toran... an unending quest...

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Hi we are, sonal goswami and karnika singh, we interned for matsya, a craft based company that offered craft exposure and trip to Kachchh.The entire process involved a detailed overlooking of crafts prevailing in Kachchh which inspired us to present this craft journal.

We have tried to document the path we followed as best we could. Hope you enjoy the visual trip which fortunately was a live trek for us...

desert tales...

an initiative by

a journey to traditional indian crafts

www.matsyacrafts.com All rights reserved matsya 2011

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hear the craft whisper...

Every craft in Kachchh recites a story and every craftsmen holds pride in their craft.

EmbroideryThere are sixteen types of embroidery that prevails in Kachchh. Each embroidery is a major instrument that distinguishes one community from another. A person’s social status is judged in context to the kind of embroidery adorned by him/her.

Block printingHand printed textiles are prevalent in Kachchh, Block printing/Ajrakbeing the crown head of all crafts is a combination of direct and resist hand block printing.

WeavingThe craft is unique for its ability to weave fine, stylized motifs from coarse yarns like wool. The design vocabulary derives from the Sindh district, now part of Pakistan. The weaving technique is developed in a way that enables the fabric to keep the wearer warm in winter and cool during summer.

Tie and DyeA fine craft that engages men and women tying tiny knots which are printed on fabrics and then later dyed. 2

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Ajrak

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Ajrak means aaj ruk (keep it for today).

A traditional block printing technique that dates back to 200 to 300 years or even earlier.This is followed by the khatris of Sindh who are presently located at dhamdka and ajrakpur in the kachchh district of India.

Ajrak in Arabic means twilight (dusk hour with few stars in the sky). The theme of ajrak is the sky and the main element is the stars. All the colors are taken from the sky itself. For e.g. sky : blue, star : white, sun : red, night : black.

The motifs are all inspired from the natural and universal things perceived in their surroundings.

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Block printing

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One essential element of block printing is that every step is done twice i.e. on either side of the printing material.

The traditional method of making block is fairly complicated and involves many stages while the printing method involves many wooden blocks that have to be placed accurately to register the imprint of other blocks. It also involves a complex dyeing process that uses natural dyes.

The step includes washing of the fabric dyeing using a mordant, resist printing and a final conditioning procedure. The end result of indigo printing is as follows:First print turns white.Black print becomes even darker due to the indigo dye.Third print turns slightly yellowish.

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Ahir embriodery

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Ahir community in Dhaneti, a village 26 km away from Bhuj have been practicing ahir embroidery for ages. The designs are usually free flowing using freehand drawing, which are then traced on the cloth using a stencil.

The outlines are made using a chain stitch, locally known as ‘sankali’. The filling is done using a herringbone style stitch called ‘vana’. There is ample use of mirrors in this art form.

Common used motifs are peacocks, flowers, scorpions, elephants, milkmaids and parrots.

Various things made includes chanya- choli for the bride, kopat (hanging for baby cradles), door hangings, batwas, chunris, torans, etc...

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Soof-Bharath

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Soof is a counted thread styles using only one stitch. Soof means neat and clean.

The designs are highly geometric and highly stylized.

The surface satin stitch is worked from the back of the fabric by counting the weave (warp and weft) of the fabric and inserting the needle in regular and designated intervals.

The designs cannot be pre-drawn and are left to the discretion of the individual craftswomen.

Every craft women has keen understanding of design manipulation and geometric design.

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Pakko Bharath

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People in zura are involved in practicing pakko embroidery.

Pakko means solid and the motifs are somewhat similar to ahir embroidery; the only difference is that pakko is more geometric in shape.

The outline is done with a square chain stitch.The filling is a variation of a buttonhole stitch, which gives an embossed effect. Mirrors are used frequently.

Like Ahir the original design is drawn freehand and then transferred to cloth by stencil.

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Weaving

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Weaving is practiced extensively in Bhujodi, a small town 12 kms away from Bhuj. Vankar vishram valji, a national award winner is the master weaver.

He has started a private enterprise that caters to diverse product range based on traditional kutchi weaving with a contemporary style.

Wool is first processed into thread and then dyed. After dyeing a warp (tano) is made out of thread. Starch is prepared from onions and wheat flour and applied to the joints of the thread, which makes it ready for weaving. Weft (bano) is then prepared followed by bobbins.

Weaving is then carried out as per the design. After the shawl has been woven, fumtas are prepared for bandhani design (tie-dye).

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Tie and Dye

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Tie and dye (Bandhani) is another traditional craft practiced in Kachchh, Gujrat, which is carried out by the Khatri community of Kachchh.

Bandhani work involves tying and dyeing pieces of cotton or silk cloth. The main colours used in Bandhani are yellow, red, green and black.

All the intricate tying is done by hand itself. Bandhani work, after the processing is over, results into a variety of symbols including, dots, squares, waves and strips.

Bandhani pieces can be dyed by natural and artificial colours.

‘Shikari’ one of the traditional design has 50,000 dots that are tied by hand.

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Kutch Ngo’s Kachchh Ngo’s

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Kachchh a hometown of multiple crafts is been preserved and taken forward by various ngo’s operating in and around the area.

Their main objective is to cultivate the existing crafts in a way that helps rural people generate revenue and at the same time preserve the age-old heritage of India.

Ngo’s have not only proved helpful in rural development but have also blessed urban masses reach to grass roots and appreciate the same.

Ngo’s in kachchh have led to women empowerment by providing them a fixed economy and a platform to explore their skills.

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Kachchh Ngo’s

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Every ngo follows a particular system. Ngos work with different villages where they employ women for producing their craft work.

Some Ngos have museums to inspire, motivate and act as a source of inspiration to the craftsmen. They also serve as places of interest for visitors.

Design workshops are held from time to time to educate artisans and help them to understand the design perspective.

They participate in exhibitions taking place in different parts of India, such asChennai, Mumbai, Delhi, etc. They have a colour laboratory where they conduct all sorts of experimentation for natural dyes and quality control.

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Ahmedabad

The three days trip to Ahmadabad left us with wonderful memories of the city. The famous calico museum exposed varied textiles that were housed safely. We were mesmerised and inspired at the sight of the treasured art work. We also paid a visit to Gandhi ashram and in process remembered the bygones. We went for the heritage walk and as the name suggests it revealed the great Indian architecture mysteries. Being design student we ended our pilgrimage at NID. All the work that we had seen increased our motivation.

The vivid colours and beautifully decked market area have etched a lasting impression in our hearts.

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Here we stop the pen to remember all the people whose sheer effort and humble participation helped document the journey undertaken.

We extend our very first gratitude to the different craftsmen and NGO’s of Kachchh who whole heartedly welcomed us and took us through the wonderful journey of India’s rich heritage.

We owe our love and respect to all the people we met during our journey and as well as those who unknowingly contributed to this compilation.

Last but not the least a heartfelt thank you is extended to ‘matsya’ for giving us this wonderful opportunity to explore and learn throughout the journey that has now marked its beginning....

bhale wela...aachija (in local kachchhi language means come again)

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The craft tales is an attempt to document a craft of a particular region. The entire document was conceptualized and, designed by matsya along with the interns of NIFT Shillong Sonal & Karnika. matsya provides the opportunity to learn and, explore, your own passion & inner skills through creative & design based projects. We are open to new ideas & collaborating with anyone interested.Join the vibrant journey of matsya.........

Neha Gandhi

neha gandhi