TERRACOTA Cluster by Randheer Kumar

maane maatti

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TERRACOTTA | FC (2015-2019)

By the Fashion Communication Department National Institute of Fashion Technology Mithapur Farms, Near Jakkanpur Thana Patna - 800001 Bihar All rights are reserved by NIFT. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system of transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or photocopy without prior permission. Printed in India TERRACOTTA | FC (2015-2019)

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the document titled “Mrida” is a record of Craft Cluster work done by the students Anmol Kohli, Juvin Chaudhary, Nishant Kumar, Nivedita Raj, Randheer Kumar, Shweta Kaushal and Savi Kumari for the degree of B.Des Fashion Communication during the period of June -August 2017, which represents as independent work and does not form the base for any previous work.

PLACE DATE -

Under the Guidance Kumar Vikas Assistant Professor Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology Patna - 800001

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PREFACE Craft Cluster Documentation was the one subject where the students were left to explore, learn and research any craft of India. This gave us the opportuinty to travel along with informative learning andthereby, landing ourselves in Ranchi. Mountains, weather, sunrise and sunsets are the views for every walkerby. But there is so much more to the place- in budding habitat of several communities, thrives the craft of Ranchi Terracotta. This craft is famous for its clay idols and utility products. This book is an attempt to bring to the notice of the young minds of India to look more into a place than just the usual places-to-visit. It is a medium to give insights to the readers into this beautiful craft detailing, inticacy and perfect usage of moulds. The main objective is to spread more awareness among the people of India towards thenexistence of real Incredible India which is full of people carryingout their cultures and legacies

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Foremost, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to God Almighty for the gift of life, resources and everything else that enabled me to go through the course and we will be forever be grateful. We are grateful to Fashion Communication Department,NIFT Patna for giving us this wonderful opportunity to study this craft through the craft internship module. We acknowledge with gratitude to Mr. Kumar Vikas my respective mentor who has been sincere and helpful in making us to understand this craft cluster project. We are also very thankful to Mrs. Rashmi Thakur for guiding us throughout the module and helping us at all the stages of the development of this craft cluster project. The Yugantar Bharti NGO family for making us feel welcome throughout the stay and giving us information and guiding in our research. And Mr. Kumar Vikas and all the faculty of Fashion Communication department for giving us their valuable tips and suggestion for improvement in our project. We have tried hard to gather all relevant information regarding this craft cluster project. There may be shortcomming, factual error, mistaken opinion which all are our and we alone an responsible for all those but we will try to give a better in future.

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INSIDE

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About NIFT, Patna Role of NIFT, Patna What is Cluster Introduction - INDIAN Craft Jharkhand Jharcraft Ranchi Terracotta Process and Production Techniques used SWOT Analysis

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About NIFT, Patna Nift Patna was started in June, 2008, from its transit campus situates in the prestigious Udyog Bhawan, Gandhi Maidan, Patna and from July 2014 it has start functioning from its own permanent campus at Mithapur Farms, Patna.NIFT as a Institute is a pioneer in envisioning and evolving fashion business education in the country, and this endeavor saw opening of four New Centers in 2008. Patna being one of them. The institute boasts of a very close contact with the intellectual art and design sector of the society all over the country. Due to the advantage of being one of the pioneer institutions coming in the state, the institute is now very well networked to satisfy the academic requirements of NIFT Patna. The institute portrays itself as a leader in fashion education in the state. NIFT Patna has committed itself in exploring growth paradigms and to act like catalyst in formulating the structural roadmap for the apparel and allied industry. NIFT Patna is looking forward to contribute towards upliftment of the craftsmen through workshops and design intervention.

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Role of NIFT, Patna Overall project direction, strategy, management and coordination of activities and schedules. Overall implementation along with specific tie-ups and networking with various stakeholders.Expertise of enhancement and conversion of knowledge through multidisciplinary research, across design, management and technology. Assessment and enhancement of capacities and capabilities through knowledge transfer programs. Mapping opportunities and potential markets, branding and promotional strategies and networking of potential commerce patronage. Products, processes and tools innovation through design and development.Technical know-how enhancement, trend studies, quality norms and sourcing. Information sharing and creating grass-roots technical support systems for intelligence development and market accessibility. Integration of academic activities to provide real life learning opportunities and employ studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; creative abilities towards various initiatives.

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What is Cluster? A cluster is defined as a geographical concentration of units producing near Similar products and facing common opportunities and threats. As artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated household units producing Handicraft/handloom products. In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community , producing the long establishment products for Generations. NIFT, with active support from the Ministry of Rural Development Office of Development Commissioner (Handicraft and Handloom) and National Centre for Jute Development is developing and implementing a craft cluster initiative toward the overall progress of craft, the cottage industry and vocational activities. Craft documentation was introduced in the curriculum, with the ideas of sensitizing design student who came from city background toward regional craft traditions of India. This gave them a good exposure to the rural crafts in there natural habitat.

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About Craft Cluster Initiative The Craft Cluster Initiative of the Institute is a carefully developed formula for integrating the crafts sector of the country with the mainstream. NIFT, with active support from the Ministry of Rural Development, Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts & Handlooms) and National Centre for Jute Development is developing and implementing a craft cluster initiative towards the overall progress of craft, the cottage industry and vocational activities. The intention of the project is to involve NIFTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional capabilities in the areas of design, technology, marketing and management along with external expertise, and synergies all developmental activities by various government and nongovernment agencies.

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Despite the influence of countless empires and cultures, India has never lost itsunmistakable flavour, it’s essential richness and warmth. Pure, timeliess and prized world over the heritage of India is legendary.

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INDIAN CRAFT TERRACOTTA | FC (2015-2019)

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The crafts of India are diverse, rich in history and religion. The craft of each state in India reflect the influence of different empires. Throughout centuries, crafts have been embedded as a culture and tradition within rural communities. The history of Indian handicrafts goes back to almost 5000 years from now. There are numerous examples of handicrafts from the Indus Valley Civilization. The tradition of crafts in India has grown around religious values, needs of the common people and also the needs of the ruling elites. In addition to this foreign and domestic trade have also played an important role in the evolution of different craft forms in India. The craft traditions of India have withstood the depredation of time and several foreign invasions and continue to flourish till date. It is mainly due to the open mindedness of the Indian handicraftsmen to accept and assimilate new ideas. Going back to the Indus valley civilization we find a rich craft tradition and a high degree of technical excellence in the field of pottery, sculpture (metal, stone and terracotta), jewelry, weaving etc. The Harappan craftsmen not only catered to all the local needs but traded with the outside world via sea routes. In the Vedic age (1500 B.C.), we find numerous references in the Vedas of artisans involved in pottery making, weaving, wood craft etc. The Rig Veda refers to a variety of pottery made from clay, wood and metal. There is a reference to weavers and weaving.

said to be built in India, including the famous Sanchi Stupa, which has beautiful stone carving and relief work done on it. Numerous sculptures from Bharhut, Mathura, Amravati, Vaishali, Sanchi etc show female figures adorned with a display of jewelry, which continues to inspire contemporary jewelry making. The period between 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D. was a period of political confusion as a result of foreign invasions. The impact of this turmoil is visible in the amazing Buddhist sculptures from Taxila, Begram, Bamiyan, Swat valley etc. During the Kushana period Jewelry, sculpture, textile making, leather products, metal working etc. were the main handicrafts that assimilated foreign influences and used them in accordance with the Indian setting. The Gupta age saw rapid advancement in the field of handicrafts and art forms. The murals at Ajanta and Ellora bear testimony to it. The Medieval period the handicraftsmen flourished in the field of pottery, weaving, wood carving, metal working, jewelry etc. The contribution of the Cholas and the Vijaynagar Empire in the field of bronze sculpture, silk weaving, jewelry, temple carving is simply unparalleled. The Mughal period was the golden period in the history of Indian art, craft and culture. The Mughals brought with them a rich heritage. The Mughals introduced methods like inlay work, glass engraving, carpet weaving, brocades, enameling etc.

In the Mauryan age we find great development in the field of sculpture. In this period more than 84,000 stupas are

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MRIDA

From the soil of Ranchi a document on

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FASHION COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT 2015-19 12

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GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Place of visit: Ranchi, jharkhand Places where craft is practised: • Nagjua village- Gajnigaon(Terracotta craft) • Mander Village- Burmu road(Dhokra craft) Malar • NGO Yugantar Bharati: An NGO where crafts of Jharkhand is practised Craft- Terracotta craft Owner: Madhu Kumar Head Artist: Deepankar Karmakar Address- Namkum zoda mandir,sidhrol Ranchi [objective of the NGO: To share different cultures and bring India together through the means of art and craft]

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Dedicated to the artisans and every other inspiring soul who touched our lives during this journey. 14

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Jharkhand is located in eastern part of India. The state share its borders with West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in West, Bihar in the north and Orissa in the south. The industrial city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka its sub capital. Dhanbad is the largest industrial city in the state. Jharkhand is one of the richest mineral zones in the world and boasts of 40% and 29% of India’s mineral and coal reserves respectively. Due to its large mineral reserves, mining and mineral extraction are the major industries in the state. During 1765 under the British Supremacy the state was known under the present title i.e., Jharkhand which literally means ‘the land of forests and bushes”.

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RANCHI THE CITY BEAUTIFUL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Place of visit: Ranchi, jharkhand Places where craft is practised: • Nagjua village- Gajnigaon(Terracotta craft) • Mander Village- Burmu road(Dhokra craft) Malar • NGO Yugantar Bharati: An NGO where crafts of Jharkhand is practised.

Craft- Terracotta craft Owner: Madhu Kumar Head Artist: Deepankar Karmakar Address- Namkum zoda mandir,sidhrol Ranchi [objective of the NGO: To share different cultures and bring India together through the means of art and craft]

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ERROACOTTA pottery, clay are the mainly practiced in the outskirts of Ranchi city. The exact location where the craft of terracotta pottery are practiced in bulk is Bishnugarh, Sahebganj (Hazaribagh) Ranchi, Jharkhand. The artisans were involved in making terracotta products. Observations about the artisans and their family :The artisans are always welcoming in nature, be it nay situation. The always try to create a calm and energetic atmosphere for their work. Mostly all the members of artisanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family be it a child or woman are involved in craft in case of terracotta pottery artisans are involved in making the product.

Artisans

The skilled craft persons are the assest of terracotta pottery. The senior potters in the families are 50-60 years old people with that much amount of experience in the Kumbhar women are co-creators of the pottery in Ranchi. They are very skilled in the painting on terracotta before it is fired and lend it a distinct identity. While women also mix the clay and help with the firing process they do not generally the work on wheel. They are indispensable to the pottery practice of Ranchi and none of the pottery clusters would be able to function without their Unique relationship with the day.

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Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation is an agency of Government of Jharkhand established in 2006 with the objective to develop and support sericulture farmers, weavers and artisans of Jharkhand. The organization implement the Government funded schemes to promote Tasar Silk, handloom and handicraft of the state.The company is Incorporated under Companies Act, 1956 to act as implementing agency. It is also known as Jharcraft. Its area of concern is Handloom, Handicraft and Sericulture sector. The activities are based in the interior areas of the state and the organization works basically on the SHG, NGO and Project modules. Work-sheds are built within the villages with all necessary facilities for the artisans and weavers to work at the nearest place from their houses. Other facilities including training, raw materials, etc. are also provided to them in these work-sheds for uninterrupted work. These artisans are supervised by the master trainers and qualified cluster managers & project managers throughout. This is to check the quality standards of the commodities produced.

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YUGANTAR BHARATI is a registered non-government organisation under Societies Registration Act of XXI, 1860, operating mainly in the state of Jharkhand. The organisation is also registered under ISO; 9000:2008 for the Quality Management System. The office of Yugantar Bharati is situated at Sidroul, Namkom, Ranchi (Jharkhand) which is 12 km from Ranchi city. The Memorandum of Association states that Yugantar Bharati will work for the all round development of mankind through study and research program and implementation of projects which will benefit the mankind. The main areas of operation of this organisation are: To do study and research for all around development of human society and implementation of programs and projects for the same. To endeavour for increasing participation of female through social, economical, educational and cultural a

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TERRACOTT A style

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TA of

pottery A style of pottery wherein women prepare clay figures to propitiate their gods and goddesses, during festivals. In mould deities are created with molded clay on a flat surface. They are then fired and painted in bright colors.

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Terracotta is an Italian word meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;baked earthâ&#x20AC;?.It is a type of earthenware; clay based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. The clay used is generally a blend of two to three clays found in river beds, pits and ditches. The major difference between terracotta and pottery is that terracotta does not involve making objects in a potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel. It uses the technique of pinching and moulding the clay into the desired shape. Until the 14th century, terracotta was the only known type of ceramic produced byWestern and pre-Columbian people. Terracotta has been used throughout history for sculpture, utensils as well as for bricks and roof shingles. Before the invention of kilns [chamber to bake clay], clay sculptures were dried (baked) in the sun after being formed. They were later placed in the ashes of open hearths to harden, and finally kilns were used. However, only 21 after firing to high temperature would it be classed as a ceramic material.

This ancient art form, perhaps one of the first expressions of creativity of human mind. In fact terracotta art in India is considered mystical because it incorporates within the five vital elements like air, fire earth, water, ether. Terracotta art is an integral part of Indian culture and heritage. Terracotta figurines of mother goddess, male gods, and terracotta cart frames and wheels dating back to around 7000 BC have been excavated from the various sited of Indus Valley Civilization like Birhana, Mohenjodaro, etc. proving that the art flourished in Indian subcontinent long before it was used elsewhere. Terracotta also had an important role to play in the trade activities of this ancient civilization. Terracotta figures also have a ritualistic aspect associated with it. This become evident from the fact that many terracotta figures of deities are used in a no. of auspicious occasions.

Histo

TERRACO

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ory

OTTA

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PRESENT DAY SCENARIO The art of terracotta is slowly dwindling away, due to the increasing competition pose by fashion jewellery in modern times. Also the erosion of culture has resulted in the shrinking market for terracotta ware. However, the terracotta craftsmen are diversifying their craft to produce novel and innovative products that beautifully brings out the fusion of the old with the new. From modern looking terracotta jewelry to home dĂŠcor like tabletop, wall art and terracotta lamps â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are a lot of other products that are increasingly gaining popularity.

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rocess &

Production

The scale of production and working hour depends upon the season. If it is a festival season, they have to produce more pots than the other times of the year. Similarly, working hours will also be raised in festival seasons. The important features in the production of pottery are the co-operation of the families in the village and the participation of women in the process of production. The pottery making is very skilful job which needs a lot of patience and focus.

Raw materials The chief raw material of collected from nearby tank. Fuel is another important raw material forfiring which provides durability to the clay is collected from the agricultural lands. Dry coconut stems are also used along with hay and forest wastes.

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COLLEcTING

THE cLAY

Clay is the important raw material for the Ranchi pottery. There are different types of clay in different regions of Ranchi. The clay is normally acquired from lakes or sea beds near to village. The men in the family are usually go for collecting the clay. They use tractor or auto for the transportation of the clay. Any clay will not meet the requirements of a potter. The identification of clay is a skilful job which is acquired by potter through his experience. They would check the clay, as it is different on different layers of earth. The potters rub the dry clay with their nail, and if the clay appears shiny, then possibly it can be used on the wheel.

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PREpARING

THE cLAY

The second stage in pottery making, after the collection of clay is the preparation of the clay. The collected clay may be in the form of large chunks. This needs to broken down into pieces and most of the impurities are removed by hands. Then it is filtered through challni, here all the lumps and the other particles are separated from the soil. After that, the potters put it into water and make big portions of it, which is started into a pit. The clay is moistened in water for a day. This is generally covered with plastic so that it does not loses its moisture.

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DEVELOpING

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Before starting the process, the potter separates the required amount of prepared clay form the heap and knead it. After the final kneading, a heap of clay is prepared either in the form of cylinder or of a ball. The clay is placed at the centre of the wheel. The potter uses his fingers and gives the clay definite shapes by manipulating it. At last the finished product is removed from the wheel with the help of thread. The newly prepared pots are dried. It is kept in mind that for drying purpose no sun heats has to be used as it may from cracks in the structure.

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PAINTING Once the product is dried, women begin painting the pot. The painting on the product adds more value to the craft. Earlier they used only natural colors which are made from stones, red soil and white clay to do the painting. But now, they are also using the chemical paints to paint on the product. The motifs they paint on the product are inspired from nature around them. Some of the villages are still using the motifs from the ancient culture of Harappa.

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BAKING

The final stage in pottery making is the firing process. It includes loading, firing and unloading. There are two methods of firing existing namely kiln firing and pit firing. 100 to 150 pots can be fired in kiln at a time and 300 to 400 pots can be fired in pit at a time. There are definite time differences far both types of firing. It will take only 6 to 8 hours in kiln for the pits to be ready whereas it will take about 2 days in pit firing. The fuel for the firing include wood and garbage. The final product after the firing is guaranteed to stay for a lifetime. When the product is ready after these stages, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough warehousing facilities to keep that much quantity of products. There will be a middleman in every village who stand between the potter and market person. The middleman will come and collect the products from the houses of potter and he is paying to the potter per quantity of the products. 38

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TECHNIQUES used • Coiling • Throwing- hand driven wheel Power driven wheel • Jiggering and jollying • Slip casting

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Artisans who throw the items on wheel in rough shape were taught how to get shapes of different items as per required sizes. Artisans were advised to make artistic items with the use of thrown pots. The thrown items kept in shade for obtaining leather hard position and then taught to create cut designs with the use of knife. This method was more suited for lampshades. In the leather hard situation only technique of etching was coached to them as the design appear prominently with etched portion around the design. Creation of designs by making coils of clay and affixing on base products provided beautiful look. For smoothening of finished product while it is leather hard position with the use of quartz pebbles was coached to get very good finish for the products. For better appearance ,which enhances the value of the products was stressed for the crafts persons and taught to given varnish coating, terracotta colour application and coating of colours. The importance of colour schemes was also informed to participants.

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SWOT ANALYSIS

WEAKNESSES • 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 to check the quality of the products and process at various level. • Fragileness of products creates difficulty in transportation. Lack of infrastructure for storage of raw material, dried models, fired products and finished ones. • No testing lab for research and technical suggestion.

Strength • Low investment infrastructure. • It is a symbol of Craft Heritage. • Scope of making designer products range for future generations. • Traditional design, style and motifs, which are the most important elements of this craft, add a lot of value to this craft. • Raw material is available at low cost.

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• Appropriate process of costing is not followed by some artisans. No costing idea about the product. Sudden changes in prices. • Artisans are mostly dependent on mediators and exporters for marketing of the product. • The units do not have marketing arrangement for a larger direct sale of goods.

• There is an urgent requirement of new design interventions in the field of content, body composition, tools, and machines. • Scope to develop new design patterns according to the need of the current market. • More scope in handicraft export market. • Easy availability of raw material. • Provision of loan and profitable policies for small units. • There is an opportunity to employ more women in this sector, as they can work in various stages of the process. It is also possible to continue with the production process in small groups. • Vocational training of making small utility products like potteries, jewelries and lifestyle accessories could be helpful to provide employment during throughout the year. • Common facility center for raw material could be developed. Standard quality of raw materials can be provided to artisans and manufacturer through those common centers. • Training program should be arranged. It should look into the raw material and the products in various levels of production procedure. So the quality of the products can be improved. • Awareness program for craft identity should be held to common people to make them aware about the identity and value of this craft. It can be done in the exhibitions and fairs.

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• Lack of Unity. • Due to the gradual degradation of quality, there is a large rejection in the exports. Finally, it reduces the possibilities in the international market. • Unhealthy competition with cheaper products made of plastic and glass fiber. Similar looking products made in other mediums are available in market. • Young generation not interested in taking this craft as their profession. • No scope to regulate and judge the reasons, if there is sudden increase in the of breakage and defects occur during the firing process. • Due to no reasonable wages, laborious work, and regular job artisans are migrating to other regular jobs. • Because of less education the craft people will not be able to follow the proper process of costing and to deal with a buyer. So sometimes they have to sell their products in minimum margin or at the cost rate only. • New trend of producing cheaper products, realistic in approach and finish, are visible in the open market. 37w

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THREATS

TEAM AND SUPPORT

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