Meenakari by Diksha

MEENAKARI

Digital publication of student document for private circulation only B.Des Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar This craft documentation has been written, edited, illustrated, designed and photgraphed by student researchers Diksha Lokhande, Humaira Bagadia, Jayati Shrivastava, Mani Sachan, Manushi Gohel and Sreeram. All the rights reserved under international copyright convention. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electonic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Publication 2019 Processed at National Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar

MEENAKARI Authors: Manushi Gohel Diksha Lokhande Jayati Shrivastava Mani Sachan Humaira Bagadia Sreeram Guided By: Ms. Hir Padma Vyas

Preface Set up in 1986, NIFT is the pioneering institute of fashion education in the country and has been in the vanguard of providing a professional human resource to the textile and apparel industry. It was made a statutory institute in 2006 by an Act of the Indian Parliament with the President of India as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and has full-fledged campuses all across the country. Over the years NIFT has also been working as a knowledge service provider to the Union and State governments in the area of design development and positioning of handlooms and handicrafts. NIFT has been greatly involved with crafts as a major focus, for study, research, and development. Craft Documentation is a way to research, study and experience the craft and the region where it is conducted. The life of an artisan is also highlighted giving an opportunity to put forward the effort and time they put in to hone their skill and master the craft over the years. To document the craft of Meenakari we chose to go to Rajkot, a hub for jewellery making where the craft is practiced on a large scale. The artisan Mr. Hiren Vekariya who is a second generation craftsman gave us the knowledge about Meenakari imparting his years of experience about the craft and his view on its future. This craft documentation has information and observations on the craft of Meenakari as it is practiced today, photographs and how people in the society view the craft today. This craft documentation was an enriching experience and we are thankful to each and everyone who helped us along the journey.

Acknowlegdements It was immensely pleasurable to be able to explore and understand the craft of Meenakari. We are thankful to our faculty and course coordinator Ms Hir Padma Vyas for answering all our queries, for equipping and making us ready for field research, for guiding the transcription and the content building process. We thank her for the continued support without which this document would not have been possible. Mr. Hiren Vekariya and his family for welcoming us and letting us into their homes and show how the craft is done. They were extremely patient with our queries and explained us each and everything in detail. Lastly, we are grateful to NIFT for providing us with this opportunity to cover this craft and experience what we have along with our classmates who were always there for feedback and motivation while writing this document.

Contents i.

Preface

ii. Acknowledgements 1. Muqadima

2. Altarrikh

3. Amakin

4. Alaikhlilafat

5. Muelaja

6. Zhakharif

7. Alharfiiyn

8. Musamim

9. Views on Meenakari

10. Bibliography

1 Muqadima Introduction

1 Introduction The culture of India is adorned with crafts from all over the world. This craft document concentrates on Meenakari an ancient and beautiful craft from Iran. It was patronised by the Safavid rulers of Iran and brought to India by the Mughals. The craftsmen of Iran were known all around the world for their craft and it is still practiced widely in the vibrant city of Isfahan and other places. Though, meenakari In India differs greatly from the one done in Iran, it still has it roots going back to the original craft. Indian meenankari incorporates more colours and is done on a wide range of objects. This book is an attempt to bring light towards the glorious craft of Meenakari, loved by the ladies of the Mughal court and now an inspiration to designers internationally.

Detail of meenakari on foil work

2 Altarrikh History

2 History and Evolution Mina is the feminine form of Minoo in Persian, meaning heaven. Mina refers to the Azure color of heaven. The Iranian craftsmen of Sasanid era invented this art and Mongols spread it to India and other countries. French tourist, Jean Chardin, who toured Iran during the Safavid rule, made a reference to an enamel work of Isfahan, which comprised a pattern of birds and animals on a floral background in light blue, green, yellow and red. Gold has been used traditionally for Meenakari Jewellery as it holds the enamel better, lasts longer and its luster brings out the colors of the enamels. Silver, a later introduction, is used for artifacts like boxes, bowls, spoons, and art pieces while Copper which is used for handicraft Imam Mosque at Ishfahan, Iran

Initially, the work of Meenakari often went unnoticed as this art was traditionally used as a backing for the famous kundan or stone-studded jewellery. This also allowed the wearer to reverse the jewellery as also promised a special joy in the secret of the hidden design. Some experts link the historicity of enameling in Iran to the Arsacides and Sassanid periods. However, the use of this art in the Islamic period is not clear before the reign of the seventh ruler of Mongol empireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ilkhanid division in Iran, Ghazan Khan who introduced Mongol Persia to Islam. Ghazan Khan acquired the science of chemistry in a short period and preferred to use his knowledge and endeavors for the art of enameling.

MEENAKARI

2 9

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

Fine silver is used in almost all enameling because the enamel (glass) melts and sticks best to a pure metal. In simple words, enameling is the process of making metal models (fine silver usually) and then melting various colors and types of glass on to the model to create an object of art. Enamel working and decorating metals with colorful and baked coats is one of the distinguished courses of art in Isfahan. Meena, is defined as some sort of glasslike colored coat which can be stabilized by heat on different metals particularly copper. Although this course is of abundant use industrially for producing metal and hygienic dishes, it has been paid high attention by painters, goldsmiths and metal engravers since long times ago. In the world, it is categorized into three kinds as below: 1- painting enamel 2- Charkhaneh or chess like enamel 3- Cavity enamel

What of more availability in Isfahan is the painting enamel of which a few have remained in the museums of Iran and abroad indicting that Iranian artists have been interested in this art and used it in their metal works since the Achaemenian and the Sassanid dynasties. The enamels being so delicate, we do not have many of them left from the ancient times. Some documents indicate that throughout the Islamic civilization of and during the Seljuk, Safavid and Zand dynasties there have been outstanding enameled dishes and materials. Most of the enameled dishes related to the past belong to the Qajar dynasty between the years 1810â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1890 AD. There have also remained some earrings. Bangles, boxes, water pipe heads, vases, and golden dishes with beautiful paintings in blue and green colors from that time, Afterwards, fifty years of stagnation caused by the World War I and the social revolution followed. However, again the enamel red color, having been prepared, this art was fostered from the quantity and quality points of view through the attempts bestowed by Ostad Shokrollah Sani'e zadeh, the outstanding painter of Isfahan in 1935 and up to then for forty years.

6 10

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

1- An interior of a mosque in Isfahan, tran 2- Artefact from Isfahan, Iran 3&6- Closeup of Artefacts of Central Asia 4- Lahore Fort, Pakistan 5- Splendid mosaic from 15th century at the South Iwan of Jameh Mosque. Isfahan, Iran. 7- A fort in Rajasthan

Amakin Demographics

Blue and green meenakari on silver

3 Demographics Meenakari is a Persian art of coloring the surface of metals by fusing brilliant colors. The art was brought to Varanasi by Persian enamellists around early 17th century during the Mughal era. Raja Man Singh of Amber brought Meenakari to Rajasthan at the turn of the 16th century. Man Singh brought skillful meenakars from the Mughal palace at Lahore and established them in Jaipur, which became one of the most important centers of Meenakari. The technique of Meenakari requires a high degree of skill and application. The piece of metal on which meenakari is to be done is fixed on a lac stick. Delicate designs of flowers, birds, fish etc are etched or engraved on it.

way to do it, not to mention the different styles each of them have managed to create! Minakari is the enamel work of Iran. This mixture of art, chemistry, and craftsmanship has been around for a quite long time. Meenakari is still practiced today in quite a few places of India, and each place has a style of their own. For instance, in Banaras the rosepink color (gulaabi meena) is used the most; whereas in Lucknow, the Meenakars specialize in blue and green Meenakari over silver. Enameling over gold is done in Delhi, Banaras and Jaipur, whereas silver enameling is done in Bikaner, Udaipur and Nathdwara and some parts of Gujarat. On the other hand, glass Meenakari (very rare to be seen now) is done Enamelwork is practiced all over the world: in Pratapgarh. Also, Meenakari is practiced in from China and India to Europe and Russia. some parts of central Asia. However, each country has found a different 16

4 Alaikhtilafat Types of Meenakari

4 Types of Meenakari The Meenakari mainly involves covering a metal object with coloured enamels. Red, Green and White enamels dominate in this art. The metal used is called ‘chitras’. An entire object or parts of the object can be covered with enamel. For example, an entire pendant can be covered or a pair of bangles (kara) can be made with three-dimensional ‘makara’ elephant/lion/bird heads. The ornaments can be further decorated with precious stones such as Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, etc.

Ek rang khula mina on gold plated jewellery

MEENAKARI

Ek Rang Khula Mina

Panch Rang Mina

Bandh Mina Khaka

This method involves the use of single color transparent enamel. The engraved area is filled with single enamel leaving gold/ silver colored outlines exposed around figural details. This kind of meenakari work is not as vibrant as the others but here, the richness from gold stands out owing to a design that is less busy with colours.

This uses enamels of five colors viz. Safed– opaque white, Fakhtai– opaque light blue, Fakhta– a dove, Khula Nila– transparent dark blue and Khula Sabz– transparent green. Inshort, this kind of meenakari work comprises of five colours namely, red, green, white, light blue and dark blue.

This method involves the use of opaque cartouche/ outline. Transparent color is surrounded by opaque enamel cartouche.

TYPES OF MEENAKARI

Gulabi Mina It uses pink enamel derived from Gulab (rose). This form of Meenakari is widely prevalent in Varanasi area. The transparent pink enamel is painted on an opaque white background. When single transparent enamel is used to fill the ground around an opaque figure, colors of ground such as Lal zamin- transparent red ground, sabz zamin- transparent green ground, nil zamin- transparent blue ground are used. This will provide a contrast and highlights the subject.

Stone carving and enameling

Sometimes, Meenakari artwork is combined with Kundans making the articles an amalgamation of stone carving and enameling.

The pink enamel is mostly used to paint flowers in the design. Areas other than flowers are painted using â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;champleveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; style. Thus Gulabi Mina is a mixed style of enameling.

5 Muelaja Process and Techniques

5 Process and Techniques Through the years, the process of Meenakari has evolved from elaborate steps to just a few. The work has been divided and nowadays a Meenakar only does the enameling work where the jeweller wants it.

Meenakari work being done on silver foil

MEENAKARI

Meenakari nowadays has a very simple process. It is not as tedious as the traditional glass meenakari and is called plastic meenakari. Its process is as follows: Step 1: Resin and hardener are mixed in together where the amount of resin is twice that of the hardener. Step 2: The colours used in Meenakari today are not derived from natural dyes as before. Now, chemically processed colours are available. The colour is mixed to the above mixture till it attains a certain consistency. Step 3: Using an iron needle, two coats of the colour is applied before with a gap of about half an hour in between. Step 4: After applying colour the artisan puts a layer of acrylic paint over it and lets it dry fully. Step 5: The last layer is of resin which gives an overall shine to the work as a finishing touch. Optional step: During the application of colour if the artisan makes a mistake, the colour is removed by a chemical thinner. If two coats have already been applied the first coat is removed by the thinner and the second coat is removed by heating and then with the thinner. During winters a room heater is used to dry the objects. The suitable temperature for drying is around thirty degrees. Apart from being a surface embellishment craft Meenakari is also used as an adhesive to adhere precious stones in the art of jewelry making. 27

Hirenbhai's work place

Hiren bhai working on jewellery pieces

Finished products

Process and Techniques

Traditional meenakari The traditional process starts with the designer (Nacquash, Chitera) and moves on to the goldsmith (Sonar, Swarnakar), the engraver who engraves the design (Kalamkar, Khodnakar), the enamelist who applies the colour (Meenakar), the polisher (Ghotnawala, Chiknawala), the stone-setter (Jadia, Kundansaaz), and the stringer (Patua), all of whom are ingredients of an important chain of craftsmen that create the finished product. However, due to the paucity of skilled tradesmen often a single artisan wore many hats as it is the experience gained over the years that comes in handy to perform a multiplicity of tasks. This long process was done before chemically processed colours and hardeners were introduced. Step 1: The Meenakars engrave the surface of the metal with intricate designs using a metal stylus which is then filled in with colors. The Meena is then placed in a furnace where the colors fuse and harden to become one with the surface. Step 2: Thereafter the piece is then gently rubbed with a file and cleaned with a mixture of lemon and tamarind that helps to highlight the luster of each color. Enamel colors are metal oxides mixed with a tint of finely powdered glass where the oxide content controls the shade obtained. The color yellow is obtained through the use of chromate of potash, violet through carbonate of manganese, blue through cobalt oxide, green through the copper oxide, brown through the red oxide, and black through manganese, iron, and cobalt. The brilliant red is the most difficult of colors to achieve. White and ivory, though difficult, are achieved through a mix of antinomies of potash, hydrated iron oxide, and carbonate of zinc. 30

6 Zhakharif Colours and Motifs

6 Colors and Motifs Meenakari work is all about colors and motifs. The craft itself entails coating metal with vibrant colors. The motifs are mostly nature inspired and exude a brilliant appeal when adorned with enamel. Meenakari work was introduced to India via the Mughals and the artists thrived under their patronage. As a result, the artists used colors like red, blue, white and green that was favored by the Mughal kings. These also went on to become the colors that would be favored by the meenakari artists in Jaipur. Ruby red, which was especially a Mughal favorite, ended up dominating the meenakari art during that period and thereafter as well.

Meenakari on bajot

MEENAKARI

Commonly used colors are red, green and blue on silver, gold or other metals in India and shades of blue are very prominent in central Asia. But there is no limitation to the color combinations that can be used. Being a very colorful craft, a lot of designers are trying out their hands with various contemporary color palettes. But the craftsmen are seen using the same age old traditional methods of meenakari. Meenakari can be done on various metals but the color of the metals most commonly used are golden and silver. Artificial metals are most commonly used as their base metal as they are cost effective and regular customers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy pure metal meenakari work frequently. Mainly, pure gold and silver meenakari articles are preferred by upper class. Meenakari on pure metals is also often bought as wedding jewelries. 35

Artisan at work

The motifs used are very natural but are highly stylized. All the motifs are flora inspired and a large variety of flowers and leaves can be seen in meenakari articles. Meenakari is also inspired by geometric pattern and that was observed in the olden meenakari architectures of central Asia and also in Rajput and Mughal architecture in India. According to the local artisans, the motifs and designs of meenakari are ever changing. There are many variations of one single design and that is differed from place to place. Rajkot is famous for its motifs and designs and the quality of work by the craftsmen. The meenakars of Varanasi set themselves apart by adding a tinge of delicate pink to white enamel as a result of which pink is the predominant colour in their motifs. In Lucknow area, blue and green enamel are preferred. Motifs in these colors look resplendent on silver which is the base metal of choice in the region. 38

7 Alharfiiyn Artisans

Mixing the colours with hardener and resin

7 Artisan In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chitranagriâ&#x20AC;? (artistic city) of Rajkot lives a young Meenakar, working day and night in the small basement of his quiet modernized house. The 30 years old Hiren Vekariya was engrossed in his work of coloring jewelry worn by kids, while we entered through the gates to his workplace.

in the morning to around 9 at night. Such is his dedication to his craft that during the peak times, which happen as the wedding season inches near, he has to work as long as 1 am in the morning. Hiren thinks that Meenakari is a good craft to practice as a profession because it provides better income than the other crafts. His monthly income is around Rs 50000 approximately as a meenakar. Meenakari gives him that personal satisfaction and he can work for hours practicing it.

He is a master of his craft and this was evident by the speed with which he worked. With fifteen years of experience as a Meenakar, he learned this craft from his father, Dhanjibhai, who was the first one to adopt the craft of Meenakari from around his community. In his initial days, he used to work with glass He says that this craft gives him the profit meenakari or kach minoo. margin of around 50%-70% as no substantial investment is needed. The only investment they Hiren Vekariya has worked as a Meenakar for have to make is on the tools i.e. different sizes more than 30 years. He left his part-time job of needles, the colors, the hardener and the as a computer engineer to fully engage himself resin. with Meenakari. Now he usually works from 8 42

1. Hirenbhai at work 2. Applying the first coat of colour to multiple pieces at a time

3. Finishing up the details.

2 The Meenakars use needles to pick and apply the coating of color over the items but Hiren uses a very small sized piping bag that he made himself. He fills the color in it and can color about 20-40 pieces at a time. This he thinks is better because it saves him a lot of time, rather than picking the color with a needle over and over again. Hirenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family members also help him with the craft. His wife, his mother and his helper are his helping hands. He even has a 6-month old child named Prem. When asked if he wants his children to continue this craft as a profession, he denied it. That was because as beautiful as meenakari looks; it has some side effects too. One of them is the damage caused to the eyes as the resin hardens. The vapors are dangerous especially due to the harsh chemicals used in the colors and resins. The ever-increasing popularity of meenakari keeps him motivated but he says that workers are less

3 compared to the workload. He has the most work during the marriage season of the year where the cost of an article can go as high as Rs 5000-6000. He can finish the meenakari on an article in around 5-10 minutes followed by a drying session of 3 hours. So in all an article takes around 3 hours to get completed. The most intricate work they did, took them around 6-8 hours and it was priced for about Rs 8000-10000. They can do meenakari on every type of product but there is a time for every product. The best time for making jewelry, prayer table, etc. is the Indian marriage season whereas the idols are mostly preferred during Diwali time. The hardworking craftsmen that Hiren is, he has even tried his hands on the authentic glass meenakari. Having said that, he is skilled enough to work on any kind of metal and with the most intricate designs, be it plastic meenakari or the glass meenakari. 44

Cleaning the tools with a pin

Musamim Designer

London based designer Alice Cicolini

8 Designers Who Worked On The Craft Meenakari, the beautiful art form of the Rajputs, doesn't enjoy the status it used to anymore. The artisans are trying to continue the dying legacy of their artwork which, unfortunately, does not have too many takers. But for the past eight years, the dying meenakari practice of traditional Jaipuri artists has been getting a global contemporary platform, one of which immortalizes their art on candy-colored rings and pendants, courtesy to the London-based jewelry designer Alice Cicolini. Cicolini has been putting Meenakari on the international market for the last eight years. Cicolini, who graduated from Central Saint Martins, and is the former Director of Arts and Culture at the British Council in India was inspired by Meenakari when she saw a jewelry box at the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. The box, which was used for solah shringar, intrigued Cicolini to the point that she started looking

into the life and times of the Rajput royal women to understand their lives and culture. She said she wanted to remind audiences through her work that human skill at this level should be valued and cherished. Otherwise, master craftsmanship will be the stuff of museums alone. Following this, she collaborated with a local artisan Kamal Meenakar, a master craftsman in Jaipur, who incorporated Cicoliniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs, exotic shapes and motifs through an age-old Persian enameling process called meenakari. She was quoted by Architecture & Design in an interview earlier this year, as saying, "These collaborations, combined with the enrichment of noble materials such as ebony, gemstones and gold, allow me to create timeless, oneof-a-kind pieces that I hope have poetic and cultural resonance." 50

MEENAKARI

Much like many other art forms in India, Meenakari too is dying a slow death. From being too expensive, to not suiting the style of modern audiences, the artwork has had many issues to deal with. Cicolini, however, saw potential in the intricate detailing of Meenakari, and incorporated her jewelry design skills with it for a global audience. She said, "Indian master craftsmen have often held the attention of a global audience. At the turn of the 20th century, nothing was more chic than owning a Kashmiri shawl. So, I think I was really building on that and reminding people how extraordinary Indian craftsmanship can be."

Cicolini, who has had her beautiful art pieces on display everywhere from Bungalow 8 in Mumbai to Colette in Paris, has put an Indian art form at a global stage, and we hope to see a lot more of her.

DESIGNER WHO WORKED ON THIS CRAFT

1. Rough sketches and ideations of her designs based on meenakari. 2. Designs based on Persian and Indian meenakari 3. Photoshoot of her work Image courtesy: www. vagabomb.com 4. , 5. Other works

9 Views on Meenakari To conclude our research we conducted a small survey on the craft and people's views about it. It gave us a general idea as to how popular the craft is amongst masses and if it is preferred by them or not. This gave us a general perception of the respondents on Meenakari and what their views were aboyut it. various age groups and people from different cultural backgrounds gave their responses and helped to draw an opinion on it.

Do you know about meenakari?

73% Yes

10% No

17% May Be

On which metal do you prefer meenakari?

Silver

Gold

Bronze

Which age group do you belong to?

20-30 years

40-50 years 54

Have you seen people of your age wear meenakari?

68% Yes

32% No

Do you consider meenakari as an old fashioned craft?

21% Yes

57% No

22% May Be

What would you prefer meenakari on pure metal or artificial metal?

50% Pure

50% Artificial

Do you think that this craft will sustain after 10 years?

32% Yes

68% No

Do you think meenakari is at its declining stage?

22% Yes

39% No

39% May Be

Would you like to promote this craft?

82% Yes

18% No

Bibliography: Website references: www.craftsvilla.com www.persionhandicrafts.com www.iranreview.org

Books: Handcrafted Indian Enamel Jewellery by M. Varadarajan and Rita Devi Sharma A Jewelled Splendour: The Tradition of Indian Jewellery Book by Asharani Mathur Costume, Textiles and Jewellery of India: Traditions in Rajasthan Book by Vandana Bhandari

Thank You