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Craft Profile |
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Lac Bangles
Lac is a resinous substance secreted by an insect called kerria lacca. The insect hosts itself on the branches of certain trees such as kusum/papal and forms a red encrustation around them. The coated branches are cut and sieved and the material obtained is washed to remove all impurities. The resulting seedlac is used in making several products.
Lac is the source of resin, wax, and dye. It is collected from forests in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, and Assam. Lac is available in different qualities – black, brown and light golden – the latter being the best and most expensive.
Reference to lac can be found in the Vedas. The Atharvaveda provides a detailed account of lac, its production, and uses. Ayurveda stresses the importance of lac in medical therapies. India is one of the largest producers of lac and its principal exporter. The substance is widely used in food processing, textile, leather, cosmetics, varnish, and printing industries. Being bio-degradable and eco-friendly, its usage is becoming highly popular.
In handcrafts the use of lac is well known in making jewelry. Lac is used to hold the ornament when it is being set with precious/semi-precious stones or enameled. It is also filled inside ornaments to give strength and hold their shapes. In repousse work, metal sheets are placed on lac and designs hammered on the sheets. Lac is also used in making lacquerware toys and furniture.
Lac bangles from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, and Bihar are extremely popular They are made plain or with lehariya designs, or studded with glass, precious and semi-precious stones. Jaipur is a big centre for lac bangles. They are considered an auspicious symbol: in Gujarat and Rajasthan married women wear them on all auspicious occasions, with red and green being the traditional colors. Traditionally, lac bangles in Bihar are worn by married women belonging to Bhumij, Mo, Oraon, Munda, and Santal tribes. |
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