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Craft Profile |
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Embroidery of India
Embroidery is traditionally done by women belonging to the villages. Embroidery has a very long history in the Indian sub-continent. The earliest Indian needles were excavated at Mohenjadaro and are datable to about 2000 BC The patterns of textiles represented in early sculptures suggest that sophisticated weaving, printing and embroidery techniques were known from a very early period.
In traditions of Embroidery and dress, one can ‘read’ the complicated ethnic and caste relationships that characterize the social matrix of the people. An embroidery style is a manifest expression of the world of the artisan. Each type represents a particular people or group of people in one place at a point in time. Each unique combination of stitches, motifs, patterns and colours conveys the historical experiences of the people who make and use it.
Skills and patterns are transferred through generations over hundreds of years. Thus the distinctive styles of domestic embroidery vary from caste to caste rather than from village to village.
Embroidery plays a major ritual role in marriage. In many communities, a girl prepares items for her trousseau throughout her childhood. Her ability as an embroideress is important in her gaining a husband, and the embroidered trousseau is publicly displayed to demonstrate her skill and the textile wealth she is bringing to the marriage. The embroideries mainly consist of a lifetime’s supply of clothing for the bride and gifts for the family (embroidered beetle bag, cover for her kohl box, embroidered cover for a comb for her husband, linen for the bed).
Apart from contributing to the substantial economic exchange required for marriage, embroideries created by village women bring a spark of color into objects of their every day and ritual use. The colorful sparkling garments and household decorations, bags, animal trappings and even games - portable objects suited to mobile life - have traditionally been used to create festivity on auspicious occasions, to honor deities who granted boons, or to generate wealth. Using hours of time available after essential chores, women pastoralists, agriculturists and artisans - Hindu, Muslim, Jain - all transform inexpensive available cloth and thread into highly valued currency.
Aari Embroidery- India has long been known for its fine traditions in hand embroidery. The craft of Aari embroidery has existed in India from the 12th century. Aari embroidery is extremely fine and has a refined elegance that is timeless and classic. The designs are of Mughal origin, and the art flourished under the patronage of the Mughal court. The main tool used in this style of embroidery is the aari, a hooked needle, from which the style gets its name. By using subtle gradations of color the figures and motifs in the designs can be highly representational. Aari embroidery is also known as khatia work. This is because the embroidery is done on a frame that is constructed on the principles of the local khatia or cot. Aari embroidery is said to have originated in Barabanki.
Chikankari Embroidery - Chikankari, a craft more than 200 years old, is the delicate art of embroidery traditionally practiced in Lucknow. It was traditionally done on cotton fabric, with the design marked with wooden blocks in removable colors. The embroidery is mainly done on white fabric using white thread. Today colors are also used, as are also different types of fabric. However the traditional stitching techniques continue to be used. |
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