By SAT News Desk
MELBOURNE, 2 October 2020: What was the last traditional handicraft product you came across? Was it a coir mat, a brass sculpture, an earthen pot, or maybe a silk saree? Everywhere you look, this integral part of Indian culture is easily found. However, many of these unique traditional handicrafts originate from remote towns and villages, where it’s easy for an artform to die out due to lack of support and visibility. Here’s a look at five rare traditional handicrafts:
Made of tall grass reeds that grow along marshy river beds, the Pattamadai pai[1](mat) has been made in Pattamadai village of Tamil Nadu for over a hundred years. The silky grass is boiled, washed and dyed with natural colours before it is handwoven into mats. Widely admired, these precious mats were even presented to Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
Ajrakh Block Printing
Originating from Ajrakhpur village in Gujarat, Ajrakh block printing has been passed down from generation to generation for almost 3000 years[2]. In fact, many of the traditional block designs are from Mohenjo-daro times! Wooden blocks are hand-carved into intricate stamps and dipped into natural dyes made of haldi, mehendi, pomegranate, indigo, iron and mud.
Cheriyal Scrolls
One of the oldest forms of storytelling, Cheriyal art has been practiced since the 12th century[3] in a village less than 100 kilometres from Hyderabad! The colourful paintings are done on naturally-treated Khadi cloth that is cut into scrolls, and painted using dyes made of seashell powder, stones, haldi, indigo and soot. Today, Cheriyal artisans are fighting to keep the art alive.
Longpi Pottery
First created for royalty by Manipur’s Tangkhul Naga tribe from Longpi village, Longpi pottery also known as blackstone pottery, is a completely handmade and laborious art. Beautiful black crockery is crafted from serpentinite stone that has to be carried 20 kilometers[4] from the Longpi riverbanks. The stone is crushed, mixed with water, moulded and baked at 900 degrees.
Dhokra Art
Jhara craftsmen from the tribal village of Ektaal in Chhattisgarh, are some of the oldest artisans of traditional Dhokra art. The metal sculpting art is traditionally done using a 6000 year-old[5] lost-wax metal casting technique that uses clay, natural resin, molten metal and beeswax. Today, the Ektaal artisans produce figurines, lamps, life-scenes and jewelry.
Whether it’s to capture stories of ancestors, depict religious tales, have a functional purpose or be purely decorative, traditional handicrafts not only provide a sustainable livelihood, they also exist in harmony with their environment.
We must do our bit to ensure these valuable crafts aren’t lost with time, especially when a lack of markets and customers may lead artisans to take up unsustainable livelihoods. This vulnerable community needs support to keep their practice alive.
Let’s work towards better – a better future for all !!!
Sources
[1]https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/pattamadai-mats/article6886560.ece
[2]https://medium.com/@VinitaMathur/ajrakh-print-the-classic-print-10ec95e48be6
[3]https://scroll.in/magazine/869992/moving-from-scrolls-to-key-chains-an-art-form-from-telangana-fights-to-stay-relevant
[4]https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/whats-so-special-about-manipurs-longpi-pottery/article29466932.ece
[5]https://www.britannica.com/technology/lost-wax-process
Source- greenpeace.org/India
