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Documentation of Blue Pottery Jaipur, Rajasthan by Akhil Ranjith Bijomon Joseph Integrated Lifestyle Product Design
Guide
Girish P T
Published at
Kerala State Institute of Design
Chandanathope, Kollam, Kerala Published in April 2017
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ABOUT KSID The Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID) was established for the purpose of creating a vibrant design community in Kerala through synergistic partnership between artisan community, professional designers and general public. The institute was later merged with Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) on 1st April 2014. KASE is the apex agency for all skill developement activities in the state of Kerala. One of the most important objectives of KSID is to promote design education. To realise this objective, KSID is supported by National Institute of Design Ahmedabad. NID support includes creation of a comprehensive roadmap for KSID through systematic plan of action to develop and strengthen the organisation, faculty development and offering courses developed by NID.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As part of our Craft Documentation for our 4th semester in KSID we selected the Jaipur Blue Pottery. This handicraft has connection from the ancient world to the modern world and has evolved as the time passes. The craft from a decorative product has moved into utility product as the craft understood the demand and possibility in the market. We would like to thank PT Girish, Director KSID also our course coordinator for the immense support and guides for the study of Blue Pottery.We would also like to thank all the Blue Pottery artisans in Jaipur and Kot Jewar who helped us discover and understand their craft.We would like to thank Neeraja International for their support from which we understood the innovations and possibility in the Blue Pottery as a utility product.
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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
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BLUE POTTERY
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ABOUT RAJASTHAN
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HISTORY OF JAIPUR
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CLIMATE
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CULTURE
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ARCHITECTURE
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PEOPLE
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JAIPUR’S BLUE POTTERY
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EVOLUTION OF BLUE POTTERY
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CRAFT CLUSTERS AND CURRENT STATUS
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GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS
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RUDA
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ABOUT THE CRAFT VILLAGE
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CRAFT EVOLUTION
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COMMUNITY
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NEERJA INTERNATIONAL
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RAW MATERIALS
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PROCESS
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ISSUES DURING THE PROCESS
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INSPIRATION
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MACHINES AND TOOLS
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INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKSPACE
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PRODUCTS
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MARKTING AND PROBLEMS
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AWARDS
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CRAFT PERSONS
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HOPES
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REFERENCES
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INTRODUCTION Handicrafts sector occupies an important place in the Rajasthan economy as it contributes significantly to employment generation and export earnings. The economic importance of the sector also lies in its high employment potential, low capital investment, high value addition and continuously increasing demand both in the domestic and overseas markets. Jaipur Blue Pottery plays an important role in the export market of decorative and life- style products. This industry is spread all over Jaipur in rural and urban areas.There are many small enterprises and units with similar process of manufacturing and producing similar products. Kot Jewar is one of the three major cluster in and around Jaipur and Neota actively involved in this craft.
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BLUE POTTERY Blue Pottery is a symbol of the adaptation and has an influence of Persian, Turkish and Chinese Pottery.The name ‘blue pottery’ comes from the eye-catching Persian blue dye used to colour the pottery. The colour palette is restricted to blue derived from the cobalt oxide. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is primarily a ceramic body made of quartz, unlike other potteries, which are made of clay. The completely hand painted motifs add to its exclusivity. The peculiar ceramic composition makes pottery rather a misnomer, the only allegiance to pottery being the “potter’s wheel’, which is used by the potters. Dating back to possibly 5000 BC in Egypt, this art has travelled down the ages and to different lands, but the true home of this art was Mesopotamia where the ancient civilizations of Babylonia and Assyria. The craft of glazed pottery has its origin in Persia. The craft reached considerable perfection in the country in its time. Excavations carried out in Persia have revealed that the early potters were familiar with the use of luster of different hues, one of the few things apparently which the Chinese potter did not employ, even if he knew that metallic luster was a serviceable medium for decorative purposes. The introduction to India was through the first Muslim incursion into Sind, and the city of Multan was the cradle of the art here. During the Mughal period, especially of Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan, the technique, basically Persian still, was put to uses in the Indian context.
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RAJASTHAN
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ABOUT RAJASTHAN Rajasthan is the largest state of the country. Covering an area of 342,239 square kilometers, Rajasthan is divided into 33 districts. Jaipur is the capital of the state. Rajasthan shares its borders with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh and the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The geopgraphic features of Rajasthan include the Aravalli Range and the Thar Desert. Since most of the northwestern part of Rajasthan is covered by the Thar Desert; hence it is sandy and dry. Also known as the gateway to the of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is the most extensive city in the desert. The other prominent districts located in the desert are Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Nagour. A famous hill station, Mount Abu Is located in the Aravalli Range. Guru Shikhar is the highest peak on the mountain with a height of 5,650 feet above sea level. The major river systems of the Marwar and the Godwar regions are the Luni River and its tributaries. Rajasthan has a rich history and culture. The state is known for its numerous attractions which include majestic forts, decorated havelis and carved temples. Some popular places of attraction are the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur; Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort and Stepwell; the amazing Dilwara temples, which are located a little more than two kilometers from the hill station Mount Abu, the Chittorgarh Fort and Lake Palace. Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur, is know as the Pink City because the ancient houses located here are made from a type of sanstone that is pinkish in color. There are many Jain temples located in the state. Some famous temples are Ranakpur Temple, Lodurva Jain temples, Mirpur Jain Temple, Sarun Mata Temple kotputli, Bhandasar and Karni Mata Temple of Bikaner and Mandore of Jodhpur to name a few.
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JAIPUR
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HISTORY OF JAIPUR
City Place
Albert Hall Museum
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur district, which is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is one of the finest planned cities of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city, which once had been the capital of the royalty and now, is the capital city of Rajasthan. The city of Jaipur is the style of the Rajput’s and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business center and a metropolitan city. Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, who ruled Jaipur State from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest while designing this city of victory. After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Due to this reason, he focused on his scientific and cultural interests to make a brilliant city. Being, a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture. Vidyadhar referred the ancient Indian literature on astronomy, books of Ptolemy and Euclid, and discussed the plan with the King.With a strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Vastu Shastra. The city was divided into nine blocks, out of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, whereas the remaining seven blocks were allotted to the public. In order to ensure the security, huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates. According to that time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1876, when Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him and after that, Jaipur was titled ‘Pink City’. Still, the neat and broadly laid-out avenues, painted in pink provide a magical charm to the city. Jaipur is rich in its cultural and architectural beauty, which can be traced in the various historical and aesthetic places that reside in the city.
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In the 19th century, the city grew rapidly and became prosperous; by 1900, it had a population of 160,000. The city’s wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas. The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were in metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls’ school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jains and the Marwari’s. Rajasthan is known for chivalry of its rulers, formidable forts, beautiful palaces, rich age-old culture comprising folk songs, colourful dances, and a rich tradition of arts and crafts, exquisite jewelry, brassware, ceramics, textiles, stone and terracotta sculptures, ivory and lacquer works and a host of other handicrafts spread over into almost every nook and corner of the State. In terms of its rich cultural traditions, arts and crafts, songs, dresses, and culinary traditions. Rajasthan’s economy lies with the small-scale sector, comprising village and cottage industries, dairying, leather, handloom products, handmade paper and ceramics including Blue Pottery. Handicrafts have existed in one form or another since several centuries in Rajasthan and have sustained a large part of the population by providing direct or indirect employment to approximately 30 percent of the population. The handicraft industries have low per capita investment, employ semi-skilled or unskilled labor and provide more employment per capita, need to be encouraged, nurtured and sustained with concerted efforts, innovative policies, long term vision, and sense of commitment on the part of both the politicians and the administrators. Chinese pottery in some ways resembles Blue Pottery but is machine-made and uses clay and its designs and patterns are different. Jaipur Blue Pottery’s uniqueness is also unequalled in terms of its design, style, the quality and the type of raw materials used. The production process is devoid of any use of machinery. Being an attractive and useful handicraft item, with a rich past of cultural and historical traditions and royal patronage makes it more special.
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Maharaja Jai Singh II,
Galtaji Temple Jaipur
Wall Painting Jaipur
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CLIMATE
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Climate Jaipur has a hot semi-arid climate. Temperatures vary in different seasons. In the summer months of April to June, average daily temperature of around 35°C. May and June are the hottest months in Jaipur. Temperature reaches up to 40-45°C in these months. Annually the rainfall is concentrated in the monsoon months between June (Last of June) and September. It receives over 500 mm (approx. 20 inch) of rainfall an average. The winter months of November to February are mild and pleasant, with average temperatures in the 15-18°C range and little or no humidity. December and January are the coldest months in Jaipur. Temperature varies between 5-10°C in these months.
Economy In addition to its role as the provincial capital, educational, and administrative centre, the economy of Jaipur is fuelled by tourism, gemstone cutting, the manufacture of jewellery and luxury textiles, and information technology. Three major trade promotion organisations have their offices in Jaipur. These are: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, (FICCI) the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which has its regional offices here. In 2008, Jaipur was ranked 31 among the 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing cities. Jaipur Stock Exchange is one of the regional stock exchanges in India and was founded in 1989. Jaipur is a major hub for arts and crafts. It has many traditional shops selling antiques, jewellery, handicrafts, gems, bangles, pottery, carpets, textiles, leather and metal products. Jaipur is one of India’s largest manufacturers of hand-knotted rugs. Jaipur leg, a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations, was designed and is produced in Jaipur.
Geography Jaipur is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan, surrounded on three sides by the rugged Aravali hills. Jaipur is located at 26°55’N 75°49’E (26.92°N 75.82°E). Alwar and Sikar in the North; by Sikar, Nagaur, and Ajmer in West; by Ajmer, Tonk, and Sawai Madhopur in the South and by Dausa and Bharatpur districts in East surround it.
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Demographics As of 2011, Jaipur had a population of 3,073,350. According to census of 2011. Hindus comprise 77.9% of the city’s population, Muslim 18.6%, Jains 2.4% and others 1.0%. While 47.49% people lived in rural areas, 52.51% lived in urban areas. The overall literacy rate for the district was 76.44%. 87.27% males and 64.63% females were literate. The sex ratio was 898 females per 1,000 males. According to Human Resources census in 2011 the Population Persons 66, 63, 971. Density of populationPersons per sq. km.598. Literacy Per Cent 76.44
Flora The unique ecosystem harbors 480 species of plants including 107 of trees, 55 of shrubs, 215 of herbs, 45 of climbers, 40 of grass and 15 species of lower plants.(all numbers are approx.) Modad, khair, dhavado, saledi, kadaya, timru, khakhara, bor, desi bavalia, bili, dudhi, golar, karanj, arjun sadad, jamun, behda etc. are some local names for common species found here. The common & scientific names for species found here are - Aam (Magnifera Indica), Imli (Tamarindicus indica), Babul (Accasia nilotica), Banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Ber (Zizyphus mauritania), Dhak or Chila (flame of the forest), Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Kadam (Authocephalus cadamba), Khajur (Phoenix sylvestris), Khair (Accacia catechu), Karel (Capparis decidua), Khejda (Prosopis specigera), Kakera (Flacourtia indica), Mohua (Madhuca indica), Neem (Azadirachta indica), etc.
Water Resourses The major rivers passing through the Jaipur district are Banas and Banganga. Ground water resources to the extent of about 28.65 million cubic meter are available in the district. Although serious drought is rare, poor water management and exploitation of groundwater with extensive tube-well systems threatens agriculture in some areas.
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Fauna Tiger is the top carnivore of Aravalis, mainly found in Sariska, Ranthambore & Sawai Man Singh Sanctuaries in North – West Rajasthan. Leopard is the top carnivore in The Aravalis in South Rajasthan, which roams freely in the diverse habitat conditions. Important animals: Leopard, rhesus macaque, sloth bear, Indian civet cat, Indian porcupine, hyena, wild boar, wolf, jackal, hare, Black faced Monkey or The Hanuman Langur, Bluebull etc. In foreign countries there has been continuous demand of blue potteries but in the absence of good management and governance it is not met efficiently and effectively. Majority of artisans belong to underprivileged castes and are working in this un-organized industry for about two decades. Lack of cooperation and coordination among artisans has lead to exploitation in terms of wages and welfare practices. The technology and machines involved in making the final product is very primitive, time consuming and not updated through systematic research and development. The raw materials required for manufacturing blue pottery items are found in abundance in neighboring areas of Jaipur. The people give water and grains to the birds as part of their culture to serve the nature. They hang water pots on the trees so that the birds come and drink water from them. The region is hot and dry, so the birds need proper water to support its life.
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CULTURE
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Religions The religion followed by the people of Jaipur varies. Each of the tribes of Jaipur has their own religion, costumes and profession. The religion followed by Jaipuris, in general, is the Hindu religion. Various other religions are also prevalent in the city such as the Jainism, who follows the teachings of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara. The Jain Jaipuris, practice of Non-violence. There has been a considerable increase in the number of followers of Sikhism in Jaipur. The Sikhs believe in formless God and worship their holy book ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. Some other major religions of Jaipur are Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Parsi religion.
Arts and Crafts
The rulers of Jaipur patronized a number of arts and crafts. They invited skilled artisans, artists and artisans from India and abroad. The different communities settled in various parts of city and made Jaipur their home. As a result, Jaipur is a major hub for various kinds of arts and crafts. Some of the crafts include Bandhani, Block printing, Stone carving and Sculpture, Tarkashi, Zari, Gota, Kinari and Zardozi, Silver Jewellery, Gems, Kundan, Meenakari and Jewellery, Miniature paintings, Blue Pottery; Ivory carving, Shellac work, Leatherware,etc
Music and Dance The people of Jaipur are ardent lovers of music and dance. The most popular dances of these people include the Ghoomar dance. The Chari dance, where the jaipuris dance with a pot with a lighted diya, on their head is one of the most renowned folk dances of Jaipur. Jaipuri music is also famous. The people sing traditional songs with instruments like Sarangi, Jhalar, Ektara, Garasiays and others.
Fairs And Festivals This city witnesses various fairs and festivals at different time of the year. Some of the festivals are Gangaur festival, Jaipur Literature festival, Kite festival, Teej festival, Shitla Mata Fair, Chaksu Fair, Elephant Fair, Chhat ka Mela in Amber during Navratri. The colourful city becomes even more lively and lovely.
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Performing Arts Jaipur has its own performing arts. The Jaipur Gharana for Kathak is widely popular and apparently an example of rich cultural heritage of Jaipur as far as performing arts is concerned. Tamasha is another such example.
Cuisine The pink city Jaipur presents to you scrumptious cuisines that are known throughout India; dishes like Dal Bati Churma, Missi Roti, and sweets like Ghevar, Feeni, Gajak, Chauguni ke laddu, Moong Thal, to name a few. Rajasthani cuisine is full of nutrition since it’s made in ghee and butter; and is generally vegetarian.
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ARCHITECTURE The city was planned according to Indian Vastu shastra by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya in 1727. There are three gates facing east, west, and north. The eastern gate is called Suraj pol (sun gate), the western gate is called Chand pol (moon gate) and the northern gate faces the ancestral capital of Amer. The city is unusual among pre-modern Indian cities in the regularity of its streets, and the division of the city into six sectors by broad streets 34 m (111 ft) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses the Hawa Mahal palace complex, formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city.
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PEOPLE People of Jaipur have been greeting their guests with regal courtesy and genuine affection for decades. Even in the era of kings and dynasties, these common people have left behind legends of loyalty, affection and compassion. Despite being rugged in their appearance, the people of Jaipur are well built, cheerful and simple. These desert folk are hardly touched by the swiftness of modern times. The people of Jaipur prefer to wear bright colored clothes and probably compensate for the barren landscape. The women are often seen clad in dazzling colors like Red, yellow, green and orange attires with eye-catching embroidery of gold, silver zari or gota. The tribal ladies of Jaipur love to adorn themselves with loads of Silver jewellery and the men too are often seen wearing earrings. The men wear turbans or pagadis of bandhej that is made in the process of tie and dye in bright colors. Jaipur is a land with vibrant culture and a thousand-year-old heritage. The people of Jaipur primarily speak Hindi in the Rajasthani accent. However, there are deviations according to various regions. The people of Jaipur are called as Jaipuris in the eastern part of Rajasthan and their culture epitomizes the very essence that the state of Rajasthan stands for royalty, chivalry, legacy, history, festivals and colors. The brown-skinned desert people are quite affable and win the hearts of the tourists with their sweet smiles and warm and cordial hospitality during any hour of need. The Jaipuri men are seen all across the streets and market places of Jaipur, who are turbaned and moving around with their women, dressed in swirling skirts and flashing Meenakari (enamel) jewellery that is one of the notable art forms in the desert. They wear heavy lac bangles that reach above their elbows and often bear tattoos on their arms and even chin.
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JAIPUR’S BLUE POTTERY The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani mitti, or Fuller’s earth is an imported technique, first developed by Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. This technique travelled south to India with early Muslim potentates in the 14th century. During its infancy, it was used to make tiles to decorate mosques, tombs and palaces in Central Asia.Later, the Mughals began using them in India to mimic their structures from beyond the mountains in Samarkand. Gradually the blue glaze technique grew beyond an architectural accessory to Kashmiri potters. From there, the technique traveled to the plains of Delhi and in the 17th century went to Jaipur. When the city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh I, craftsmen from all over the country were invited to come and make their home in the new city. Royal patronage, lucrative offers and the attraction of living in a beautiful city led many artisans and craftsmen to come and settle in Jaipur. By the beginning of the 19th century the city was well established as a thriving art centre. In keeping with the traditions of his forefathers, Sawai Ram Singh II (1835-1880) set up a school of art and continued to encourage artists and craftsmen. When Sawai Ram Singh II attended a kite flying session and watched as his kite masters were engaged in battle with two brothers from Achnera (near Agra). When the ruler saw that the brothers Churaman and Kaluram managed to bring down the royal kites almost every time, he was intrigued. He asked the brothers their secret. They told him that they were potters by profession and had coated their strings with the same blue green glass that they used for their pots. Sawai Ram Singh II was so much impressed that he invited the brothers to stay in Jaipur. Thus their family migrated from Achnera and settled down in the Ganga Meharon Ki Gali (a street) within the four walls of the Pink City. In 1866, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II, established his School of Arts and Industries in Kishanpole Bazar and Churaman was made head of the Blue Pottery section. Thus this art was used to teach this unique form of glazed pottery at his new art school. Later the king had sent local artisans to Delhi to be trained further in the craft. Some specimens of older ceramic work can be seen in the Rambagh Palace, where the fountains are lined with blue tiles.
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EVOLUTION OF BLUE POTTERY The family of Churaman was of no saints and they made it their business to keep the art within the confines of their immediate family. They took care that the ingredients would not be easily discovered or made available. It is interesting to note that though the glass was easily available at Jalesar, nearby, it was transported to Firozabad and then bought by the school at a premium. Even the simple product of copper oxide, available in plenty at the local coppersmiths, was bought from them secretly, crushed, and then clandestinely smuggled to the local shop of Har Dayal (who himself did not know what he was selling) and this secret magic potion was then bought by the School at sky high prices. It was always shown that great effort had to be made to acquire the ‘rare material’.Unfortunately, for generations the Churaman family restricted to themselves the practice of this art. The common man could ill afford such art, being expensive, and therefore had no use for it.The family gradually lost its hold in the School of Arts and the art of Blue Pottery almost vanished by the time of Independence (1947). In 1952 the art school was closed down and all handicrafts vanished from the scene including blue pottery. The revival of this craft in 1960 was due to Royal Highness Maharani Gayatri Devi who provided land, building, patronage and Ms. Kamla Devi Chattopadhayaya of the Handicraft Board, Government of India who provided the finance to set up a training school. The school, established in 1963, was named Sawai Ram Singh Shilp Kala Mandir and Shri Kripal Singh Shekhawat, a renowned artist of Rajasthan was made the first director of the school to train people in Blue Pottery.Three year diploma course was started at the school where in all the trainees were provided with stipend. Many of these trainees then started their own independent units or became workers in these factories and since 1980’s a lot more persons have set up units sustaining this craft.The one person who gave this dying art real impetus is Mr. Shekhawat, who has won reverential admiration not only from art lovers in the country, but from the connoisseurs of art abroad as well, for reviving this industry and putting it on the world map. Blue pottery is now a growing industry and it provides livelihood to hundreds of people in rural and urban areas. Since Blue Pottery is based entirely on the use of indigenous technology which came from abroad and has been enriched with local techniques and raw materials and requires very little know how and technical inputs, it can be set up in a small area or house/dwelling by an individual or a family with small investments. It can really help create self-employment opportunities for a growing number of unemployed youth in both rural and urban areas. It is easier, however to create such units in villages as more space is available and in many households joint family system still prevails which could fairly comprise the requisite workforce. The product range only consisted of a few large items such as bowls, plates, and vases, thus the market declined. Many craftsmen had no option but to leave their villages and go to the cities in search of work. With the dwindling number of potters left, Blue Pottery faced extinction as there was little hope in sight.
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CRAFT CLUSTERS AND CURRENT STATUS Jaipur Blue Pottery is manufactured in three main clusters of Jaipur they are Sanganer, Kot Jewar and Neota . The problems in the management of manufacturing process, the production of this art has hit the bottom. Artisans do not use quality standardized tools and techniques for preparing the dough hence the quality of the final product are compromised. It has been noticed that due to lack of standardisation in mixture the product absorb moisture, as a result its shape changes during the process and consequentially rejected by the importer in quality sample checking. The porosity of the product makes it fragile and lot of damage is seen during transportation and the manufacturer has to bear the loss. Apart from the presence of lead in compositions, the blue pottery also suffered from defects like water leakage due to higher porosity, frugalness due to lower strength and glaze blackening. To dry up the moulds, the industry uses sun light; hence during rains all artisans are literally without job. No capacity building or welfare programs are organised in order to enhance their potential. Payments to the artisans are made on the basis of the number and size of articles produced. Lack of marketing efforts has brought the art to near extinction. Rural Non-farm Development Agency (RUDA) and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) made limited efforts to cobble together the techniques and processes like, making a gas furnace instead of the traditional wood kiln, making lead free glaze, and developing a systematized export chain, eventually increasing the productivity, but as these programmes were not self-sustained so, the whole effort collapsed once the support was withdrawn. A regular handholding and supportive supervision would have definitively ensured a successful outcome. Majority of the artisans working in this un-organized industry for as long as two decades belong to minorities, Schedule Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) these mainly includes Kumawats, Kumhars, Raigars, Muslims and Bairwas. These castes are still exploited in terms of wages and are not provided with social, economic or job security or any kind of welfare.Some families from these castes migrated from their native villages to Sanganer town in search of some lucrative opportunity. To earn for their subsistence they started working in cottage industries owned by the local entrepreneurs and finally settled in as a labor in blue pottery.
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GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS The industrial policies of the successive Governments have always pronounced promotion and protection to the handicraft sector. The last policy statement in 1991 was concerned more with liberalization, privatization issues than with promotion of small-scale or handicraft sector but earlier pronouncements continued to apply. However, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, agency has been entrusted with promotion of rural industries in which Blue Pottery gets covered under mineral-based industries. The Industrial Policy 1998 of Government of Rajasthan, has special reference to small-scale and cottage industries emphasizing special measures to promote them in terms of marketing, technical guidance, raw material availability, design development and exemption from sale tax and purchases by government departments. These provisions existed in equal measure in Industrial Policies of 1990 and 1994.There are a number of governmental agencies which look after various aspects of development and promotion of rural, cottage and handicraft industries, ranging from departments, boards, commissions to registered societies. Important agencies are Ministry of Rural Development, National Institute of Design, Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts, Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Small-Scale Industries Services Institute, National Bank for Rural Development, Khadi and Village Industries Commission and various nationalized banks. At the Rajasthan State level, the agencies concerned with promotion of Blue Pottery are Department of Rural Development, Rural Non-Farm Development Agency (RUDA), Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation Ltd. Small-Scale Industries Department and Khadi and Village Industries Board,Indian Institute of Crafts and Design and various banking institutions.The role of these institutions is restricted basically to providing help to State level institutions in terms of policy and technical guidance, funds, training of staff, marketing, export promotion, project and design development. It is the primary responsibility of the State governments to promote handicrafts while Federal Government basically plays the role of a facilitator.
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RUDA RUDA (Rural Non-farm Development Agency) is an agency registered under the Rajasthan Registration of Societies Act, 1958. It combines flexibility, autonomy with public accountability & is a unique experiment in Craft Sector of the country. RUDA promotes innovation in all its activities and is a project agency for several externally funded projects.The Rural Non Farm Sector has been further classified into 6 sub-sectors for the Action Plan 2005-2006 they are Wool & Textile , Stone, Ceramics & Pottery, Leather, Handloom, Khadi & Village Industries and Handicrafts. The cluster for Blue Pottery region are Neota, Mehla, Mohana & Kot Jewar. The Issues identified by the RUDA for Blue Pottery are Lack of value addition at post-mining stage,Lack of technological up-gradation,Lack of design & product diversification and Lack of market linkages. Within the sub sector is the Jaipur Blue Pottery.A detailed analysis of the cluster was conducted and a subsequent study commissioned to the CGCRI (Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, Ahmedabad), revealed that the craft was suffering from the ill-effects of out dated technology, unorganised and poorly informed artisans, limited product range and designs, inefficient kiln, presence of lead in the pottery limiting it to only decorative items and the omnipresent exploitation by the intermediaries. In 1998 RUDA with DFID, Govt. of U.K. was requested to support a project for making an energy efficient down-draught kiln with the help of a ceramics expert, Mr. David Frith of Development Alternatives. The new kiln saves firewood and gives better control over the firing temperatures. The hectic activity for the making of the kiln, the numerous associated problems faced in the process and the firing of the newly made kiln resulted in active participation by the artisans of Kot Jewar and Neota. The close interaction of the artisans with each other and RUDA’s team proved crucial in mutual faith building and later in organising the artisans. Further, design workshops with the help of young designers from NID (National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad) were carried out and the participatory nature of these workshops served an important role in organising these artisans, so much so, that by the end of the first workshop itself, a Self Help Group was established.
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One of the important sub sectors identified was Minor Minerals Stone-Ceramic-Pottery (SCP). An R & D project through CGCRI has led to the development of a lead-free and nonporous pottery, which is up to 4 times stronger than the existing one. This new technology, developed at the cluster level, without actually changing the present production system with only slight changes in the raw materials being used, and ensuring that the new materials are easily available, has been recently disseminated in all the villages around Jaipur, practising the art of Blue Pottery. This would open the doors of the large-volume utilitarian range of tableware and crockery for Blue Pottery. The large volumes and regular-use-items would certainly augment the incomes of these artisans and create more employment opportunities. Thus the program which started interacting with the cluster in Kot Jewar which includes the First intervention of Modern Kiln ,New design and product development,Market facilitation participation in fairs organised by RUDA and others, Formation of group ( Collective action for sharing of common resources) and Lead free glaze and improved body.The introduction of Lead Free in Blue Pottery made a big game changer in the market as there where previously contained lead which would effect in food related products in Blue Pottery. This made the products more feasible for the market and improved the profit for the workers.
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ABOUT THE CRAFT VILLAGE Kot Jewar is situated about 46 kilometres from Jaipur, nestled in the foothills of a small hillock lying to the west of the Delhi-Mumbai highway. Kot Jewar is in Dudu Tehsil in Jaipur District of Rajasthan. It comes under Kot Jewar Panchayath. It belongs to Jaipur Division . It is located 43 KM towards west from District head quarters Jaipur. 23 KM from Dudu.From the main road road vanishes about 8 kilometres from the highway and then reaching the village. There are no medical facilities worth the name in the village, just a primary school and before the advent of Blue Pottery in the village, just a few households, toiling in the parched fields. The Languages spoken are Hindi and Rajasthani. According to Census 2011, Kot Jewar’s population is 876. Out of this, 436 are males whereas the females count 440 here. This village has 157 children in the age group of 0-6 years. Out of this 69 are boys and 88 are girls. A lot of artists and people not having a creative background joined to learn blue pottery. Therefore, there is no specific community involved and practicing this craft. Though, a majority of these artisans belong to Kumbhar (potters) family, who have stopped working on red clay and moved on to practice Blue Pottery on a large scale. There are around 200 families in Kot Jewar practicing this craft and around 20-25 families practicing in Jaipur. These families basically belong to Kumawat and Prajapati caste which are supposed to practice pottery. Blue Pottery Craft started in Jaipur and latter many people learned this craft and started practicing it in places near to Jaipur. Though presently there are only few centers where Blue Pottery is being practiced, new people are gradually showing interest in blue pottery due to its increased demands in recent years. Presently, apart from many big setups in Jaipur the craft is being practiced in nearby places like Kot Jewar, Sanganer, Neota, Delhi and Khurja. People in Jaipur are still practicing the traditional way while those in Khurja have moved on to make the base in red clay and then glazing it in vibrant colors.
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CRAFT EVOLUTION The benefits from this business seem to flow directly to the owners cum members of the SelfHelp Group (SHG). The success of this SHG has become a model to be emulated not only in the Blue Pottery industry but in other areas of rural and handicraft sector. In the village Kot Jewar, located about 50 kilometers west of Jaipur, a marginal farmer Lala Ram who had been trained in Blue Pottery work by Design and Development Research Centre, in Jaipur, started a Blue Pottery unit in this village and due to its limited success, other persons in the village too followed his example and set up their own units. But being illiterate, they were exploited by raw material suppliers and buyers and also due to personal rivalries, they were unable to make enough profits and many of them had to close down their units, due to recurring losses. Other reasons for low profits were poor quality of their products, which was low both in terms of shape and designs as well as the high percentage of breakage and blackening of items in the manufacturing process was also proving detrimental to the sustenance of these units. The RUDA a government organization which came into existence in 1995 with the mandate to promote sustainable livelihood in the rural non-farm sector stepped in to help resolve many of their problems and took the lead in the creation of this SHG of the artisans at Kot Jewar, to support it in terms of designing and marketing of products as well as by providing technical help. The SHG was formed by encouraging these individual manufacturers to come together with the aim of stopping competition among them and instead to pool their resources and expertise and share profits. The SHG is not a co-operative society but a group of small owners of units, formed on the basis of informal understanding. These people who were earlier solely dependentm on an exporter, were able to stand on their own and form a SHG which has become self-sufficient to a great extent in marketing of its products and has emerged as a major player in the Blue Pottery.
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Community Most of the families basically belong to Kumawat and Prajapati caste which are supposed to practice pottery. Though, a majority of these artisans belong to Kumbhar (potters) family, who have stopped working on red clay and moved on to practice Blue Pottery on a large scale.
Artisan Lala Ram had learnt the craft from Jaipur. DDRC,RUDA and DC Handicraft comes to the village to help the artisan in their problems. Government also conducts handicraft exhibitions where artisan get chance to show their products and are able to sell them. Ravi Ram used to work in Jaipur in Blue Pottery. He had started learning the craft from his uncle who used to work in Jaipur.
Livelihood The people in Kot Jewar village used to do labour works and agriculture for their livelihood now most of them has switch to Blue Pottery this became big part of their livelihood as they are able to earn better while working in Blue Pottery. In the starting they all used to live in huts but now they all live in concrete buildings. Most of the house have proper toilet in their home.They don’t have proper drainage system most of the waste water are sent out to the roads. There is no untouchability and since the invention of RUDA all the caste people work in this craft. Most of the people in the village stopped going to other places to work. Now people form other places started to stay in village to work in Blue Pottery.During school holidays children’s also came and join in making Blue Pottery.In olden times Blue Pottery was done in few houses with in them but now there are units where artisan go and work as a cooperative group where everyone earns better wages. Some of the artisan know all the work in Blue Pottery where as some are only interested in doing particular work according to their skill.Today there are about 150 artisan working in Blue Pottery in Kot Jewar. Each get around Rs 400 to Rs 500 wages per day.
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Festivals Holi, Diwali, Mahashivratri, Gangaur, Teej, Navratri and Dussehra are the main festivals.
School and Hospital There is only one government Primary with Upper Primary School till 8th standard. There is no hospitals in village. Even though they have made lots of request to the Government but still no action has taken place. There is a hospital on Ajmer Road Highway nearest to the village.
Transportation In village is about 10kms far away from the main road which is a highway ajmer jaipur road. The villagers use cycle,tractors,share auto and bike as their main transport. There are school bus servise in the village to pick up children to school. Most of the villagers prefer to use bus and share auto to reach the village. There is no emergency ambulance or any other servise in the village.
Support NID students also come here to study the craft. NID had invited the artisan to their campus where they discussed their problems and able to find solutions to their problems. Artisan where also advised the best practices to make their products in great quality. In the staring firing the kiln was used to be done by wood now diesel is used for the new modern kiln.
Problems There is no proper facility of computer since in today’s modern time lots of business is done through internet which they don’t have access. The quality of raw materials is always a problem. Nowadays even raw materials are coming from china which is of low quality some even have impurities in them.
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NEERJA INTERNATIONAL In the year 1978 when Leela Bordia was engaged in social welfare activities in the villages in and around Jaipur district of Rajasthan. She notice some artisans selling their wares of traditional Blue Pottery items. She was instantly attracted to the vibrancy, grace, feel and demure kind of styling of the traditional Blue Pottery merchandise on display. She however saw that despite having the skills of this fine craft, the craftsmen appeared to be in a paltry state of affairs. She realized that the craftsmen had no means of marketing their products and had to sustain on the meagre sum of money that they made when a sale was made by them, which was by no means a regular feature for them. At that time the traditional Blue Pottery items consisted of big vases, pots and other heavy items. This naturally needed a big and rich customer owing to the size and material cost of the products. Leela Bordia saw the possibilities of using day-to-day useful items made with the same materials. The result of the craft brought forth beauty and intricacy in the form of enchanting door knobs, beads, curtain rods, ashtrays, candle stands, lanterns, coasters, decanters, perfume bottles and other astonishing but useful items.With the basic objective of doing good for the Blue Pottery craftsmen, Leela Bordia started Neerja International to help the craftsmen in marketing and promoting the Blue Pottery items.
KRIPAL SINGH SHEKHAWAT Kripal Singh Shekhawat is also known as father of Blue Pottery. He was born in a Rajput family on 19th December 1922, in a small village named Mau, Rajasthan. Kripal Singhji’s first formal training in drawing and painting was under Sh. Bhur Singh Shekhawat, and then in Lucknow. Kripal Singhji studied original painting at the Shanti Niketan in West Bengal and later did a diploma in Oriental Arts from the Tokyo University, Japan. He revived the art of Blue Pottery which had become dead. He made many changes with the designs and also came up with new shades of green, yellow, brown, black etc. It was only due to his innovative work that the blue pottery has acquired the fame it has, today. For his tremendous contribution to blue pottery, Kripal Singhji was conferred the “Padma Shri” in 1974 and was also honoured with the title “Shilp Guru” by the Government of India in 2002. Unknown to many, Kripal Singhji is renowned for his illustrations in the original document of the Constitution of India.
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He was awarded five times between 1957 to 1961 by Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy. In 1967, Kripal Singhji was conferred with President Award of “Master Craftsman” As one of the top ten craftsman of the world, Kripal Singhji was invited by World Craft Council to New York. In 1990, government of Rajasthan conferred the title of “Rajasthan Shree” on Kripal Singhji. He was also awarded with awards like, Kalidas Academy Award, Kalavid, Sanskriti Samman, Maharana Sajjan Singh Award & Kala Vibhushan.
MAHARANI GAYATRI DEVI Maharani Gayatri Devi born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar in 23 May 1919 and passed away in 29 July 2009, was the third Maharani consort of Jaipur from 1940 to 1949 through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Following her husband’s signature for the Jaipur State to become part of the Union of India and her step-son’s accession to the throne in 1970, she was later known as ‘Maharani Gayatri Devi, Rajmata of Jaipur. She also promoted the dying art of blue pottery. She revived the art of Blue Pottery. and promoted the products of Blue Pottery knowing the value of the craft.She also had a collection of Blue Pottery products in the Jaipur Palace.
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RAW MATERIALS
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Multani Mitti( Fuller’s Earth) This is available in the market in small pieces. It costs Rs. 8 to 10 per kilogram. Before production multani mitti is refined.
Ground Quartz Stone The powdered form and is obtained from the nearest market. Since it is the main raw material, it is normally bought in tons. The cost of quartz stone is Rs. 1200 to1300 per ton. The cost of this stone has doubled in seven to eight years. Pervasively powdered form was not available in the market. The stone made in-house powdered which consumed extra time and money for making it into powdered form.
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Tragacanth Gum Katira gond is a type of adhesive which is readily available in the market. It costs Rs. 80 to 85 per kilogram. It is available in big pieces. It is also treated by breaking it by hand, grinding it into powder in the grinding machine and then screening it with an iron jaali.
Crushed Glass Green glass, which is normally used in making tea glasses, is taken for making. It costs around Rs. 4 to 5 per kilogram The obtained glass is first treated before being used for the dough. The treatment involves thorough washing of the glass, breaking it into fine pieces and then grinding it into powder in the grinding machine. Fine broken pieces of glass are now available in the market.
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Saji (Sodium bicarbonate) It is available in the market in the form of small pieces. It costs Rs. 40 to 50 per kilogram. Broken pieces of multani mitti and saaji are taken in equal proportions and then ground to a powdered form in the grinding machine.
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Storage and Availability of Raw Material Most of the units purchased raw material from the same local dealer or procured directly from Byawar or Agra. Although they have not sufficient space for the storage purpose and those who have space, place them carelesselly in open area. Due to effect of temperature, the plastic bags burst which are not been taken care. Due to this the raw material get contaminated by the external impurities which come with air, water, dust. It is a slow process which do not come to notice but it shows its bad effect after firing.
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Colors
The colors used in blue pottery are of two types oxide colors and ferro colors. The usual oxides used for coloring are cobalt oxide (for dark blue color), copper oxide (for light blue color), chrome oxide (for green color), cadmium oxide (for a bright yellow color). The ferro colors are used for the colors brown and yellow.
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PROCESS
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Step 1 - Moulding
Preparation of the Dough
The dough used for molding is prepared by adding five things. The dough consist of quartz stone powder of 40 kg which is the major item, powdered glass of 5 kg, Katira gond powder of 1 kg and a mixture of multani mitti and saaji of 1 kg. These are put on the hard floor and are thoroughly mixed till the mixture becomes homogeneous. After that, water around 20 liters is mixed into it till smooth nonsticky dough gets prepared. The dough is then kept for 8 to 10 hours.
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Pressing It into Molds
A small amount of prepared dough is taken and then rolled by hand on the base stone. It is then cut with a knife in equal parts according to the item being prepared. After this the dough is flattened with the help of a flattening tool till it takes the form of a 4-5 millimeter thick chapatti. The chapatti is carefully put into the mold which is shaken lightly so that the chapatti sets in the mold. After that, a mixture of fine bajri (stones) and raakh (burnt wood dust) is put into the mold and is lightly pressed so that the dough takes the exact shape of the mold. The extra dough is cut off with a knife. The mold is then turned upside down on the base stone and removed. The dough with bajri and raakh is left in this form for one to two days for drying.
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Cleaning The dried dough is now in the shape of the mold. It is again turned upside down and the raakh and bajri mix is removed from it. During the process of drying, some raakh sticks to the vessel. It is cleaned with the help of a small broom made locally from husk.
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Shaping Process Once the vessel is ready, it is rubbed lightly by hand on the base stone to make its edges even. After doing this, the vessel becomes evenly shaped.
Adding Base Except for tiles and wall hangings, most of the vessels are prepared in two or more parts. After the vessel is ready, a base is added below the vessel. In rounded vessels, it is done by putting it on the potter’s wheel. The wheel is set in motion and the vessel is fixed at the center of the wheel. A little amount of dough is taken and with a touch of water, the base of the vessel is added. It is again left for drying for one to two days.
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Smoothening Process The vessel is now ready in form. It is rubbed with regmaal to smoothen the surface. A little amount of wet dough is taken and mixed further with water and is applied on the vessel. It is then removed with a knife thereby smoothening the vessel. The process is repeated two to three times till the vessel becomes absolutely even. It is then left for drying. After it dries, it is again rubbed with sand paper.
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Step 2 - White Coating
Coating with Mixture After this process a solution of quartz powder of 10 kg, powdered glass of 3 kg, edible flour (maida) and water is made. The vessel is dipped in this solution and taken out in such a way that it is evenly coated. It is then left for drying.
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Step 3 - Designing/Art Work
Designing A design is made on the dried, coated vessel with a solution of cobalt oxide and edible gum. The initial rings on the vessel (if circular) are made by keeping it on the potter’s wheel and touching the brush tip on the vessel. The later intricate design is then made by brushes of varying thicknesses. The patterns are drawn on pricing paper and small holes are made on the lines of the drawing. Then the tracing paper is kept on the product and using the charcoal powder it is traced on to the product. thus the patters remain the same and can be used multiple times on the same product for a consistent drawing of patterns. Squirrel Hair is used as brush for drawing the outlines with cobalt oxide of the drawing.
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Step 4 - Colouring
Coloring Once the design of the vessel is complete, the coloring is done by using oxides of various metals. These oxides are mixed with edible gum and then ground on the stone. The color is carefully filled with a brush. The vessel is left for drying. First background is painted then the inside part of patterns are painted.
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Step 5 - Glazing
Glazing After this, a coating of glaze is done on the vessel. The mixture of glaze is prepared by mixing the following things in their respective proportions: Powdered glass of 21 kg, Borex or suhaaga of 17.5 kg, zinc oxide 1.5 kg, potassium nitrate 2.5 kg and Boric acid of 7.5 kg. This mixture is heated in the kiln till it melts. On cooling, the mixture transforms into the form of small pebbles. It is then ground to a powdered form in the grinding machine. The mixture is mixed with water and maida (for an adhesive). The solution is then coated on to the vessel.
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Step 6 - Firing
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Firing Finally, the prepared vessels are heated in the closed kiln fuelled with charcoal for four to five hours at the temperature of 600 to 700 degrees Celsius. Most of the material melts, but 80 per cent of the quartz is left, and this maintains the form of the vessel. The kiln is left to cool for three days, avoiding any rapid temperature change which cracks very easily. Care is taken that no two vessels touch each other as they may turn black.
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Issues During The Process Press Moulding Process No organised space in available to store ready dough. I left in casually in a space where people come with slippers and shoes which have impurities. these are mixed in dough when it is kneaded.Usually the work station is in open area, with a stone slab on which they knead the dough.Dough which is left extra during casting, reduces its plasticity if it is kneaded again and again to reuse for the other product. The moist ash is kept in open area, where soil can easily be mixed which is full of unknown impurities.
Finishing and Drying Totally depend on Sun for drying.Artisans face problem during rainy and winter season for drying.Some of the units do not have cemented or solid floor space to place product.Tools have been prepared by the artisans by the locally available material like grass and iron scrap. Self made Iron plates are used as a tool for measuring tiles. Concrete or rough stone slab for levelling and sandpaper of different grade are also used for finishing.
Engorge Ratio of mixing water into the composition is not fixed. No measuring appratus is used which lead to multiple error of application of thick or more diluted engorge. The mixing it done by hand only which some time causes uneven mixing. Again articles need to keep in Sun for the whole day for drying. There is no system of keeping engorged articles at a specific place. Keep them casually one on other which causes chipping and unwanted damage which leaves its impression even after repairing. Artisans use polythene sheets to cover article to prevent them to absorb moisture from air. Unwanted absorption and release of moisture causes cracks.
Painting and coloring Most of the units use the traditional method of color preperation on stone slab for fine color. It is much time ensuring and labourious. Some units are equipped with color preparing machine but artisan use it only for some colors because the machine is not suitable for the colors of heavy mineral. This also lead to the design of the quality of painting. The painters are paid on piece basis. Thats why he works with an intention to complete maximum number of pieces in a day ignoring the quality of artwork. Because of low quality in painting buyer don’t take it as value for money. Aritisan are showing less sensitivity toward the color combination and pattern making.
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Decoration Most of the units have the same color palatte. They usually depend on exporters and clients for new designs. As observed all the units follow the same designs and patterns. The artists copy each other and make similar patterns. Now a days Blue Pottery artists use cliparts and copying foreign patterns which may be harmful for the identity of Blue Pottery patterns.
Glazing Preperation of composition is totally based on approximation, They never use of any measuring apparatus and then keep the article under Sun after glazing. The Glaze is thick and viscous, due to this an article takes one or two days for drying. Because of thick layer, artisans need to give a finishing touch before loading them into the kiln. Then need to remove glaze from the bottom to prevent the article from the unwanted accumulation of glaze.
Kiln Artisans working in Blue Pottery are struggling with this traditional wood kiln. They usually face the problem of uneven firing. They do not have equipments and upgraded technology of temperature control, which increases the percentage of rejection. This Kiln is totally wood based which requires 5 to 7 ton wood in one firing, costs of 5000/- to 6000/- which is itself is a very important issue to highlight. A state like Rajasthan is already suffering from the unavailability of wood because of semi desert condition. There for use of wood in firing abundantly is not appreciable.
Problems Faced After Firing Red and black spots’ appear due to presence of iron oxide in the body. Mat finish- results because the article does not get the moderate temperature required for the shine or due to uneven firing. Bend in articles - Due to the lack of enough support at the bottom. Breakage and cracks in articles- results due to unnecessary moisture content in the body or mishandling of the article at the time finishing or loading. Cracks usually appear in lead free glaze and it may also appears due to sudden change in temperature or when hot article is taken out of the kiln in a hurry without getting it cooled upto the moderate temperature. Blisters surface occure because of over heating. Glaze flows down at the bottom because of the application of thick glaze, or sometime glaze get collected at the corners, ‘Black layer’ on articles results due to reduction or because of unfired glaze Colors flowing down during firing with glaze because of uneven application at the time of painting. This leaves thick coat of color as patch or because of the use of less glue.
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Inspiration Today its wonderful to see more designers use this beautiful art of blue pottery in their creations in furniture, in interiors and accessories. Jaipur blue pottery has inspired many people who have chosen to either use the inspiration in one of their creations or create a masterpiece for oneself. The Spring/Summer 2014 collection of the designer Kunal Anil Tanna consisted of some beautiful designs for both men and women, all inspired by the beautiful blue pottery of Jaipur.
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MACHINES AND TOOLS
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Grass brush for Cleaning
Grinding Stone
Electric Grinder
Potter’s wheel
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Electric Pottery Wheel
Hand Beater
Squirrel hair brush for line drawing
Squirrel hair brush for colour filling
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INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKSPACE
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Most of the units don’t have any systamatic infrastructure throughout manufacturing process. There ia a need to design seperate workstation and tools according to ergonomics. To facilitate artisans for quality and faster product. to make the process less tiring and laborious.
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PRODUCTS
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MARKTING AND PROBLEMS
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PRODUCT DISPLAY Very few units have display area/ showroom .The product displayed in a very rendom way which confuses buyer instead of impressing him. eg: they display decorative plates on table, the buyer would not be able to understand whether it is for decoration or is being used as utilitarian product. And when they judge it as utilitarian, they simply refused to take because of lead content.Arisans and even enterpreneur find difficulty in communication especially exhibition. It is because most of people involved are uneducated or unaware.No brouchre, leaflet or tag are being used
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KOT JEWAR BLUE POTTERY MARKETING They sell their products to direct market in exhibitions and other organisations who are middleman according to the requirement the products are sold to them. Though the middleman their products gets exported.Since they don’t have export licence and they don’t have contacts to foreign clients. They maintain a stock of products in-house for the exhibition before hand itself. They go for exhibition stall in which they can sell at least two lakhs worth otherwise they have loss since they have to pay for the stall and the transportation of the materials is a huge task.They have a visitors diary where they collect the information of the customers so that they can contact when they do exhibitions. Customers can also interact using Whats App where they can see the images and order the products. Depending on the order quantity the production time of the products may vary. Blue Pottery products needs proper packaging since its a brittle material.Nowadays there is a huge demand for bathroom set products.Most of the order are from Neerja International company who export Blue Pottery products. According to the market demand they make since they have been going for exhibitions they have an idea of the market demands. People who know about the Blue Pottery are the one who buys the products everyone does not know about the craft but people get attracted to the products because of its beauty. Since the products are fully handmade the value of the products go higher. The quality of the products can only be determined after firing. They have to be maintained carefully as the products are fragile.While firing a set of products for an order is kept together so that there is no colour variation between the same products. As a slight change in temperature can make a difference in colour of the product.The quality and testing is done by seeing the physical damage and improper colour in the product.Blue Pottery products can not be kept in microwave and hot liquid eatables can not be kept in it.
PRESENT MARKETING SCENARIO AND COMPETITION • • • •
The units do not have direct market linkages for the sale of goods. Artisans are mostly dependent on exporters for the marketing of the product. The use of Lead based glaze also makes it difficult to sell in International Market. Blue Pottery is reportedly facing unhealthy competition from ceramic products (Khurja Pottery). There is no proper costing procedure. Role of mediators is not decided.
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PROBLEMS • • • • • • • • • •
Regular degradation in the quality of design and painting at production level. Completion of orders not on time due to laborious and time taking process. Presence of moisture absorbing component in body. There is no protocol made to check the quality of the products and process at various level. Frugalness of products creates difficulty in transportation.Porosity in the body. No testing lab for research and technical suggestion. Changing in prices of the products. There is no work for artisans during monsoons, The tendency of leaving the work for other regular jobs. Artisans are mostly dependent on exporter for marketing of the product. Due to illitracy and unawareness they are less capable in communication they do not have marketing arrangement for direct sale of goods.
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR • • • •
Customers value handicraft products and appreciates the uniqueness of the product. The most valued features are ethnicity and authenticity. Future Demands- Good quality and new range of products. More inclination towards traditional designs and patterns.
DEMAND OF PRODUCTS Customers of the age 20-30 years mostly buy blue pottery plates, tiles, jewellery, mirrors and coster. Kids buy dolls, jewellery and keychains. Foreigners buy Plates, Bowls, Jewellery and Vases. The most fast moving products are Plates ,Bowls,Bathroom set, Median size Vase, Pots, Tissue Box,Tray, Hot Plates,Mirrors Set, Photo Frames, Beats , Hooks and Jewellery.
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AWARDS
Shri LALA RAM KUMHAR recived FORHEX award for veteran Artist in Craft in 2011 from Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje
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CRAFT PERSONS The People is the village are the craftsman who take an active participation making Blue pottery products.The children during holidays help in participation of making blue pottery at an early age they learn the various process involved.The village people help each other in teaching Blue Pottery. Many villagers who where doing various other works are now into Blue Pottery as they get proper income from the Blue Pottery. The craftspersons belong to minorities,SC and OBC they mainly include Kumawats ,Kumhars, Raigars, Muslims and Bairwas. The families of the craftspersons live in the village itself. They are living in properly constructed concrete houses.The house have all basic facilities as toilet, TV, fan, electric lights bed and kitchen. They are having Bike and Tractors for transport.The young generation are interested in Blue Pottery as they know the importance and demand in the filed.They are getting their skiils ready for becoming the future craftman in Blue Pottery.
CRAFT PERSONS FROM KOT JEWAR VILLAGE
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HOPES Blue Pottery is a heritage of the art of pottery which has been for years and travelled into the land of India. The Blue Pottery has evolved from an art form to a consumer products. The Blue Pottery is a life of many craft men in India. The craft has created its own identity from other pots.The hard work of making the beautiful products has inspired many from around the world which has given nance value in the product. The BluePottery has a great value since its an art of making hand made pots. The traditional methods have been followed to keep the richness of the craft. The craft plays an important job role in improving the lively hood of the people in the village. The craft people are exploring more business possibility of the BluePottery.They are adapting to the changes and requirements of the market.The Blue Pottery has made its own identity among the crafts of the country. We see a great future in the Blue Pottery of the possible product range which is handcrafted. There also need to be lots of innovation in making the process more easy and easy to reach the costumers in a safe way. There is a lot of demand in the product in local and foreign market. There is always a struggle in meeting the demands of the costumers and also to maintain the quality.
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REFERENCES 1.http://www.garph.co.uk/IJARMSS/Dec2014/5.pdf 2.http://notjustashopper.com/2015/01/jaipur-blue-pottery 3.http://www.jaipurmart.net 4.http://www.artistictile.net 5.http://wwww.infobanc.com 6.http://www.pinkcity.net 7.http://www.judypat.com 8.http://www.indiatourism.com 9.http://www.indianartcircle.com 10.designclinicsmsme.org
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