Though digital design is the trend, this Independence Day, we thought it would be great to look back at 7 desi craft forms that have endured through time. The artisans who work on the crafts are humble villagers who keep these styles alive through tedious and thorough work. They create beautiful and practical items for everyday use.
IndieFolio reached out to Aditi Dubey, Founder and Deepti Sawant, Business Executive of Ruas, a company that makes it possible for people to buy the crafts that come in these different styles. Their aim to preserve these styles from completely dying out. They say that since every product is made by hand, no two items are ever perfectly alike. What better day to talk about designs that have always been uniquely Indian than our Independence Day?
Suf
Suf is a time-consuming embroidery based on the triangle shape called a “suf.” The embroidery is counted on the warp and the stitch is worked from the back. Motifs can never be drawn. Each design is created through imagination and counts in several patterns. Every artisan displays amazing dexterity, imagination, skill and patience.
It is a counted thread style, where the warp and the weft of the fabric are counted and then the embroidery is done the stitch itself is called Soof which means clean and neat, the designs are geometric with a predominance of a chevron design called “leher” or waves. Any representational motifs are highly stylized. The designs for Suf embroidery cannot be pre-drawn and are left to the discretion of the individual craftswomen who need a good grasp of geometry to work out their designs.
Ahir
With its flowing style, this embroidery is practised by Ahir tribes in several villages of Kutch. It is considered that the Ahir tribe are descendants of Lord Krishna and it is supposed that centuries ago the community migrated with him from Mathura. More than a tradition Ahir is a way of life the tribe, it is their way of living and earning. They have been practising this craft form since centuries. One can see several patterns inspired by the environment in their designs.
The designs are first sketched on the fabric with “geru” and then the embroidery is done on the fabrics. Peacocks, parrots, scorpions, elephants, flower and tear drop shapes are signatures forms of Ahir embroidery, the circular shape is known as “dhungo”. as they inspired by the flora and fauna around them. The details on the outermost layers are called “Kanta” as it resembles the ‘Babool tree’ thorn, “dana” is the stitch to fill in gaps while “bakhiya” is what the detailing stitch is called, the chain stitches or “sankali” serve as the outline for the “herringbone stitch or vana”. They use untwisted silk thread for the embroidery and twisted silk for the “saankdi” stitch.
Ahir embroidery can be seen on bags, dresses bed-sheets, wall hangings etc., they make embroidered straps so one can buy them and make something else if they like. Ahir is mostly seen on silk, cotton, Rayon and wool fabrics.
Rabari
Rabari embroidery uses several shapes of mirrors in several patterns of stitches. Its chain stitch style makes it unique and stunning. Practiced by the Rabari communities since ages, it is colourful and exquisite.
Prominent patterns adapted from mythology are made in several shapes embroidered with a square chain interlaced with buttonhole stitches fixed with mirrors. Khadi material in maroon color is used to make door hangings, canopies, wall decorations, etc. It is also said that the Rabaris developed a regional style which was a complete composite style unlike other types then in vogue in Kutch. The “mochi” embroidery style with chain stitch and parrot circle pattern’s influenced their styles.
There are is a vast range of Rabari tribes that range from Kutch to Rajasthan, the Rabari embroidery is mainly consisting of mirror work of different sizes and colours. Rabari’s are mostly nomadic and haven’t shared their embroidery secrets with the people around them, their hands have a skill no other tribe does, and no matter where they settle their work still is Kutchi in nature. The Rabari embroidery is world known and has a become a major source of income for the tribes in Kutch and they create contemporary style embroideries for their customers, they are open to new ideas and designs to explore their art and learn more from the world outside their villages and surroundings.
Jat
Jat women create beautiful and manual embroidery, the power of Jat embroidery approaches mostly from the closely stitched pattern that completely plasters the cloth. Jat women are usually busy in house work, preparing fodder for the cattle in addition to preparing food for their men, today they are famous for the microscopic mirror work that has found a niche in the fashion market.
The Jats are descendants from ancient pastoral tribes of the Indus Delta region of Sindh, where some members of the tribe still reside. Some that were assimilated from the later waves of migration and who remain in Sindh are referred to as the Balochi Jats.
Chamba Rumal
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom named Chamba in what would be modern day Himachal Pradesh. In this kingdom, they made beautiful rumals (handkerchiefs) that were given as gifts on wedding days. The detail in the patterns and the technique to make them coupled with their beauty made them extremely desired during the times when royalty ruled the land.
To make the designs, intricate lines are made on a square or rectangularly shaped muslin cloth. Once the designs are completed, hand-made untwined silk is stitched onto the fabric. The designs are planned so that both sides of the fabric have a beautiful image to display.
Kasuti
By Kannadiga under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kasuti is a style that dates back to the 17th century. It involves very intricate work and is practised in Karnataka. The word comes from two words ‘kai’ meaning hand and ‘suti’ meaning cotton. There is a high focus on sustainability as only locally sourced materials are used in Kasuti crafts.
The artisans draw their work on paper before settling down to create their patterns on a saree. Flowers, rangoli patterns and animal prints like elephants and peacocks are commonly seen.
Phulkari
Phulkari as a style comes from Punjab and translates literally into ‘flower craft’ but could also be taken to mean floral embroidery. ‘Hence, it’s common to see the motifs of flowers in Phulkari creations. There are no religious or political connections represented here. The connection to nature is most important when creating a design. It’s the bright colours and use of long and short stitches that makes Phulkari unique and indigenous. It was a style which every Punjabi woman was well-versed in because they every woman used to gather and speak together while working on Phulkari clothes.
However, it lost its popularity during the partition of India and Pakistan. This dip did not last long and a resurgence in demand for Phulkari began again soon after. The trouble now is finding authentic hand-made Phulkari clothes. This craft is often used for shawls, scarves and veils.
It’s not easy to get your hands on these amazing crafts but Ruas is trying to do just that. They have a store on the Ruas website where you can get your hands on a hand-made product designed by a rural artisan. We’re gratefful for the knowledge they provided us with and we hope you have a Happy Independence Day.
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