CRAFT STUDIES Terracotta Craft Cluster - Uttam Nagar ‘ Primary Reasearch ’
ANKITA RAJ | POOJA KUSHWAHA | PRIYA JYOTI | RAKHI MUKERJEA | TRIPTI GUPTA
kuMhar kalonI UTTAM NAGAR
PROCESS of clay preparation
Soil is generally kept outside of the house
Seiving
Clay being mixed in a pug mill
clay ready to be used by the potter
The Basic Raw Materials needed for the clay pottery is mainly the Terracotta clay, which the “Kumbhkars� (potters) get from the other neighbouring regions Black, yellow and red soil in the form of small pieces is obtained which is processed for pottery making. The sourced clay is impure and requires a substantial pre-processing to make it fit for the craft by removing the dust-particles and stones from, so its seived. The soil is generally kept outside of the house. After being seived, water is mixed. Water is the second most essential raw material and is required from the stage of mixing to moulding. Clay is prepared to remove air pockets or foreign bodies. Kneading is done when clay is soft and non sticky using a pug mill. Kneaded clay is ready to be used by potter.
PROCESS of wheel throwing
Potters Wheel
Throwing & centering
Clay being mixed in a pug mill
clay ready to be used by the potter
A mass of clay is hand formed on a rotating wheelhead. The clay is thrown into the centre of wheelhead. This is done to make sure that clay revolves in exactly the centre of the wheelhead prior to throwing. Once this has been successfully completed, a whole range of objects and shapes can be thrown. Then the artisan starts shaping the clay into the desired shape as he wishes to, here making piggy bank. A roller is run over the pot at the same time to give a design detail symmetrically.
Roller used to give design detail
PROCESS of drying
Fan being used for drying
Sun drying - care is taken for overdrying
Sun drying in corridors
As the terracotta clay dries, it hardens. Although the drying is mainly a Natural Drying, and it takes around a day or 2 for the product become a bit tough, so that it is ready for the next step, care is being taken not to put the products in sunlight. As the products dry, the outer surface dries faster than the inner surface which increases the chances of products developing cracks The drying process is carried out on the corridor and not directly in front of fan and then its sundried.
Dried ready to be baked
Hand work / Detailing Decorative motif die
Motif over the semidried pot
Hand work / Detailing
After the wheeled products are dried a bit, the hand work is done, which is mainly the joining of the different parts made on the wheel, repairing the pots that develop cracks while drying, sticking motifs and parts. The surfaces are scraped to make it even and smoother using the small piece of semi-cirular bamboo (chiari), also additional clay are put where ever needed to bring the product into a perfect shape. Finishing and scraping tools (chirari) made from Bamboo are used at this stage. The Motifs and patterns vary from product to product and also from one artisan to the other. The Decoration work takes about 30-45 minutes for a pot, and more for bigger sizes and elaborate work. The motif is manually made or made from die.
Red soil dye
Color mixed in water
Sponging
PROCESS of coloring As the terracotta clay dries and detailed out with motifs, its ready to be colored. The red soil is mixed with water and sponged onto pots evenly, in many coatings. The dried again, ready to be baked. Finished product
Process of firing
Kiln
Sawdust to add up the heat
Top view of kiln
Most houses have an old traditional village kilns, locally known as ‘bhatti’. Genarally the Firing takes about 10-15 days, or even a month sometimes depending upon the size of the Kiln (Bhatti). Sawdust is the most commonly and locally available fuel for heating the kiln. Continuous addition of sawdust through the hole is done to add up to the firing process. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the kiln is turned off. The cooling is also slow, to avoid the pots breaking due to stress from the temperature changes. After the kiln is completely cool, it is opened and the newly created bisqueware removed.
Finished product
Painting detail
ARTISANS
Angoree Devi A matter of pride is stated in the eyes of Uttam Nagar Prajapatis when they talk about this another gem achiever of their society, Angoori Devi who stands high with attitude while talking about her craft and skill. The typical rural women draped in a typical Indian style saree cannot speak or understand English and still has the wisdom to teach skilled craftsmen and give lectures oceans away in countries like Australia. Answering to why she practiced this craft and what it is about the craft that attracts her, she answers in utter simplicity, “because this is what we do.. The KUMHARS”. Further talking about her journey as a women, she states with gratification, “ Ye to log hai, samaaj hai, aur ye to aise hi hai.. Kal jo mujhe rokte the , tokte the aaj unki betiyaan hi mujhse sikhhti hai”. Which means , this is the society , which one stopped me are now portraying as an inspiration to their own daughters. Angoori devi is a icon who has been practicing the craft equally as her husband , unlike other female craft workers , works on wheel. She has been a part of many conferences and lectures within the country and also for the countries abroad. Her work is fancy and unremarkable, and she stands out in all. Angoori Devi belongs to a family stating unique craftsmanship, her husband is an awarded Shilpa Guru and also both her sons have recently achieved an award. If we see the history of these Kumhars, womens were not allowed to work over the potter’s wheel , it was entirely men oriented business. The lady has been practicing the craft equally as her husband, unlike other female craft workers , works on wheel. She has been a part of many conferences and lectures within the country and also for the countries abroad. Her work is fancy and unremarkable, and she stands out in all
Kishor Kumar Amidst the muddy village of kumhar colony lives Kishor Kumar, for whom this art is his livelihood. He does not have a specific time for starting his day’s work, he starts work as soon as he is awake. He sources hi ‘mitti’ (mud) from Jhajjar (Haryana, where a tractor full of mud delivers in ever 8-10 days and costs him about 4,500 rupees. If he has a lot of demand like in the month of Diwali only then he uses all the mud in 8-10 days otherwise the mud lasts for 3 to 4 months. All his designs are handmade and self-taught. His father was also n this profession he made simple earthen pot for storing water, in his village in Rajasthan. But when they migrated to Delhi, Kishor started making decorative flower pots, stools and other items for urban households but all the designs are of his own. Earlier he used to display his work in various exhibitions and stalls all over India but since the last 3 years he has stop displaying outside, because he feels that the profits are insufficient and the transport costs are very high. After Diwali, he gets his desired profits only in April when again demand for water coolers and water storage increases. But in rainy season the demand drops. He take 5 days to make one (large)terracotta pot and sells it for 250 rupees, where his profit is only 50-60 rupees. One pot takes 5 days and making 10 pots also takes up the same amount of time, because he makes it in parts, first the base and then the top part as wet mud can’t stand up to that height. He was continuously complaining about having no aid from government at all, few years ago, he was given a machine from the government but its motor was so small that it couldn’t take load and stopped working in few months. He also said that his future generation would not take up this handicraft as profession because there is a lot of hard work and no monetary gain. He would like them to go out and study and make a fulfilling career so that they can have a contented life.