Crafts – Page 3 – Global InCH- International Journal of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Shell craft in many regions in India has a religious and social significance. The ornaments, decor and other elements made out of shells has a huge market in India. These ornaments are decorated with carvings, coloured with lacquer or inlaid with brands of gold and silver. The products crafted from the conch-shell include exquisite hair bands, bracelets, rings, lockets, pendants and amulets, ear rings and necklaces. Delicate bangles are also crafted from conch-shell and are essential part of a Hindu woman’s trousseau. These are embellished with notched edges or diamond shapes along the centre.

Generations of craftsmen have worked with shell - cleaning, polishing, cutting and fashioning the objects by hand made, with the use of simple tools - retaining the original shape and colour and creating objects of remarkable beauty often by juxtaposing different colours and shapes.

Kauris and Shells Generations of artisans have worked with shell - cleaning, polishing, cutting and fashioning the objects by hand with the use of simple tools - retaining the original shape and colour and creating objects of remarkable beauty often by juxtaposing different colours and shapes. Shells are fashioned into products as diverse as ash-trays and toys and trinkets. The kauri is used extensively for making ornaments in the Northern Areas. Kauris are also widely used to make necklaces and trappings for animals. Apart from the local usage, kauris are used for making a large range of tourist souvenirs ranging from paper-weights to shell dolls (the kauri forms the head-piece). Artisans use large sized conch-shells that are cleaned and polished and then converted for usage as table decorations while smaller size conch shells are fashioned into jewellery pieces like ear-rings.

Sherpai, Kunke or bowls for measuring rice are only made in Lokepur near Siuri in Birbhum district. The word is derived from ser referring to a unit of weight and pau which means a quarter in Hindi. The wood of mango, palm, sirish or shishu trees is carved to make the bowls; these are then embellished with riveted sheet brass decoration. Earlier the form was achieved by carving and sculpting with hand. However today it is done so by turning the bowls on a lathe machine. The wood is coloured black with the help of a few herbs, which are soaked in water for two days. The brass sheets before being riveted on the bowl are embossed with various patterns and motifs. Traditionally a set of twelve bowls were made to be extensively used in the households of well-to-do farmers. Due to losing their traditional market, these bowls are now used only for decorative purposes, rather than being used for their intended use. The bowls are shaped in such a manner that they can be aesthetically arranged one on top of the other according to size. This craft is considered as one of the languishing crafts.

Making both ships and boats this craft tradition is an ancient one as it was the base of maritime trade given the long coastline of Kerala. The deep-bellied, strong ribbed ships built are spacious, fast and economical for carrying cargo as well as sufficiently durable to withstand the rough seas. Created in various shapes, styles and techniques to cater to a variety of needs the timber used for planks is from the branches of the modakku tree, which is known for its exceptional strength. The construction process begins with the joining of the stem posts to the front and rear of the keel; eight pairs of the ribs are laid out at different intervals on the keels and joined by planks at different heights to create the basic form of the hull. The additional ribs and planks, made of karimarathu and pilavu wood, are connected by thick planks using dovetail joints; these support the structure and the deck platform and also serve as a bracing. The wooden logs to be sawn into planks for ship building purposes are brought to the work site and placed on a platform made by wooden logs. For operating the saw, one craftsman climbs up on the platform while the other operates it from below. This is a highly skilled job, as the craftsmen have to maintain a regular thickness while cutting the planks. In order to form the ribs, the planks are first made flat on two surfaces by sawing; the curve is marked by chalk and the rib is cut according to the curve. After the ship is complete and the shed is dismantled, the entire inner side of the ship is washed and the dust and wooden particles are removed. The outside body of the ship is then washed with soap and water and special attention is given to the removal of fungal deposits that may have accumulated during the long course of the construction. The ship is allowed to dry and varnish is applied on the inside and the outside. The surface which will be submerged is coated with a paste of ghee, clarified butter, lime and oil, this mixture is reapplied after four years and later at intervals of six months. Ships and boats are produced in Beypore In Kozhikode district:

Among the traditional crafts, objects made from shoal are well known. In Bangladesh, this craft has been used to make wedding ornaments, toys for children, to decorate public places and also for the beautification of homes. Created by a community of artisans, known as Sholari or Malakars, the excellence of Dhaka craftsmanship is renowned as Dhakar shaj or Dhaker shaj a name by which it is still known. In fact Malitola, an area in old Dhaka, was named after the Malakars, a caste of shoal artisans, who lived there.

TECHNIQUE AND PROCESS The basic raw material for this craft is shoal, pith which grows in abundance in marshy areas. The plant grows to a height of 5 to 6 ft. and the diameter of its stem is about 2 to 3 inches. Two types of shoal can be found in Bangladesh: Kath shoal which is hard and bhat shoal / Bhatua, which is soft and light. The latter is procured in the winter and dried in the sun. Other materials required for joining and decorating the pith are bamboo pieces, coloured paper, gold and silver thread, foil, clay, jute, yarn, paints of various colours, cotton waste, pieces of wood, jute sticks, and glue made from tamarind seeds. For making objects from shoal, the artisan uses traditional and very basic tools. The main tool is the kaitha a sharp, thin piece of wood or stone that is used to cut or slice shoal. Specially prepared glues are used by the artisans which not only bind the shoal but protect it from various insects. The base for the glue is made by soaking tamarind seeds for three days and then drying and heating them on an open fire. The seeds are husked to separate the skin from the pulp. This mixture is then soaked for a week, strained and ground into a paste. After it is dry it is kept in a covered clay pot. Whenever needed a little tamarind flour is mixed with water to prepare the glue.

Skill evolved from generations of experience and tradition converts a piece of pith into an artistic object. The inner white part of the bark is the raw material used to produce a variety of forms for which four elementary processes are used. Shola is cut into shapes of different sizes that are joined together to make figures, crowns/ mukut for the bride and groom, head dress/ topor for the groom , a cover for the brow/ kopali, toys, dolls, garlands, masks, flowers, such as Kadam phul, birds, animals, decorations for the home and other objects. Thin slices of shoal are joined together to create a canvas for painting on with water colors on the occasion of various festivals. With the help of clay moulds of various designs shoal pieces are molded into replicas of ornaments for clay idols, vines and leaves for decoration, of animal shapes such as monkey, bird, elephant, horse, boat, palanquin and cage. For specific religious festivals, shoal is shaped into Durga mandali, Lakshmi Mandali, Manasa mandali and Trinath mandali. The latter festival has particular significance for shoal craftsmanship, since the seat of the god is occupied by the Shola mandali. LOCATION The main castes of shoal artisans are the Malakars, Pals and Acharyas. The artisans live and work in Keraniganj, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Moulavi Bazar, Habiganj, Sunamganj Jamalpur, Sherpur, Jessore, Magura, Khulna, Kushtia Rangpur, Chilmari, Syedpur and Southern Barisal.

Shola pith is a milky-white sponge like core or pith of the shola stem which is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art. This plant grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The outer harder brown skin is peeled to reveal the core which is approximately one and half inch in diameter. Some may say that this core resembles artificially produced "thermocol". However, shola pith is superior to thermocol in terms of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess. During the time the Zamindari system was prevalent, the craft was restricted to only religious and ritualistic products like wedding headgear, flowers and garlands. Although once the zamindari system was abolished there was a remarkable growth in public Durga pujas, and a consequent growth in the demand for the shola pith products. Skilful hands craft artefacts used for decoration and ornate head-wears of bridal couple. The finest examples of craftsmanship are however seen on images of "Gods and Goddesses" on festivals, particularly the massive decorative backdrops made for "Durga Puja" celebrations. Craftsmen spend months working on each piece and every detail is meticulously worked out. Artisans practicing this craft, referred to as malakars, perform this simple process with great skill and a steady hand; which are the pre-requisites of the craft. The core which is obtained after removing the outer brown skin is sliced into strips, which are then shaped according to the artisan's imagination. In Murshidabad this shola pith craft is used to produce flowery designs, decorative head-wears of gods and goddesses, garlands, exquisite figurines like faces of gods and goddesses, elephant howdahs, peacock boats, palanquins and many more products.

Siddipet is the headquarters of the Siddipet district in Telangana. Siddipet Gollabama Sarees were originally woven with 60's–80’s cotton yarns for both the warp and weft. The border, body and pallu are embellished with extra weft “gollabama” (milkmaid) motifs and geometrical designs. These sarees are woven on pit and frame looms, using the traditional jala technique of weaving.

Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, grows in the wet and marshy areas of Madhubani district. Meera Thakur, a skilled sikki artisan, and one who practises the craft as a profession, says that the grass is collected by harijans in savan (or the rainy season), and is dried by them before being sold. The grass is also sold by the traders at the weekly haat or market and by itinerant door-to-door sellers. The rate varies but interestingly, sikki is not sold by weight, but measured by the fist. A fistful comprises of between 30 and 35 split stalks and costs around Rs. 1.50. Meera learnt the craft form her mother, Gucchi Devi, who, in turn, learnt from her mother. Although Meera's father worked alongside her mother in making sikki products, this is dominantly a women's craft. Traditionally, and even now, sikki grass products are made by the women of the household, especially brides-to-be who take these products to their husbands' home(s) after marriage as part of their dowry. Sikki containers and boxes, filled with dry-fruits and auspicious commodities are also gifted to daughters at the time of marriage.

PROCESS AND TECHNIQUE Sikki grass is first cut from near its base and then dried. The upper portion of the flowering stem is discarded. Each stalk is then split into two, and these finely sliced strips are used for making the products. The technique used for making products from sikki is the ancient and time-honoured coiling method. Interestingly the actual form is shaped with munj (succharam munja), raffia grass or khar, which is much cheaper and more abundant. This provides the basic shape and gives additional strength to the product. The munj is completely coiled and covered with sikki; it is not visible through the sikki encasing. There are no specific knots in sikki-making. The only tool used by the women is a six inches long needle-shaped iron object called takua with a rounded head, made of lac, which is used to grip the needle while coiling the grass. The object being made is held firmly, while the right hand is completely free to wield the takua. No threads, cords, or any other materials are used. The sikki is lightly wet to make it more pliable as it is coiled around the munj. It is coloured by the women by boiling it in dyes to the shade that they require. Meera Thakur states that she buys the colours from the local market, where they are sold in powder or pellet form. The grass is boiled in the colour for couple of hours. The colours that are most popular are purple, deep blue, bright yellow, magenta pink, green and red, all of them combined with the natural golden to make the final product appear a complete riot of colours.

PRODUCTS Crafting sikki products involves not only skill but also a lot of creativity. Each item is a personalised expression. There are no standard shapes or design, though pots, bowls, platters, boxes and masks are common. Innovation is rife. A brightly coloured paperweight made by Meera turns out to be grass coiled around a stone. An open-faced fruit bowl can be converted into the base for a narrow-necked, broad-based jug. The products made with sikki are not only utilitarian, but also decorative and ornamental, and often have a religious significance. For instance, Salhesh Pooja, the only festival celebrated by the Moosahar tribe in Bihar, involves items made dominantly of sikki. Large natural-coloured platters, rimmed with brightly coloured grass, and holding small boxes, lamps and fruits, all made of sikki, are used in this festival. Equally, for other religious festivals the women make the figures of the deity to be worshipped whether it be Ram, Lakshman, Sita, Ganesh, Durga Devi, Hanuman, Saraswati or Laxmi. These deities are put up in the home for worship.

The women make containers to store grain, rice and lentils, boxes to keep their clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and keep betel leaves and nuts, and containers to store their masalas (spices). Sikki products are also closely connected with the marriage ceremony and the bride-to-be is given a large collection of items in her dowry. The women also craft beautiful bangles for themselves. Masks, mobiles, and other toys are made for children. For urban markets the women make coasters, hand-held fans, bowl and boxes of all types and sizes, mobiles and three-dimensional figures. Boxes with their lids made in the shape of elephant or a peacock are popular. Two-dimensional images of birds and animals, trees and figures are also beautifully crafted. The range of products, from traditional Ganesh masks to cases for mobile phones, is astounding: a slender mirror-frame was one of the very interesting items made by Meera Thakur. Some craftswomen are now experimenting and making products only in sikki grass without the traditional munj base. The products include tablemats, pencil boxes and other items that can be used in the urban home, these products have a greater delicacy and pliability and the natural colour of the sikki gives them a pale gold glow.

PRACTITIONERS For several women artisans, like Meera Thakur, making sikki products has become a full-time occupation/profession. Meera and her mother both handle large orders (usually accompanied by samples). To fulfil these orders, they mobilise the women in their community into making the products. Gucchi Devi, in fact, teaches harijan women to make products from sikki, collects these from them, sells them at exhibitions and fairs to which she is invited, and then pays the women for their work, thus providing them with additional income, if not sources of livelihood. Form her base in Umri in Bihar (north India), Gucchi Devi has travelled to cities as far-flung as Mumbai (western India), Chennai (south India), and Guwhati (north-eastern India). This wide network is important since there is hardly any local market for sikki- even women who do not make sikki products for sale, craft for themselves whatever items of everyday use they need. Though most women to make and sell sikki products as a profession, they are more than willing to earn a little by making these in their spare time for women like Meera Thakur and Gucchi Devi, who organise the sale of the products crafted. Housework comes first for most of the women, who do not enjoy the kind of support that Meera Thakur's accountant husband gives her. With a bright smile, Meera explains how he is very proud of her work and often assists her in getting invitations to fairs and exhibitions as well as in procuring orders. Neither does he mind her travelling. Although few spouses match this kind of support, Meera says that a lot of the men are keen on the additional income that their wives earn by making sikki products-as long as household chores, the home, and the children are not neglected. Meera also enjoys teaching the craft. She is paid by the state and central governments to run teaching centres, some of them a year long. Her average (net) income from sikki is about Rs. 25,000 annually. Meera Thakur and her mother hope to teach the craft to many, and to make sikki visible, both in India and internationally - a long journey indeed for a humble grass from the interiors of Bihar.

Varanasi is famous for its brocades and use of silk in multiple unimaginable ways. One of the many splendid wonders in the Jamdani textile. Jamdani was earlier woven in cotton. Then, with the popularity of silk, Jamdani silk weaving started to take place. Earlier, shuttle pit loom was used to weave silk sarees, but now power loom has made its niche. It is woven in pure silk, or with blend of silk with cotton, gold zari, metal yarn, etc. A variety of motifs are created in jamdani, namely Chameli (jasmine), Genda (marigold flower), Pan (betel leaf),etc.

Wangkhei Phee is a traditional product from Manipur. The method of weaving this fabric is simple, and the design is developed without using any implements like dobby or jacquard. The design is first painted on the warp and then, as per the contour of the design, extra weft yarn is interlaced with the warp to create the design. The process is labour intensive and time-consuming.

The strength of this plant is reflected in its local name of hattibar, or 'elephant fence. A member of the sisal (Agave) family, this is a perennial plant, which stands 1-2 m high. The fibre is extracted from the mature outer leaves that are cut. The fibres are extracted by retting and beating. The sisal is basically used for ropes and for the weaving of porters' headbands.

RAW MATERIALS These elegant smoking pipes or hookas were made of nigalo, a variety of bamboo that grows mainly in Galkot, west of Baglung. The nigalo (typified by Drepanostachyum intermidium) is a small-statured species of bamboo with small culms. This long tubular plant has its sections separated by nodules and has bushy leaves at its tips. It is found between 1,200 m and 2,400 m and can be cultivated. In the past a large proportion of the population of Baglung earned their living by pipe-making; however it is now difficult to find many pipe-makers. The hookas traditionally had a silver plate positioned at either end with the plate on the smoking end carved to resemble the mouth of a lion or tiger.

PROCESS & TECHNIQUE To make the pipe, the nigalo branch is straightened. and its curved tube is smeared with rape-seed oil along the nodes and warmed over a fire along its entire circumference. As the pipe becomes sufficiently hot, one of its ends is pressed with the leg while the other end is stretched by hand to the required extent. This work requires great dexterity and skill. This process is repeated till the tube is fully straightened. Care is taken not to char the tube during this stretching operation. Thereafter, the tube is rubbed with ash, washed with water, and dried in the sun. Next, the carving on the pipe is done. Two kinds of tools are generally used for the carving: a sharp tool is plied to engrave rings on the pipe at a distance of 2 to 3 inches; and a pointed tool is used to engrave various designs between the rings. The tools used in the carving are of indigenous origin. The designs include the pictures of men, animals, birds, flowers, trees, serpents, and other intricate artistic patterns and designs. The carver is, in fact, an artist. The designs do not become visible in the beginning as the carving is initially done superficially on the pipe. Two days of hard work is required to engrave designs on the pipe. Powdered charcoal is mixed with oil to form a paste - the paste is applied over the designs and rubbed vigorously with a rag. The charcoal powder gets jammed into the scratched lines. When the oil is wiped off with a rag, the designs become distinct - the charcoal penetrates into the carved areas. The colour of the designs on the pipe is black and with the rubbing and wiping the pipe develops a glossy veneer. The pipe is next drilled through along its inner nodes. A long iron wire is heated till it is red-hot and then inserted inside the pipe. The hot wire causes the inner nodes to burn. (This part of the process causes a lot of smoke.) This drilling is usually done from both ends. The pipe is thick at one end and thin at the other. The pipe, which is now ready, is taken to a goldsmith who fixes silver plates at on both ends. The plate on the end that is connected with the hooka is called kulpi. The making of smoking pipe shows how seamlessly can technology and art blend. If the carving aspect of the pipe is art, and dyeing and straightening aspects constitute technology. The application of charcoal as a dye can be considered as a significant achievement.

Velvet is woven on a special loom that weaves two thicknesses of the material at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart to create the pile effect. This complicated process meant that velvet is expensive to make. Velvet can be made from either synthetic or natural fibres or a mix of these, the most expensive of which is silk. Much of the velvet available now is not made on handloom but made on machine.. Silk velvet making is rare and with its shiny sumptuous look and feel it is a luxury product when made on the handloom.

The main centres for this craft are Cuttack in Odisha and Karim Nagar in Andhra Pradesh. Traditionally the ingots were beaten on an anvil and elongated into long wire by passing them through a steel plate with apertures of different wire gauges. Each filigree jewellery piece actually combines several component parts.The space within the frame is filled with the main ribs of the pattern which is usually a creeper or flower, forming itself into small frames of circles, flower petals, and the like. Karim Nagar in Andhra Pradesh has long been noted for its silver filigree work. This traditional craft requires delicate workmanship. The products made include ashtrays, boxes, cigarette cases, trays, bowls, spoons, pill boxes, jewellery, buttons, paandans,, and perfume containers in the shape of peacocks, parrots, or fish. The jewellery made here has twisted silver wire as the base material; the articles have a lacy, trellis-like appearance which gives them a rare charm. Two or three wires are wound together after heating and then bent into various shapes to get patterns. The components are fixed together by a special method in which small square strips of an alloy of copper and silver known as tankam are spread to make the entire design, and then placed on the furnace. When well heated, dry paddy husk is sprinkled on it; this bursts into flames and melts the tankam pieces. The molten tankam penetrates into crevices and ensures the firm binding of the small pieces that comprise the whole. The block is then cooled in cold water. The smaller articles are directly moulded into various designs. For larger articles, smaller ones are made and pieced together. The main ribs are first fixed and the interstices are filled in with delicate tendrils or circular pieces which gives the article its special character. Karim Nagar has its own unique patterns and the elaboration in filigree is according to the pattern. A design with a high level of traceries is known as the Karim Nagar design. This is visible mainly in the perfume containers made in Karim Nagar, a product for which the place is famous.

Filigiri is an ancient art of crafting ornaments using very fine metal wires. This craft flourished under the patronage of kings and nawabs and was in popular use by the aristocrats of that time in India. Apart from jewellery, other ornamental crafts were produced using this technique. Idols of gods and goddesses, decorative animals and replicas of temples. Traditional items of utility lie betel nut boxes, sindoor containers and cutlery. Although post independence, there has been a gradual downfall in the practising of this craft, there are innumerable admirers of Filigiri work worldwide which are keeping the market alive. [gallery ids="176661,176662,176663,176664,176665,176667,176668,176669"]