NCERT Textbook: Crafts Heritage (Living Craft Traditions of India) | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


An artisan drawing before
carving on wood
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts
Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture
Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
Page 2


An artisan drawing before
carving on wood
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts
Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture
Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
8 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Wall and floor decoration in
a house, Jharkhand
Detail of calligraphy in stone,
Qutub Minar, New Delhi
part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not
just valuable for their aesthetic quality, but as objects
produced by traditional craftsmen and women for
ceremonial and religious purposes, and most importantly
as a means of livelihood.
Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts
This creative spirit in the midst of the struggle for survival
is one of the unique and significant distinguishing features
between men and beasts. Why else do the forest
communities, even today, lay so much store by painting
the inside or outside of their homes, or adorning their bodies
with decorative tattoos or ornaments? Why are people
affected, and often spiritually guided, by colours? Why does
a woman fashion an attractive handle for the broom she
uses to clean her home and why does she spend time
invoking the blessings of the gods through her painted
designs on her kitchen floor?
Crafts through the Ages
India has been greatly blessed by having a many-layered,
culturally diverse, rich heritage of craft skills influenced
by historical events combining with local practices and
religious beliefs. These influences have come from multiple
sources. Changes and enrichment have taken place from
trade movements such as those on the Silk Route, which
brought demands and resources from the Middle East and
Central Asia to the Far East, up to China. The skill of
weaving carpets and superior forms of shawls was brought
to Kashmir by the pre-Moghul king, Zain-ul-Abedin. Persian
artisans enriched carpet-weaving and shawl-making
according to the needs of Indian courts. On the other hand,
the static nature of the Hindu caste system has kept many
craft forms alive merely because the artisan had no
opportunity to move away to other professions as social
boundaries were rigid and hierarchical. The courts of
various maharajas encouraged excellence in many courtly
crafts connected with the making of armoury or jewellery.
Temples kept alive the finest metal work, stone carving,
mural painting and even textile weaving right across India,
and particularly in South India. Here the Kammalars who
claimed descent from the five divine artisan sons of Lord
Visvakarma, followed the Shilpa Shastras, the technical
tomes on the practice of art in Sanskrit. The high priests
among the artisans follow these rules even today when
creating large vessels out of metal alloys for temple use.
The element of religiosity in the practice of craft work spans
Page 3


An artisan drawing before
carving on wood
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts
Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture
Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
8 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Wall and floor decoration in
a house, Jharkhand
Detail of calligraphy in stone,
Qutub Minar, New Delhi
part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not
just valuable for their aesthetic quality, but as objects
produced by traditional craftsmen and women for
ceremonial and religious purposes, and most importantly
as a means of livelihood.
Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts
This creative spirit in the midst of the struggle for survival
is one of the unique and significant distinguishing features
between men and beasts. Why else do the forest
communities, even today, lay so much store by painting
the inside or outside of their homes, or adorning their bodies
with decorative tattoos or ornaments? Why are people
affected, and often spiritually guided, by colours? Why does
a woman fashion an attractive handle for the broom she
uses to clean her home and why does she spend time
invoking the blessings of the gods through her painted
designs on her kitchen floor?
Crafts through the Ages
India has been greatly blessed by having a many-layered,
culturally diverse, rich heritage of craft skills influenced
by historical events combining with local practices and
religious beliefs. These influences have come from multiple
sources. Changes and enrichment have taken place from
trade movements such as those on the Silk Route, which
brought demands and resources from the Middle East and
Central Asia to the Far East, up to China. The skill of
weaving carpets and superior forms of shawls was brought
to Kashmir by the pre-Moghul king, Zain-ul-Abedin. Persian
artisans enriched carpet-weaving and shawl-making
according to the needs of Indian courts. On the other hand,
the static nature of the Hindu caste system has kept many
craft forms alive merely because the artisan had no
opportunity to move away to other professions as social
boundaries were rigid and hierarchical. The courts of
various maharajas encouraged excellence in many courtly
crafts connected with the making of armoury or jewellery.
Temples kept alive the finest metal work, stone carving,
mural painting and even textile weaving right across India,
and particularly in South India. Here the Kammalars who
claimed descent from the five divine artisan sons of Lord
Visvakarma, followed the Shilpa Shastras, the technical
tomes on the practice of art in Sanskrit. The high priests
among the artisans follow these rules even today when
creating large vessels out of metal alloys for temple use.
The element of religiosity in the practice of craft work spans
9 CRAFTS HERITAGE
A Kutchi woman
embroidering
many regions and communities since the practice of their
art is seen as a striving for the ideal through the dedication
of their skill to the gods. It is seen as manís process of
reaching the epitome of his own capability in the pursuit of
excellence, and doing this by dedicating it to a higher being
in the spirit of worship. The silken temple cloths in South
India are woven to drape the stone images of the gods, and
the gharchola and patola of Gujarat are mandatory
purchases for a trousseau and are valued highly partly
because the weavers belong to high-caste families. Even
old and torn pieces are used to cover religious objects in
the prayer room of a house.
Tribal Crafts
Tribal communities comprise about eight per cent of the
population of India. Spread out in different parts of the
country, they have continued with ancient cultural
practices related to their specific ways of life. In Jammu
and Kashmir, the Gujjars and Bakarwals are mountain
tribes who spend their lives crossing over from one side of
the mountains to the other in search of grass for their
sheep and goats. Their jewellery, blankets, embroidered
caps and tunics, saddle bags and sundry animal accessories
are similar to the artifacts of the people of Afghanistan,
Iran, Iraq and the smaller countries of Central Asia. The
robust manner of the people and the heavily ornamented
women folk reflect as far down in India as Saurashtra and
the desert regions of Kutch in Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
Mirror work in embroidery stems from the use of mica from
the desert sands in the garments of those who liked heavy
and shining ornamentation. People of nomadic tribes usually
wore all that they had on their person. They found that the
sun reflected in the mica, making this an accessory that
embellished their garment suitably without any cost. Each
group developed its own style of embroidery and it is this
that can still be clearly seen in the many communities
that inhabit the western region of India. Both, the identity
of the tribe and the marital status of a woman, are embedded
in the style of the embroidery and the colour and cut of the
upper bodice worn by its women. As communities move in
search of greener pastures for their sheep, cattle and camels
across desert sands, a mere glance is enough to identify
their tribe and profession.
The various tribes inhabiting the north-east of India live
among the rich bamboo forests where the finest quality of
skill in the weaving of bamboo, cane and other wild grasses
can be seen. This group links itself culturally to the people
Page 4


An artisan drawing before
carving on wood
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts
Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture
Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
8 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Wall and floor decoration in
a house, Jharkhand
Detail of calligraphy in stone,
Qutub Minar, New Delhi
part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not
just valuable for their aesthetic quality, but as objects
produced by traditional craftsmen and women for
ceremonial and religious purposes, and most importantly
as a means of livelihood.
Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts
This creative spirit in the midst of the struggle for survival
is one of the unique and significant distinguishing features
between men and beasts. Why else do the forest
communities, even today, lay so much store by painting
the inside or outside of their homes, or adorning their bodies
with decorative tattoos or ornaments? Why are people
affected, and often spiritually guided, by colours? Why does
a woman fashion an attractive handle for the broom she
uses to clean her home and why does she spend time
invoking the blessings of the gods through her painted
designs on her kitchen floor?
Crafts through the Ages
India has been greatly blessed by having a many-layered,
culturally diverse, rich heritage of craft skills influenced
by historical events combining with local practices and
religious beliefs. These influences have come from multiple
sources. Changes and enrichment have taken place from
trade movements such as those on the Silk Route, which
brought demands and resources from the Middle East and
Central Asia to the Far East, up to China. The skill of
weaving carpets and superior forms of shawls was brought
to Kashmir by the pre-Moghul king, Zain-ul-Abedin. Persian
artisans enriched carpet-weaving and shawl-making
according to the needs of Indian courts. On the other hand,
the static nature of the Hindu caste system has kept many
craft forms alive merely because the artisan had no
opportunity to move away to other professions as social
boundaries were rigid and hierarchical. The courts of
various maharajas encouraged excellence in many courtly
crafts connected with the making of armoury or jewellery.
Temples kept alive the finest metal work, stone carving,
mural painting and even textile weaving right across India,
and particularly in South India. Here the Kammalars who
claimed descent from the five divine artisan sons of Lord
Visvakarma, followed the Shilpa Shastras, the technical
tomes on the practice of art in Sanskrit. The high priests
among the artisans follow these rules even today when
creating large vessels out of metal alloys for temple use.
The element of religiosity in the practice of craft work spans
9 CRAFTS HERITAGE
A Kutchi woman
embroidering
many regions and communities since the practice of their
art is seen as a striving for the ideal through the dedication
of their skill to the gods. It is seen as manís process of
reaching the epitome of his own capability in the pursuit of
excellence, and doing this by dedicating it to a higher being
in the spirit of worship. The silken temple cloths in South
India are woven to drape the stone images of the gods, and
the gharchola and patola of Gujarat are mandatory
purchases for a trousseau and are valued highly partly
because the weavers belong to high-caste families. Even
old and torn pieces are used to cover religious objects in
the prayer room of a house.
Tribal Crafts
Tribal communities comprise about eight per cent of the
population of India. Spread out in different parts of the
country, they have continued with ancient cultural
practices related to their specific ways of life. In Jammu
and Kashmir, the Gujjars and Bakarwals are mountain
tribes who spend their lives crossing over from one side of
the mountains to the other in search of grass for their
sheep and goats. Their jewellery, blankets, embroidered
caps and tunics, saddle bags and sundry animal accessories
are similar to the artifacts of the people of Afghanistan,
Iran, Iraq and the smaller countries of Central Asia. The
robust manner of the people and the heavily ornamented
women folk reflect as far down in India as Saurashtra and
the desert regions of Kutch in Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
Mirror work in embroidery stems from the use of mica from
the desert sands in the garments of those who liked heavy
and shining ornamentation. People of nomadic tribes usually
wore all that they had on their person. They found that the
sun reflected in the mica, making this an accessory that
embellished their garment suitably without any cost. Each
group developed its own style of embroidery and it is this
that can still be clearly seen in the many communities
that inhabit the western region of India. Both, the identity
of the tribe and the marital status of a woman, are embedded
in the style of the embroidery and the colour and cut of the
upper bodice worn by its women. As communities move in
search of greener pastures for their sheep, cattle and camels
across desert sands, a mere glance is enough to identify
their tribe and profession.
The various tribes inhabiting the north-east of India live
among the rich bamboo forests where the finest quality of
skill in the weaving of bamboo, cane and other wild grasses
can be seen. This group links itself culturally to the people
10 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Bamboo basket, Vietnam
of Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Japan
and China, where mat-weaving and basketry are of the
highest quality. Handloom weaving too is a common skill
of this region. Apart from weaving ceremonial shawls and
lungis, headscarves and waist belts, small scarves for
ceremonial greetings are woven in almost every household.
These cloths are revered for many reasons: they establish
the identity of the tribe or the status of the wearer, they
serve as ëwelcomeí scarves to greet a visitor, they honour
the achievements of a chieftain, and they pass on skills
from generation to generation through their womenfolk.
Other tribes are found in Central and South India,
spread across the States of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and to some extent, in Kerala. In
each region they have different cultural practices and
urbanisation has affected the extent to which they continue
to make or use handcrafted objects. In most cases, however,
their deep connection with the forest in which they live
and their spiritual association with all forms of nature
has enabled them to retain a distinct style of making
bamboo items such as bows and arrows, musical
instruments and baskets. Their metal work incorporates
the world of trees, animals and human beings as if they
were all forged from the same shapes and impulses of
nature. Earthen vessels and toys are painted with bold
black and white stripes. Winnows for grain take on
wondrous hues with strips of bamboo dyed in brilliant
yellows and magenta pinks. Palm leaf brooms are playfully
embellished with decorative handles, and baskets carrying
the trousseau of the bride to her new home are capped
with plumed birds made of bright coloured strips of bamboo.
The making of craft items is at once a daily practice, a
ritual, and a celebration of creativity in everyday life.
The textiles of the tribals of central India have their
own distinct identity. The tribes of central India spin and
weave thick cream coloured yarn with madder red borders
and end pieces reflecting images from their lives. Birds,
flowers, trees, deer or even an airplane decorate these
cloths. In Orissa, ceremonial cloths to be worn by the priest
or priestess are required to be of a certain colour. Each
colour has an auspicious meaning and unity of communities
is expressed through the similarity of dress and adornment.
Tribal and indigenous arts related to specific cultural
traditions of various communities could be termed as
peopleís art as opposed to the more stylised classical arts
that evolved within the Hindu social system, or those that
Page 5


An artisan drawing before
carving on wood
1 CRAFTS HERITAGE
India is a combination of many worlds, living in many
centuries and cultures. The world of Indiaís craftspeople
spans millennia and spreads across the length and breadth
of our land, which is seen in cities and towns, by-lanes
and villages. A small crafted object made in an unknown
village of India has the capacity of becoming an object
displayed in the finest museums of the world, yet the same
object is often merely an object of utility for a particular
community which never thinks of it as a great art. It is
often a lack of knowledge of the variety of cultures,
techniques, meanings, uses and relevance of such
handcrafted objects that allows us to neglect their beauty
and take our cultural heritage for granted.
The Definition of Crafts
Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala,
hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but
they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e.,
specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic. The
aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and
means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond
mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye. A handcrafted
object is seldom merely decorative, and whether it has no
embellishment or is highly decorative,
its true purpose is served only when it
is both useful and has a fine form.
Crafts and Culture
Crafts are therefore closely related to
concept of form, pattern, design, usage,
and these lead to its total aesthetic
quality. When all these aspects are
rooted in the culture of the people in a
particular area of a country or among
certain communities, crafts become a
8 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Wall and floor decoration in
a house, Jharkhand
Detail of calligraphy in stone,
Qutub Minar, New Delhi
part of its cultural heritage. Handcrafted objects are not
just valuable for their aesthetic quality, but as objects
produced by traditional craftsmen and women for
ceremonial and religious purposes, and most importantly
as a means of livelihood.
Cultural and Social Needs for Crafts
This creative spirit in the midst of the struggle for survival
is one of the unique and significant distinguishing features
between men and beasts. Why else do the forest
communities, even today, lay so much store by painting
the inside or outside of their homes, or adorning their bodies
with decorative tattoos or ornaments? Why are people
affected, and often spiritually guided, by colours? Why does
a woman fashion an attractive handle for the broom she
uses to clean her home and why does she spend time
invoking the blessings of the gods through her painted
designs on her kitchen floor?
Crafts through the Ages
India has been greatly blessed by having a many-layered,
culturally diverse, rich heritage of craft skills influenced
by historical events combining with local practices and
religious beliefs. These influences have come from multiple
sources. Changes and enrichment have taken place from
trade movements such as those on the Silk Route, which
brought demands and resources from the Middle East and
Central Asia to the Far East, up to China. The skill of
weaving carpets and superior forms of shawls was brought
to Kashmir by the pre-Moghul king, Zain-ul-Abedin. Persian
artisans enriched carpet-weaving and shawl-making
according to the needs of Indian courts. On the other hand,
the static nature of the Hindu caste system has kept many
craft forms alive merely because the artisan had no
opportunity to move away to other professions as social
boundaries were rigid and hierarchical. The courts of
various maharajas encouraged excellence in many courtly
crafts connected with the making of armoury or jewellery.
Temples kept alive the finest metal work, stone carving,
mural painting and even textile weaving right across India,
and particularly in South India. Here the Kammalars who
claimed descent from the five divine artisan sons of Lord
Visvakarma, followed the Shilpa Shastras, the technical
tomes on the practice of art in Sanskrit. The high priests
among the artisans follow these rules even today when
creating large vessels out of metal alloys for temple use.
The element of religiosity in the practice of craft work spans
9 CRAFTS HERITAGE
A Kutchi woman
embroidering
many regions and communities since the practice of their
art is seen as a striving for the ideal through the dedication
of their skill to the gods. It is seen as manís process of
reaching the epitome of his own capability in the pursuit of
excellence, and doing this by dedicating it to a higher being
in the spirit of worship. The silken temple cloths in South
India are woven to drape the stone images of the gods, and
the gharchola and patola of Gujarat are mandatory
purchases for a trousseau and are valued highly partly
because the weavers belong to high-caste families. Even
old and torn pieces are used to cover religious objects in
the prayer room of a house.
Tribal Crafts
Tribal communities comprise about eight per cent of the
population of India. Spread out in different parts of the
country, they have continued with ancient cultural
practices related to their specific ways of life. In Jammu
and Kashmir, the Gujjars and Bakarwals are mountain
tribes who spend their lives crossing over from one side of
the mountains to the other in search of grass for their
sheep and goats. Their jewellery, blankets, embroidered
caps and tunics, saddle bags and sundry animal accessories
are similar to the artifacts of the people of Afghanistan,
Iran, Iraq and the smaller countries of Central Asia. The
robust manner of the people and the heavily ornamented
women folk reflect as far down in India as Saurashtra and
the desert regions of Kutch in Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
Mirror work in embroidery stems from the use of mica from
the desert sands in the garments of those who liked heavy
and shining ornamentation. People of nomadic tribes usually
wore all that they had on their person. They found that the
sun reflected in the mica, making this an accessory that
embellished their garment suitably without any cost. Each
group developed its own style of embroidery and it is this
that can still be clearly seen in the many communities
that inhabit the western region of India. Both, the identity
of the tribe and the marital status of a woman, are embedded
in the style of the embroidery and the colour and cut of the
upper bodice worn by its women. As communities move in
search of greener pastures for their sheep, cattle and camels
across desert sands, a mere glance is enough to identify
their tribe and profession.
The various tribes inhabiting the north-east of India live
among the rich bamboo forests where the finest quality of
skill in the weaving of bamboo, cane and other wild grasses
can be seen. This group links itself culturally to the people
10 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Bamboo basket, Vietnam
of Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Japan
and China, where mat-weaving and basketry are of the
highest quality. Handloom weaving too is a common skill
of this region. Apart from weaving ceremonial shawls and
lungis, headscarves and waist belts, small scarves for
ceremonial greetings are woven in almost every household.
These cloths are revered for many reasons: they establish
the identity of the tribe or the status of the wearer, they
serve as ëwelcomeí scarves to greet a visitor, they honour
the achievements of a chieftain, and they pass on skills
from generation to generation through their womenfolk.
Other tribes are found in Central and South India,
spread across the States of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and to some extent, in Kerala. In
each region they have different cultural practices and
urbanisation has affected the extent to which they continue
to make or use handcrafted objects. In most cases, however,
their deep connection with the forest in which they live
and their spiritual association with all forms of nature
has enabled them to retain a distinct style of making
bamboo items such as bows and arrows, musical
instruments and baskets. Their metal work incorporates
the world of trees, animals and human beings as if they
were all forged from the same shapes and impulses of
nature. Earthen vessels and toys are painted with bold
black and white stripes. Winnows for grain take on
wondrous hues with strips of bamboo dyed in brilliant
yellows and magenta pinks. Palm leaf brooms are playfully
embellished with decorative handles, and baskets carrying
the trousseau of the bride to her new home are capped
with plumed birds made of bright coloured strips of bamboo.
The making of craft items is at once a daily practice, a
ritual, and a celebration of creativity in everyday life.
The textiles of the tribals of central India have their
own distinct identity. The tribes of central India spin and
weave thick cream coloured yarn with madder red borders
and end pieces reflecting images from their lives. Birds,
flowers, trees, deer or even an airplane decorate these
cloths. In Orissa, ceremonial cloths to be worn by the priest
or priestess are required to be of a certain colour. Each
colour has an auspicious meaning and unity of communities
is expressed through the similarity of dress and adornment.
Tribal and indigenous arts related to specific cultural
traditions of various communities could be termed as
peopleís art as opposed to the more stylised classical arts
that evolved within the Hindu social system, or those that
11 CRAFTS HERITAGE
Traditional potter (above)
and weaver (below) at work
were the result of influences from different parts of the
world through trade or historical events. There was also a
gradual change in craft practices because of industrialisation,
and technological and cultural pressures from more dominant
economic groups within and outside India.
Formation of Social Groups
Those who worked with their hands in artisanal skills were
denied easy access to the tasks assigned to the upper castes.
While socially and psychologically detrimental, the caste
system locked artisanal skills in place and ensured the
transmission of this knowledge from generation to
generation in the absence of any alternative, thereby
preserving techniques and processes that may
otherwise have been lost. Even today, the
prajapati or kumhar (potter), the vankar or
bunkar (weaver), the ashari (carpenter) and
all the other identified and categorised artisans
are divided and recognised by the caste
groupings whether they continue to practise
their skill or not.
In The Arts of India by G.C.M. Birdwood, he
cites the nineteenth chapter of the second
section (ëAyodhyakandaí) of the Ramayana, to
list the inhabitants of the city that are
represented in the procession with Bharata to
seek Rama. They are the trade guilds of
artisans: the jewellers, potters, ivory-workers,
perfumers, goldsmiths, weavers, carpenters,
braziers, painters, musical instrument
makers, armourers, curriers, blacksmiths,
coppersmiths, makers of figures, cutters of
crystals, glassmakers, inlayers and others. In
present-day India we can formulate broad
groupings of major practitioners of craft as
potters, weavers, metal-smiths, wood-carvers,
cane and bamboo weavers and stone carvers.
While these may be the larger skills, there are
many other crafts from shola pith work, papier-
m‚chÈ, innumerable styles of mural,
miniature and floor painting, paper crafts,
glass work, and carpet and duree weaving. In
the area of textiles India undoubtedly has the
largest range of skills that can be found
anywhere in the world. While separating the
craft of making floor coverings out of rags and
yarn, we are left with textiles that consist of