Pipli applique work - the vibrant craft from Orissa

Orissa is one of those states of India that is world renowned for its handicrafts. One of the most popular crafts of Orissa is the gorgeous Appliqué technique work that comes from the town of Pipli. In the local slang, this technique of patching cloth design is usually known as “Chandua”.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Pipli is a small town, situated about 40 kilometers from Puri, Orissa. The income of this town is essentially dependent on the sale of its handicrafts of which the appliqué works are the main source. 


Appliqué is a French technique that basically cuts up various colored fabrics which are then sewn on to the surface of another foundation fabric. It was first discovered when clothes were ripped and they needed to be sewn over in order to fix them. But essentially it has now developed into a needlework technique in which smaller pieces of fabric, materials like small mirrors and other forms of embroidery are sewn onto a bigger piece of cloth to create designs and patterns.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Many products are doled out by this small town. The streets are kaleidoscope of colors; choc-a-bloc of Trasa banners, Chandua-canopies, Chhattri-umbrellas, animal puppets, wall hangings, covers for shrines, parasols, bags, pouches, cushion covers and lanterns. Samiana or canopies and chhattri/umbrellas carry the most appliqué techniques of the utmost artistic skills. These crafts are mostly inherited, comes down from family to family. Pipli applique technique mostly uses cut patches of cloth which are then designed usually in flower, birds and animal patterns. They then are sewn into bedcovers, cushions, lamp shades, etc. The colors that are usually used are the four primary colors: black, white, red and yellow but over time other colors have been introduced to enliven the craft.


Pipli Appliqué formed the backbone of Orissa’s craft industry initially but over the years they had fallen into decline until recently it found its way back to popularity by catering to a wider array of customer needs. Usually casement, suede and velvet goes in the making of Pipli appliqués with women acting as the main designers of the work while the men merely involving themselves in the cutting of the cloth stylistically.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

There has been a lot of demand for Pipli works and one of the major sources of income for these artisans are the Pipli appliqué lamp. A lot of effort goes in the making of something that looks really simple and stylish. There’s a lot of cutting and sewing involved apart from the embroidery and mirror work that goes into the making of a lampshade.


Pipli lampshades are intricately made and the time taken to put up a lampshade is entirely dependent on the complexity of the pattern. Usually a smaller sized lampshade takes about a day but sometimes the bigger pieces with more intricate workings of patterns and designs take up about two to three months.




Picture source: dsource.in

 

The designing of the lampshades begins with a simple stenciling of the size of the lampshade required and then cutting the shape out on a cardboard paper. The stencil outlines are then traced out neatly over the cloth. The important thing to note
is the artisans’ need to preserve the cloth because they believe in minimal wastage and try to rescue and recycle as much cloth and material as possible. The traced outlines are then cut onto many identical layers of cloth which then are bundled together. This makes it easy to store and use them when required.

Picture source: dsource.in

Lampshades usually make use of a coarse and low cost material cloth onto which the appliqués are then machine stitched in simple and decorative patterns. Then the artisans make use of wooden or iron rings to mould it into the shape of the lampshade. And once the cloth is stitched onto it the embellished mirrors are stacked onto it using simple stitching process. Many artisans even add borders and other forms of embellishment to enhance the beauty of the lampshades.

Picture source: dsource.in

These lampshades are usually prepared in bulk because they are extensively used during festivals. But since they have even picked up a market in many cities, they are constantly in demand. This has meant a steady means of employment for many men and women in the town of Pipli.

Picture source: dsource.in

Amazingly, in lampshades alone, over 1000 designs and patterns are available. This coupled with the fact that they produce the most serene ambience has ensured that these lampshades won’t go out of trend for a very
long time.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

A growing demand for Pipli art, especially by foreign tourists has resurrected this previously neglected cottage industry. Machine stitching has also caught up with the artisans of this town which is a proud achievement for these workers. But the people of this town are mostly proud of their handcrafted achievements because that is the purest way of keeping their art heritage alive.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Check out some gorgeous Pipli applique lampshades currently available on The Color Caravan eStore.


Reference: Handmade in India, dsource.in, orissa.com

Kantha Embroidery

Kantha hails from the regions of erstwhile East Bengal, present day West Bengal and Bihar. Essentially a woman's art, it is a form of patched, quilted and vividly embroidered textile made entirely out of used cloth.


It originated from the way in which Bengali housewives mended old clothes by taking out a strand of thread from the colorful border of their saris and making simple designs with them. Old saris and dhotis are used to make handmade gifts for family and friends.
   

Picture Credit: Katna's Katha

The Sanskrit word ‘kontha’ means 'rags.' One of the many stories regarding the origin of the craft links it to Lord Buddha and his disciples, who used to cover themselves with garments made from discarded rags that were patched and sewn together. The oldest extant Kantha date from the early 19th century and is embroidered with blue, black and red threads that were unraveled from sari borders. Because they were salvaged from used garments that had been frequently laundered, the colors tend to be muted.

The original craft process involves layering worn clothes together and binding them with variations of the simple running stitch. This process is called Kantha quilting. Even though the craft uses only one kind of stitch, it is the numerous variations and intricacy with which it is executed that make the art beautiful. Motifs used in embroidery may be geometric or very elaborate in nature. Flowers, tress, gods and goddesses make for the more popular motifs used.

Picture credit: embroiderytechnique.blogspot.in

Often Kantha tells a story through its embroidery of different tales using symbolic motifs, thereby receiving its name from the Hindi word 'Katha' or story.


Contemporary Katha doesn’t necessarily follow this process. The embroidery has been used on various products like saris, cloth, bed sheets, cushion covers etc. primarily on cotton or silk.



Picture credit: The Color Caravan

 The Color Caravan has worked to co-create Kantha cushion covers with the women of our partner NGO in Uttarakhand who are 'exceptionally' good with Kantha embroidery, patchwork & applique work.

Craftswomen at our partner NGO.

Craftswomen at our partner NGO.

Craftswoman at our partner NGO.

Our creation has adapted the traditional Kantha stitch in a more contemporary form, using  Bhagalpur silk and cotton cloth. 









Check out our complete collection on our eStore www.thecolorcaravan.com

 (The Color Caravan the copyrights for all the photographs in this post unless otherwise mentioned.)

Tribal Jewelry in India

Untouched by the modern trends of the world, India homes over 85 million tribal people, the largest population of indigenous people in a country in the world. These indigenous people have endowed the country with a deep rooted cultural heritage, derived from nature, and preserved for centuries.

pic source: ihavetravellust.wordpress.com

 



Customs and traditions prevalent in these tribes are most visible in their physical demeanor. Their attire depends on what is locally available and the arts and crafts. Most local customs dictate the tribes’ folk to wear ornaments like Khinwa (ear tops), Phuli (large nose ring), Muhar Mala (coin necklace) and Chude (bangles) made of gold, silver, aluminum, brass, clay, lead and wood.

 

             

 

 

pic source: kamat.com

The growing dependency on modern technology has led these tribes to lag behind socially and economically. More than 50% of these people have no access to economic assets like communication and transport and thus, live below the poverty line. In these circumstances they strive to maintain their livelihood, taking only what is required. In times of such economic strife, the government along with many organizations has tried to encourage revenue generating activities amongst different tribes. They are based on the locally available resources so as to create gainful employment for the tribesmen, without disrupting the delicate balance that they live in. Ever since then, the commercial sale of tribal crafts, especially jewelry, has been given a lot of support. Made using various mediums like bone, shell, clay, wood and crude metal; tribal jewelry holds a distinct rustic and earthy charm for the urban market; its crude finish an aspect of beauty itself.

 

Pic credit: The Color Caravan

Pic credit: The Color Caravan

Pic credit: The Color Caravan

 

 

Tribes like the Santhals from Central India, Bhils from Rajasthan, Bhutia, Khasi, Jaintia , Wancho & Konyak of northeast India among many others are now producing such jewelry for commercial purposes. Their interests are protected by the Government lest they may fall prey to exploitation. 

 

With a sudden surge in the market demand for indigenous craft, tribal designs and their jewelry, this trade has experienced growth.

Check out some gorgeous pieces of tribal jewelry currently available on The Color Caravan eStore.

 

 

Reference: Tribes India,

Bagh - the hand block printing craft of Bagh, Madhya Pradesh

This bold and vibrant hand block Bagh printing has its origins in Bagh village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh and from where it also derives its name ‘Bagh prints’. This unique craft was started by the Chhippas of the Khatri community who migrated to Bagh around 400 years ago  from Larkana is Sind which is famous for its Ajrak prints.

Bagh was chosen as a suitable place for this craft as the high copper content in the waters of Bagh River adds depth to the color.

Like most handicrafts, Bagh printing is a tedious and time-consuming process but the end results are worth the wait. The whole process of block printing involves '15 STEPS' and a single Bagh print composition may comprise of as many as 1300 different block impressions.

Picture Credit: MP Tourism

Picture Credit: MP Tourism

The process starts by treating the fabric by soaking it in raw sea salt, non-refined castor oil and goat dung; it is then dried three times in succession.

Picture Credit: Hand Block Print India

Picture Credit: Hand Block Print India

 After the final drying the cloth is dipped in a solution of harada or baheda powder. After drying the cloth again for fifteen days, it is washed in flowing river water and finally boiled in water mixed with dhavdi flowers and roots of aal tree in a copper vessel to give colors a deep hue.



Picture Credit: Hand Block Print India

Picture Credit: Hand Block Print India

Bagh prints are characterized by geometrical patterns of floral motifs, usually using tones of black, red and blue. Many of the Bagh print motifs are imitations of the drawings made by the Pandavas during their stay in the caves in exile.


Making the printing blocks is a tricky task, wherein teak blocks are carved patiently with sharp carpentry tools. They are immersed in oil for days upon completion to prevent insect attacks.

Natural colors are extracted through various raw materials. Tamarind seed mixed with alum creates the characteristic red color of Bagh and black color is obtained by leaving a mixture of iron fillings and jaggery together for a fortnight. Whilst the artists try to experiment with new colors using peels of different fruit and vegetables, the traditional dyes still yield the best result, being tried and tested for years.

Picture Credit: The Color Caravan

Picture Credit: The Color Caravan

Picture Credit: The Color Caravan

Picture Credit: The Color Caravan

Owing to the process, the craftsmen of Bagh manage to produce only 1,000 to 1,500 meters of cloth in a month.

Imitation prints have flooded the market and can easily mass produce 20,000 meters of cloth a month. Hence, these imitation prints are threatening this craft, its value being lost in the dilution of quality process.

Authentic Bagh prints have a distinctive smell of alizarin (organic dye).

The Color Caravan has partnered with the Bagh block print artists of the Khatri community to expand the reach and extent of this craft form.
 

Picture Credit: The Color Caravan

Check out our complete range of casual Bagh Block Print Shirts for men on our eStore.

Chikankari : a delicate embroidery technique from Oudh

 

Native to the city of Nawabs - Lucknow, earlier known as Oudh or Awadh, Chikankari embroidery dates back to the 17th century when it was introduced as a court craft by the Mughal empress, Noor Jahan.

 
Over time it spread to the cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Dhaka, Varanasi and Bhopal when court patronage was offered to the artisans. However, Awadh remained the home of this art as the finely embroidered Muslins of Chikan became a prescribed requirement of the Mughal Court.

 
 
 The word chikan comes from the Persian word chikaan meaning drapery.
 
Originally done on Muslin cloth with raw thread, white on white, Chikankari is a form of subtle embroidery in which minute and delicate stitches stand out as textural contrasts, shadows and traceries. In a unique form of this art, 'anokhi chikan' the stitches do not appear at the back.

International Trade fairs in the nineteenth century such as 'The Calcutta International Exhibition of 1883-84' and 'The Indian and Colonial exhibition of 1886' imparted a huge impetus to the universal demand for chikankari. It was no longer dependent on court patronage as commercialized demand grew.

Like most handicrafts, Chikan embroidery undergoes a laborious process.

The pattern to be embroidered is stamped onto the fabric by hand with a wooden pattern block that has been coated with neel (indigo).

 
The fabric now has the outlines of the designs that will be embroidered into the delicate ‘shadow’ embroidery motifs that are the defining feature of Chikankari.

  

 

After this the embroidered product is washed. Washing is very important. After the product goes through the preceding steps it becomes so dirty that the finer flaws are not seen unless it is washed. Clipping extra threads, fixing any flaws, and putting finishing touches on product are some of the final steps.

Chikankari has six basic stitches and 'over thirty-five' other traditional stitches used in various combinations based on what the pattern to be embroidered requires. 
 
 
 

 
The names of some of these stitches are phanda, chana patti, ghaas patti, bijli, jaali, tepchi, bakhiya, hool, zanzeera, rahet, banaarsi, kharau, keel kangan, bubul and hath kadi.
 
 

Depending on the type of garment and the pattern to be embroidered the entire process happens in a series of stages over a period of months or even years.

Also, the embroidery itself is divided among the artisans, with pairs or groups of three or more specializing in one particular stitch. When one group completes their particular stitch for a garment, it is passed on to the next group to add their specialty stitch.

 
 
After surviving the loss of royal patronage, Chikankari suffered deeply at the hands of commercialization and lost its way in mediocrity  as traders flooded the markets with coarse work and thoughtless design owing to growing demand in the 1980s.

Off late, organizations have intervened with sensitive design solutions and have worked with artisans devoted to Chikankari to re-create its original charm.


The Color Caravan along with its partner organization in Lucknow is striving to do the same, shaping the craft to the needs and demands of its patrons whilst maintaining its authenticity and intricacy.

Check out some elegant Chikankari stoles created by craftspeople of our partner organization on our eStore.


(The Color Caravan owns the copyright for all the photographs in this post. Cannot be used in any form without written permission.)