demonstrate, in their variety and richness of design, the people’s innate felling for beauty, form, and colour.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Embroidery, Applique and Beadwork. Gujarat is known for its embroidery in an immense variety of styles and techniques. Here, women not only embroider their ghagras and choils but also items for decorating their houses, such as the toran, which graces the doorway; the tondli, to cover the door frame; the chakla and chandrawa, (square and rectangular pieces) used as wall hangings to enliven the surroundings, and tohers. The rich embroidery work of Bhuj (in Kutch) Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad is famous. There are five distinct embroidery styles in Gujarat.</font></p> <ol> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">Kutchi bharat, Kutch, tucked away in the extreme north – west corner of Gujarat, specialies in embroidery worked with an arhi, a hook similar to the awl, used for stitching leather. The material used in Kutchi embroidery is generally stain, and the embroidery is most often done on a ghagra. This type of embroidery was prepared especially for the court at Bhuj to be used on wearing apparel, bedcovers, floor coverings, wall hangings and other articles. Bold motifs of dancing peacocks, stylized flowering bushes, and dancing women were developed here, and are even today generally executed by the cobbler community. </font> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">In the desert areas of Banni, Women, using the minutest stitches, do some of the most delicate and exquisite needlework, using small mirrors, sometimes only the size of a pinhead, with the remaining area covered with intricate patterns of stylized flowers.</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">Heer bharat. Rich all – over embroidery in long stitches, this style derivers its name from floss silk, locally called heer, used in the embroidery. Geometric designs, combinations of rectangles, triangles and squares generally cover a deep blue background. Though the dominant colour is crimson red, it is picked out at places with a touch of black and off – white silk thread. The squares are divided into four triangles, and the center of the motif is picked out with an abhla (mirror) stitched on with button – hole stitch.</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">Abhla bharat. This is moron – work embroidery, very well developed and utilized for maximum effect. IN this embroidery patterns are created by fixing small round mirrors on the material with button hole stitch. In the abhla designs, the motifs are of flowers and creepers and quite often rows are worked together to make a rich pattern.</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">Chain – stitch. Very fine stitches produce strong linear motifs, rich in visual effect – stylized birds, riders on a horse, a palanquin carrying a lady, a girl holding a flower, or a boy holding a kite in his hand. Even the use of mirrors in significant. It is used to emphasize a face, a hand, a particular stance, or to highlight the eyes. Even the rising sun or the setting half - moon is shown by utilizing a portion of the mirror. The chain – stitch embroidery of Bhavnagar is quite distinctive in character. The stitches are very fine and the motifs used extremely imaginative.</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">Interlacing stitch or Sindhi taropa. The basic structure in this style is first built up with the use of long thread stitches on the surface. Around this the entire design is executed by the looping of threads. Lozenges and hexagon forms, shaped into six – petalled flowers with an abhla in the center and other variations, have been evolved.</font></li> </ol> <dir> <dir> <dir> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Applique. Coloured, left – over pieces of cloth are stitched together to make torns, chaklas, chanderwas, etc. Motifs in brilliant colours are cut out and stitched on to the material. These are usually peacocks with their tails unfurled, elephants with a rider, or a horse carrying a warrior, in addition to floral patterns.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Beadwork (moti – bharat). Here, with the use of thread and a small needle, a large variety of patterns are created out of different coloured beads. The gournd is white and the patterns are worked out in purple, yellow red and green. The motifs are stylized, generally an elephant with a howda, a camel and rider, a warrior on his horse, a women churning butter and so on. In beadwork, decorative items such as torns, chaklas, long panels as well as pillow covers and indhonis (the base for water pits carried on the head) are created by women. The beadwork of Saurashtra and Kutch is particularly distinctive.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">A number of training centers in embroidery are located at Bhuj, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. According to figures available, 60 units employing about 350 workdrs produce different types of embroidery worth Rs. 5 Lakhs per annum. In addition, a large number of embroidered products are being made in homes and collected for sale by enterprising Gujarat women mostly in Delhi and Bombay.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Hand and Screen Printing : (Vegetable and mineral dyes were used in the dyeing and printing industry) nearly three hundred years ago. During the 1920s naphthols took the place of alizarin dyes which gave an impetus to development, and a few years later indigo dyes came into use in Jamnagar and Junagadh. The industry then slowly developed to such an extent that today there are a number of photographic screen – printing factories all over Gujarat. There are nearly 400 factories that print on fine and superfine muslin cloth. Nearly 10,000 artisans are employed in this industry at Rajkot, Jetpur, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Bhavnagar. The atandard of workmanship is generally high, and the dyes used are fast and attractive.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Bandhani. Bandhani, the tie and dye process of resist printing, is very popular of Gujarat, and its practice is concentrated in Kutch and Jamnagar In 1976 the National Award was received jointly by two women of Kutch for their outstanding work. There are seven main centers in Kutch where 174 units with nearly 2,000 artisans produce goods worth Rs. 12 to 15 lakhs a year. In Jamnagar too, this craft flourishes and even children sometimes help their partners with it during their leisure hours.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Zari. The zari (gold and silver thread) craft is one of the oldest in Gujarat, and Surat is the most important zari manufacturing center in India today. The main products are real gold and silver threads, and the items used in embroidery such as chalak, salma, kinari, tikki katori, rings, and stars and spangles. (Surat now manufactures imitation zari as well.) More than 1,800 workshops, small and large, manufacture zari and zari goods in Surat.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Patolas. (The woven patolas of Patan with their intricate geometrical patterns are renowned for their extraordinary technique. The method is a tie and dye weave resulting in identical patterns on both sides of the fabric.) Red, yellow, green, black and white are the traditional colours used in patola weaving, Patola saris are hand-woven with silk threads which have been pre – dyes according to precise calculations, and the desired patterns emerge in the weaving. The most popular designs are narikunjar, parbhat, fulwagh and chaokadibhat, using motifs of flowers and birds.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">In Patan citythere are about 30 families engaged in this craft. The time and labour required to executed the work is considerable and thus the price of one patola sari may well run to several thousand rupees. Naturally the demand for these saris has gone down, and so also the number of weavers.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Woolen Blankets and Shawls. The shepherd community of Gujarat is concentrated in Surendranagar, Rajkot, Junagadh and Kutch Districts. The whole process of production, from raw wool to blanket, is handled by the Dangaria shepherds who make traditional blankets with typical Saurashtra) borders, ranging in price from Rs. 50 to Rs. 150. Kutch specializes in the production of woolen goods such as galichas, wall hangings and blankets. In Kutch alone nearly 500 artisans are engaged in this craft, and the production is estimated at Rs. 18 Lakhs a year.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">(Shawls, using cotton staple and woolen yarn, are manufactured mostly by Harijan weavers settled around Porbander.) These are of different sizes and generally have traditional Saushtra borders. Their textural quality and colourful borders are their main attraction. The price of these shall varies from Rs. 25 to Rs. 75. If required in bulk, they are available from Porbandar Weavers’ Society or the Junagadh District Industrial Co – Operative Association.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Numdhas. This is handmade woolen felt, embroidered wit wool thread, and used as a floor covering and wall decoration. Plain, unadorned numdhas are also used under horse and camel saddles. About 10 units in Bhuj, with 25 workers, produce approximately 15,000 pieces annually.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Wood Carving. Wood carving is a famous and traditional craft of Gujarat. Temples and old houses provide the best examples of the richness of this craft, for their doors, beams, and pillars are exquisitely carved. Objects of everyday use include beautifully carved jhoolas (swings) animals, peg tables, table lamps, etc. The communities engaged in this craft are Mewara Mistris, and the places known for fine work are Billimora, Visnagar, Baroda, Mahuva, Ahmedabad and Surat. Pethapur is a well known center for the making of wooden blocks used in hand printing.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Lacquer Work. Artistic lacquer work on wood is another well known craft of Gujarat. It is concentrated in Baroda and some parts of Kutch, with Sankheda lacquer work being specially popular. This work is generally done on teak which, being naturally light – coloured, is given a dark stain. Extremely fine tin powder is then used for painting on the designs. Kusum lac is the best for this purpose. It helps give a permanent coat to the coloured ground, and the painting has a golden lusture. The main articles produced are cradles, toys, sofa – sets, tea – trays and wlking sticks. The lacquer work produced at Dhoraji, Mahuva and Junagadh and at somw places in the Kutch area is also well known. Some kitchen utensils are also manufactured and used by local Kutchis.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Inlay Boxes. The petigaras of Surat make ivory inlaid boxes, part ivory and part sandalwood inlaid boxes, and engraved sandalwood boxes. The base material is teak, and engraved plates of sandalwood are fixed on to the box with gum or sares. Similarly, small strips of ivory are arranged, geometrically and gummed together. Six master craftsmen are engaged in inlay work at Surat.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Marquetry work – locally called sadeli – is a specially of Surat. A variety of appliquéd caskets and boxes are made in the this technique. The materials used are ivory, wood, tin and so on. These are cut into long, thin strips, glued together in the shape of hexagons and octagons, and when dry, glued on to boxes and cabinets to form intricate geometrical patterns.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Toys, Junagadh makes wooden toys by hand, using sheets of plywood and deodar wood, while in Mahuva, toys are made and lacquered on electrically operated lathes. Cloth dolls, dressed in the characteristic costume of different communities in India, are especially popular.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Patara Making. Large decorative chests on wheels, known as pataras, made from teak wood and tin plates, are most popular in Saurashtra and highly prized as collectors pieces. A patara is usually given to a daughter as part of her dowry in certain communities. The art of patara making is centred at Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Mahuva. Smaller pataras have also been innovated as liquor cabinets and trinket boxes.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Silver work. Beautifully designed silver ornaments, characteristic of different village communities in Saurashtra, are made in Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhuj. The silver craft of Saurashtra originated in Kutch. In it, light embossing is done on thin silver plates by soft etching and scraping. Shaped silver is also fitted on a wooden apparatus covered with was – resin to serve as a catch. Rajkot, Porbandar, Kutch and Mandvi are famous for their silver work. Items produced are attardains, gulabdains, flower vases, trays, jewellery boxes, powder boxes, ash – trays, plates and utensils. The specialized craft of silver work is spread over Saurashtra, Surat and Ahmedabad.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Silversmithy is still practiced in small workshops in Bhuj using a distinctive style of profuse repousee relief covering the entire metal surface – flowing style but fully controlled in overall design. Due to the use of machinery in production and the high price of silver and gold, this fine craft is slowly, declining. However, enameled utility articles have considerable demand in the major markets of India. Traders from Bhuu, Jamnagar and Rajkot export enameled silver articles to the Middle East, and the Bhuj, Anjar and Mandvi units produce quality pieces which find a place in foreign markets.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Metal work. The modern craft of engine – turing work on metals, mostly silver, is practiced in Porbandar and Jamnagar. The process involves the shaping of the articles by hand, with the zigzag pattern made with the help of a special machine equipped with grooved plates. A fair range of highly polished and modern frames, and cigar and cigarette cases is being manufactured. Some artisans, of Vapi manufacture ornaments of cheap metal for the Adivasi community of Surat. There are numerous craftsmen working in brass and metalware at the important centers. At Amerali there are 50 craftsmen, at Dhangadra, Joravarnagar, Limbdi there are 50 families, each and at Vadhwan (Surendranagar) there are 300 families.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Ivory Work. Many articles are made from ivory, such as bangles, toys, jewellery boxes, attardains, etc. Ivory is also used in inlay work. Coloured and gold filled ivory bangles are popular items and Mahuva, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Baroda and Surat are production centers for ivory work.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Agate. Agate is a semi – precious stone composed of quartz in different colours, and is found in the bed of the Narmada, river; the stones are processed by heating, chiseling, surfacing, polishing and drilling. Artisans prepare stone beads for earrings, necklaces and other ornamental articles, as well as for bowls, trays and buttons and other utility article. The natural colour of the stones imparts an unusual beauty to the ornaments and other articles made with them. The Gulf of Cambay was long known as a notable center of this industry due, in part, to its peculiar position as a port and to the availability of skilled workers. Processed agates are exported, especially to Africa, Egypt, the Middle East and Malaysia.</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font face="Arial" size="2">Cane and Bamboo. Baskets, sofas, tables and other utility items are made in cane and bamboo mostly by women and children. The number of artisans engaged in this craft is estimated at 5,000 and the Government of Gujarat now runs a training school at Waghai for this purpose. </font></p> </dir> </dir> </dir> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2"><i><b>Available links:</b></i> <br>         [ <a href="../default.htm">Home</a>, <a href="../emporia/default.htm">Emporias</a>, <a href="default.htm">Handicarafts</a>, <a href="../catalogue/default.htm">Catalogue</a>, <a href="../enquiry/default.htm">Order Enquiry</a> ]         </font> </p> <p> </p> </body>