Longpi Pottery- Craft Documentation

Longpi

Pottery of Manipur

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Published by National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar Copyright Š National Institute of Design, 2020 2

Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Longpi Pottery Craft Research & Documentation

Guide Shimul Mehta Vyas Authors Nikhil S Shagun Bajpai Saksham Panda Lifestyle Accessory Design 2018

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Acknowledgment We would like to thank the National Institute of Design for giving us the opportunity to visit the serene village of Longpi, Manipur and spend time with the locals while documenting different aspects of Black pottery.

We are thankful to Mrs. Shimul Mehta Vyas, Senior Discipline Faculty, Lifestyle Accessory Design, for being a great mentor and constant support throughout the process. Her perpetual guidance, encouragement, and involvement kept us motivated to get going. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Amresh Panigrahi, Discipline Lead, Lifestyle Accessory Design, for his guidance and Mrs.Bindoo Ranjan, Representative, NID Delhi Office, for literally being just a call away.

We met a lot of people during the whole process and everyone contributed their bit in completion of this project. Firstly, we would like to thank the Black pottery artisan and workshop owner in Delhi- Mr. Mathew Sasa & his co-artisans especially Mr. Khanmung for being super helpful. We’re also thankful to Mr. Aban, Mr. Michelin Sasa, Mr. L R Steward, Mr. Wung Kui, Mrs. Wonyophi, and Mr. Hokhuimi for being patient and spending their valuable time with us.

The journey from one extreme end of the country to another was indeed a learning experience. The people we met helped us achieve a successful research visit. We would like to thank Moon Moon Jetley (History Hive), Mrs. Neelima Hasija (Discipline Lead, CGD, NID), Mr. L. H. Ngathingshim (Dy. Resident Commissioner Government of Manipur, Manipur Bhawan), Mrs. Babita Devi (Manipur emporium), Mr. Ravindra Dutta (Sanskriti Museum), Smitha and Momocha, Asang (MEETAC) for their involvement and support whenever we needed it.

Our heartfelt thanks to Neha Laishram for being remote support and her family for spoiling us with great food and hospitality.

This document wouldn’t have been well formatted if not for the guidance on document layout by Mr. Gunjan Ahlawat.

Finally, we’re very thankful to our friends, faculty and staff members for keeping us motivated at every stage of the project.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Contents Acknowledgment

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Introduction

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Contribution of Craft to the Indian Economy

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Government Interventions

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Manipur, the Land of Jewels

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Black pottery

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Economics of Black Pottery

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Landmarks in our research journey

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Conclusion

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Recommendations

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Bibliography

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Image Index

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

The craft documentation and research of Longpi black pottery is a journey of immense learning.

It is a peek at the lifetime experience in the shoes of pottery artisans of Longpi, Manipur.

This project introduces to the cluster visit and ethnographic research to analyze the subject and document the craft enriched with our research insights. The visit to craft clusters is filled with contextual inquiry and real-life experiences of the craft environment. It encouraged to step out of the comfort zone and empathize with the craft communities while spending time there.

Our quest for craft research begins with multiple perspectives to look at Indian crafts. There is a religious origin for some crafts while others flourished as a means of livelihood. Some crafts developed with rich patronage while others as a result of geopolitical conditions long back. While looking at crafts from various angles, we learnt about Longpi black pottery and its history. It originated as a ritual in the Tangkhul tribe and later became a popular homeware choice across the country and abroad. Another fascinating fact is that the material is exclusively available in Longpi village and no other place in the world.

Few artisans have moved to Delhi for better business opportunities and now the pottery is reaching every corner of the country. This turn of events became our motivation to visit the village in the far east of India and understand the fine aspects of the black pottery craft with an economic perspective.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

• Crafts of India • Crafts and tradition • Folk craft • Traditional craft • Commercial craft • Craft industry

Introduction Indian handicrafts are a beautiful representation of rich cultural heritage and community values. Here is a brief introduction to the crafts of India and their significance in the present time.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Crafts of India Handicrafts are amongst the oldest traditions in the world. Among the many handicrafts around the world, Indian handicrafts are considered very unique.

The tradition of Indian arts and crafts are rooted deeply in the lap of history. It dates to the oldest civilizations in the world, the Indusvalley civilization in 3000 BC. The Indus valley civilization had a rich craft tradition as well as a high degree of technical excellence in the field of pottery making, sculpture (metal, stone, and terracotta), jewelry, weaving, etc. A lot of material information from excavations at Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, etc. substantiate the craft tradition of the Indus valley civilization.

The Indian Tradition always held art and craft as one unified whole. In the classical Indian language Sanskrit, there is only one-word “Kala� covering both. Throughout the recorded history of India, from the Maurya dynasty (320 B.C.) to the Mughal empire (A.D.1700) it can be noticed that the artist-craftsman was part of a caste-based community and passed on his profession from generation to generation within the family.

Indus Valley Art - Priest King, Bearded Man

-S Balaram, Industrial designer, senior faculty and former Chairman of Education at the NID 13

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2. Kathputli craft of Rajasthan 3. Block print from Kolkata 4. Terracotta pottery from Odisha

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

The craft tradition in India has revolved mainly around religious beliefs and encompasses the local needs of the commoners, as well as the special needs of the patrons and royalty, along with an eye for foreign and domestic trade. Several forms of arts and crafts have been originated and flourished. Each part of the country has its own unique cultural ethos, which is manifested in the handicrafts of that particular region. Indian crafts and handicraft traditions are influenced by local topography, climate, and socio-religious factors. These craft traditions have withstood the ravages of time and numerous foreign invasions and continue to flourish to date owing to the cultural and religious importance attached to these craft practices and the assimilative nature of Indian culture and broadmindedness of the craftsmen to accept & use new ideas. Indian craft tradition has no parallel in the world, in diversity as well as in technique and use of materials.

The craft traditions of India vary from region to region.

The artefacts were made for different purposes viz. for trade,commerce, royalty and common people. These crafts not only cater to the dayto-day needs of the people but are also used for decorative and religious purposes. Significant development has taken place in the realms of textile, stone crafts, metal craft, painting, music, pottery craft, woodcraft and many more.

These art forms began as an expression of inner creativity but in a later course, they evolved as a full vocation. The journey of the development of arts and crafts has passed through several stages involving several beliefs and traditions.

The roots of Indian art and crafts are rooted very deep and they are capable of influencing the generations passing by. The present status of craft in India owes much to the rich craft traditions of the past. Most of the crafts from the past continue to flourish due to their utilitarian nature, their availability to the common people, and popularity in domestic and foreign markets.

India’s rich cultural heritage and centuries of evolutionary tradition are manifested by the huge variety of handicrafts made all over the country. Handicrafts are a mirror of the cultural identity of the ethnic people who make it in the country. Through the ages, handicrafts made in India like the Kashmiri woolen carpets, Zari embroidered fabrics, terracotta, and ceramic products, silk fabrics, etc. have maintained their exclusiveness. In the ancient times, these handicrafts were exported to far off countries of Europe, Africa, West Asia and the Far East via the ‘silk route’. The entire wealth of timeless Indian handicrafts has survived through ages. These crafts carry the magnetic appeal of the Indian culture that promises exclusivity, beauty, dignity and style.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Indian handicrafts could be broadly divided into three categories: folk crafts, religious crafts and commercial crafts. Popular folk crafts that are modified according to the demands of the market become commercial crafts. Myriads of handicrafts are made for the diverse rites and rituals associated with the religious faiths of the varied ethnic groups of India. Some of the handicrafts basically meant for religious purposes are also liked by the people for their aesthetic value.

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A handcrafted item consumes significantly more time- at times double or triple the duration- to manufacture than the machinemade products. As the process is time consuming, the design naturally has evolved owing to the spirit of the artisans’ creativity and passion making every piece unique. For instance, the intricacies and delicate designs in various types of weaves and embroideries match the likes of exclusive international luxury brands like Valentino, Hermes, Oscar De La Renta and Chanel. Globally renowned brands keep sourcing luxury embroideries like Pashmina, Brocade, Banarasi, Silk and Jamawar. Silk carpets manufactured in India are a big part of our Indian heritage and handicrafts. The fact that these delicate works can hardly be duplicated or created through regimented technical processes ensures that the value of such goods remains high.

Thus, they enjoy the repute through the ages without undermining the effort, time, and cost spent on production by their makers.

5. Carpet weaving 6. Dyed thread spools

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7 7. Clay craft products from different parts of the country, Handicrafts Museum, Delhi 8. Clay pot in the making

Exquisite manifestations of India’s skilled craftsmanship have carved a distinct identity for themselves to win plaudits and respect worldwide. Whether through monuments or antique souvenirs, it has helped preserve the country’s rich legacy and heritage through centuries. All Indian states embody their own style and origins of art, building an extraordinary treasure trove of unique craftsmanship. In fact, the rich and exotic appeal of high-quality handicraft goods produced by communities and tribes across cultures ‑ through the bold use of colour, patterns, texture or design ‑ is widespread, spanning the remote interiors of the country.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

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This has not only successfully attracted demand for them from the domestic market but has also enabled this sector to carve a niche in the global market. This has made India as the major exporter and supplier of handicrafts in the world. Being one of the most ‘hand-skilled’ countries in the world.

India employs approximately 34.5 million artisans for its handicrafts industry, which is pegged at â‚š 46,000 crore. Nowadays, handmade products are a fashion statement and an item of luxury.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Contribution • Indian craft sector • Exports of handloom • Government initiatives • Craft as business model • Brands and craft • Tourism and craft

of Craft to the Indian Economy

Indian crafts have become a crucial part of the country’s economy.

There is a huge demand for handicrafts in the international market. The evolution and innovation in craft products have made a special place in every household. Let us take a look at the business value of crafts and their contribution to the economy.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Indian Craft Sector Indian craft sector constitutes an important segment of the Indian economy. It is one of the largest employment generator after agriculture.

The sector employs about 7 million people directly and indirectly, which includes a large number of women and people belonging to the weaker sections of the society. The contribution increases manifold in a culturally rich and diverse nation like India. The celebration of handmade is deeply rooted in India’s culture.

The Annual Report of various years of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India suggests that the employment in this sector is 47.42 % women of which 37.11 % come under the backward communities like Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes. Craft practices are more of a lifestyle before becoming an economic activity.

Craft Map of India

Currently, India is leading the exports of handlooms. Handicraft and handloom sector in India are a ₹24,300 crore industry and contribute nearly ₹10,000 crore annually in export earnings. The demand for handmade, eco-friendly and authentic products has grown rapidly in both global and domestic markets.

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The brands have started to collaborate with the craftsmen to bring the beauty of handicrafts.

The craft sector has seen an immense growth rate in recent years. Previously, the business aspect of crafts was weak due to the lack of promotions, awareness and resources. Now as the government has recognized the potential of crafts, there have been many initiatives to empower, uplift and promote the crafts as our rich heritage and business.

The foreign market has also welcomed the Indian handicrafts quite well. The countries like USA, UAE, UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Australia, Japan & Switzerland are among the top countries contributing to exports of handicrafts (major items being art metal wares, wood wares, hand-printed textiles, embroidered & crocheted goods) during the last 5 years.

According to UNESCO estimates, in 2013 CCI generated $2.3 trillion (3 percent of world GDP) and 29.5 million jobs (1 percent of the world’s active population). SOURCE The textile sector is one of the oldest industries in India estimated around US $150 billion & expected to reach US $250 billion soon. It contributed 7 % of industrial output, 15 % in export earnings & over 2% in GDP of India in 2017 - ‘18.

There are initiatives to uplift and empower micro-businesses and startups to ensure their stability in the market. Currently, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) contributes 29% of the country’s GDP and 40% of Its exports.

The MSME sector has created 11 crore jobs in the past and it aims to create 5 crore more jobs by 2020. The advancement in technology and the availability of resources have led to immense ease in logistics and sales. The online portals have helped to create a huge market for crafts both at domestic and international levels. They create a interface between the buyer and seller.

Cover Page of Compendium of Schemes of DCH

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11 Longpi pottery shop, Dilli Haat, Delhi

The skills and sheer hard work of artisans also attract tourists from all across the globe. The local culture and lifestyle in its crude form have always captivated people’s interest. The uniqueness of such places offers a richly diverse palette of travel destinations and cultures across the country. The crafts become an identity of the place and the products become a “must-have” from that place. The popularity of crafts brings various other opportunities in the tourism sector.

The craft products as a souvenir are the centre of attraction for visitors. The process of creating craft masterpieces is attraction for tourism.

According to the annual report by the Ministry of Tourism, 10.56 million foreign tourists visited India during 2018 with an annual growth rate of 5.2%. India ranks 25th in the world tourist arrivals with a global share of 1.24%. source Crafts are indeed an important contributor to a country’s economy, employing artisans that preserve cultural heritage and generating an source of income through the informal sector.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

The tourism industry provides an important export market for a host of craft products. It is made up of all the businesses that directly provide goods or services for the business and leisure activities of tourists. Many such businesses are being supported by the craft sector directly and indirectly.

According to a study by Associated Chambers of Commerce of India - Oldest, Leading, largest and Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), India’s handicraft exports are likely to cross the Rs 17,000 crore mark by the end of the fiscal year of 2015-16. It is further expected to cross Rs 24,000 crore by FY 202021. The craft industry is growing economically while keeping the heritage and culture of the country alive. Apart from the financial contribution, crafts also become a reflection of one’s national identity on a global scale. The crafts have created their own mark in both national as well as international markets.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

• Growth of craft sector • Ministries involved • Schemes and Yojana • Design and technology upgradation • Government rewards and funds • Human resource development • Benefits for artisans • Infrastructure and technology support • Marketing and sourcing assistance • Assistance for organizing in marketing events • Buyer seller meets

Government Interventions

The craft sector in India engages a large number of communities. Craft practices hold cultural importance and create business opportunities as well.

Indian crafts are an integral part of our cultural identity. Many organizations work towards the welfare of crafts. There are many dedicated initiatives by the government to uplift and empower the craft sector in India.

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12 A representation of Handmade in India

The growth in the craft sector is a result of various initiatives by different organizations (government, semi-government, and non-government).

They have worked at multiple levels to bring the craft industry to a better position. The origin of crafts in India traces back into an elaborate history.

They now have the potential to empower all the practitioners socially and economically. There are brighter future prospects in the craft industry in terms of engaging more stakeholders and creating more opportunities. The present situation is comparatively better as the business of craft has suffered due to its unorganized nature along with additional constraints like lack of education, capital, and poor exposure to new technologies, absence of market intelligence and poor institutional framework.

There are interventions by different organizations at all levels of the craft sector. Artisans play a huge role in the sustenance of their respective crafts.

Along with the financial support to business, there are various policies and schemes for the welfare of people associated with crafts. There are different verticals in the government to take care of every aspect of the craft industry.

Ministry of Textiles, Tribal Affairs, Minority Affairs, etc. are the caretakers of handicrafts in India with dedicated assigned officials. One such office is the Development Commissioner (Handicraft) which is working for the promotion and development of the craft sector.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

At present, the office of Development Commissioner (Handicraft) is implementing the following seven schemes for the promotion and development of the handicraft sector: (i) Baba Saheb Hastshilp Vikas Yojana A special scheme which intends to improve the handicraft artisans in India for their overall development. Under this scheme, the artisans are provided training and exposed to bigger marketplaces for better sales. (ii) Design and Technology Up-gradation (iii) Marketing Support and Services (iv) Research and development (v) Human and Resource Development (vi) Handicrafts Artisans Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (vii) Infrastructure and Technology Development Scheme The following three-pronged approaches will be adopted to put the sector on a high growth trajectory as well as preserving existing cultural heritage:I. Promoting premium handicrafts products for the niche market.

II. Expansion of production base for utility-based, lifestyle and mass production handicrafts products.

III. Preservation and protection of heritage/ languishing crafts 31

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation An artisan with Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles

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Dastakar Sashaktikaran Yojana Dastkar is working towards the upliftment of craftspeople from rural background. The objective is to help them regain their place in the market. Dastkar was established in 1981 with a motive to assist craftspeople through support activities like capacity building workshop, skill development, collaborative design innovation and product development. It helps them transform the acquired skills into products which can compete in the contemporary market. The scheme aims to provide a source of employment and sustained earnings to craft communities.

Design & technology upgradation

Design and Technology Development Workshop The objective of the workshop is to develop new prototypes to suit the tastes and preferences of the contemporary market using the traditional skills of artisans and introduction of new techniques and technologies for enhanced production.

Integrated design and technology development project The project has three essential components comprising design development, technology development, techniques/process and formulation and publication of crafts design/ craft technology to a large number of artisans for their skill upgradation.

Assistance to exporter and entrepreneur for design prototype The objective of the programme is to promote the organizations in the export of handicrafts for the development of new and innovative products.

The financial assistance is provided for the development of design prototypes for exporters and entrepreneurs by selecting or involving reputed designers from India and abroad who will help in the development of a range of products suitable for particular markets.

Commercial market intelligence by way of design, trend and technical colour forecast The objective of the programme is to increase the knowledge of the entire handicrafts sector about the new design trends & colour forecasts so as to increase exports from the country by increasing the new design-led products. The increasing need & requirements of overseas buyers about the new designs & trends has led to the implementation of this scheme.

Human resource development

Training through established institutions The component aims at upgrading/ imparting skills in different trade of handicrafts in a continuous and sustainable manner by creating an institutional framework. This shall be achieved through regular training courses run by institutes. These programmes provide an opportunity for the artisans to upgrade their skills and interact with other craftsmen. At the same time, it creates livelihood opportunities for the masses by enhancing their skills through training programmes in different crafts.

Handicrafts training program This program aims to impart training in hard and soft skills to fill the gap of skilled workforce. The crafts sector need more and more involvement of people to increase production base. The program will hold skill training for technical writing and soft skill writing.

Training through Guru Shishya Parampara This program provides for handing over/ transfer of traditional knowledge from master craftsmen to the new generation ensuring the sustenance of the craft. New/ semi-skilled artisans are provided training by master craftspersons.

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Training of the trainers It is a course for master craftsperson/ trainers for refreshing and honing up their skills under which the master craftspersons/ trainers are exposed to new designs, use of improved tools and new production techniques and technologies.

Credit guarantee scheme The program has been shifted from the Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana to Welfare scheme. The program aims to alleviate the problem of collateral security or 3rd party guarantee and remove impediments to the flow of credit to the handicrafts sector.

Design mentorship and apprentice program The program aims at providing mentorship and learning to final year/ graduate/ post-graduate students from reputed design institutes, recognized schools of fine arts and other premier design institutes recognized by AICTE/ UGC / CSIR / Central Govt./ State Govt. and other such affiliating bodies.

Interest subvention scheme The scheme aims to facilitate credit access for handicraft artisans, by introducing interest subventions for scheduled banks. 7% interest subvention, subject to actual, shall be available for artisans for the loan taken from Scheduled Banks. Maximum benefits of Rs. 1,00,000/-for a period of 3 years is admissible.

Direct Benefits to Artisans

Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana (RGSSBY) It aims at financially enabling the artisans’ community to access to the best healthcare facilities in the country.

Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) The objective of the scheme is to provide life insurance protection to the handicraft artisans.

All artisans will be eligible to be covered under the “AAB Yojana for Handicraft Artisans” subject to the conditions laid down by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) from time to time. The present age between 18-59 years living below & marginally above the poverty line were provided insurance cover in the erstwhile Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) as well as in the new AABY. Support to artisans in indigent circumstances This scheme is proposed to support the artisans during their old age. The scheme is designed to give a boost to the handicraft sector in India.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

Issue of identity cards and creation of database The identified artisans will be given photo identity card. Agencies having the necessary infrastructure to undertake the work will be identified by this office.

Financial Assistance for the supply of tools, safety equipment, looms, furnace etc.

The objective of the scheme is to improve the productivity of the craftsmen and their income.

Model toolkits, safety equipment, looms, furnace etc. may be approved at DC(H) office before distribution Shilp Guru Award, National Award & National Merit Certificate The objective is to give recognition to outstanding craftspersons in the handicrafts sector. Under the scheme, Awards & Certificates will be awarded to a craftsperson only once in a lifetime to encourage master craftsperson to maintain the excellence in their craftsmanship and keeping the traditions alive. The component will be implemented by Hastkala Academy or by each department.

Infrastructure and Technology Support

Urban Haat This program is to set up a permanent marketing infrastructure in big towns and metropolitan cities to provide direct marketing facilities to the handicrafts artisans and handloom weavers. This will enable them to sell their products around the year to a wider target audience.

Mini Urban Haat The program is to set up a permanent marketing infrastructure in towns as well as established tourist circuits in the form of way-side amenities.

It provides direct marketing facilities to the handicrafts artisans/handloom weavers and enable them to sell their products around the year to a wider target audience.

Emporia Under this program, assistance would be provided for the setting up of emporia. These would be set up in commercially viable locations in the implementing agencies’ owned or rented building.

Marketing and sourcing hubs in urban areas

Marketing and Sourcing Hubs in Metros It is proposed to set up marketing complexes (hubs) for handicrafts in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore etc. on the concept of “One-Stop Shopping”. It will provide a marketing platform to the wholesalers, retailers, consumers and foreign buyers to reach the potential target segment by showcasing the entire range of handicrafts products.

Marketing and Sourcing Hubs in NonMetros It is proposed to set up sourcing hubs in major craft clusters, towns and cities, with the objective of providing a marketing platform for the buyers.

This will enable them to source their

requirements round the year, from the producers from clusters in that area. This facility will support in enhancing the production and sales from the cluster and also aid in generating productive employment in the respective areas in and around such hubs.

Design and Craft Schools This program aims to introduce an organized formal institutional set up at any level in the country for imparting craft-related skills. The schools would conduct education programs to offer professional design and craft instructions across a wide range of age groups, from traditional to contemporary and for various levels of skill and experience. The main objective of the school is to achieve all-round development in the field of handicrafts and to revive the languishing crafts with the help of training and to provide maximum employment opportunities to the traditional and non-traditional craftsmen for the constant progress of the handicrafts.

Handicrafts Museum The objective of the museum is to establish a platform through which India’s heritage traditional arts and craft can be popularized amongst artists, scholars, designers and the interested public. The primary objective is to collect and preserve objects exhibiting exquisiteness in craftsmanship and conceptual innovations in design or its functional aspects.

Design Banks The bank is to be established with the objective of having a collection of designs in electronic form. These digitized designs would be made available to various users groups to enable them to diversify/ innovate and also customize products according to the domestic or international market needs. The banks shall also provide details of availability of raw material, the technology required, skilled human resource and cluster from where these innovative products can be sourced/ produced.

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Crafts Based Resource Centre The objective of this centre is to create an institutional mechanism to provide a singlewindow solution in an identified craft for comprehensive hand holding in the following aspects: • Technical & Technological information • Marketing Intelligence • Enterprise Development • Micro Finance Activity • Reporting/ Monitoring evaluation/ Experience Share • Product Information • Raw material information • Cluster/ producer information Common Facility Centre The objective of the common facility centre is to ensure economy of scale, price competitiveness, quality control, application of design and technology input on a continuous basis, the scope of product diversification and higher unit value realization and compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) compatible standards. Such a common facility will lead to significant reductions in the cost of production, production of a diversified range of high-value products, sample development, reduction in the response times in order execution and ensure high quality of final products.

Raw Material Depot Raw material depot aims to make easy availability of quality, certified and graded raw material to the artisans and entrepreneur at a reasonable rate.

Technology upgradation assistance to exporters/ Entrepreneurs The objective is to extend the technological upgradation facility to exporters and entrepreneurs. The facility centre should be an infrastructure with modern machinery including packaging machinery to support product, productivity, quality, etc.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

14 Crafts Village Craft village is a modern-day concept, wherein craft promotion and tourism are being taken up at a single location. Artisans live and work at the same place and are also provided with the opportunity to sell their products thereby ensuring livelihood. Craft items are exhibited as well as sold here. The aim would be to select villages that can be connected with some tourist circuits to ensure the sale of products. Office of DCH will fund improvements/ creation of an infrastructure that would include roads, sewerage, water, street lights, footpaths, housing cum workshed, shops, and display areas.

These will be undertaken by the implementing agency and craftsmen will be rehabilitated with new work sheds and display areas. The display areas will be in the form of stalls where artisans can sell their product. Each project will be approved by a committee headed by the Secretary.

Mega Clusters Mega cluster is an approach to bring growth in infrastructure and production chain at handicraft cluster. Many clusters have not been able to catch up with the modernization and development in the market and hence the financial outcome has suffered in such handicrafts. The areas of improvement in the handicraft sector are - infrastructure, tools, diversification of process and products, and brand building. The proposed programme is expected to support the upgradation of infrastructural facilities coupled with market linkages and product development & diversification. The main objective of setting up these clusters is to assist the artisans & entrepreneurs to set up world-class units with modern infrastructure, latest technology, and adequate training and HRD inputs, coupled with market linkages and production diversification.

Surajkund Mela, Haryana

Testing laboratories The objective is to offer total Testing and Quality Assurance support for handicrafts. In order to standardize products, it is proposed to set up new labs and strengthen existing labs.

Integrated Handicraft park IHP aims to provide a permanent platform for the bringing together of the urban populace and crafts communities. The purpose of setting up of park is to set up an integrated facility that would facilitate the production, finishing, packaging, and sale of craft articles.

Constructions & Restructuring This includes the construction of office buildings & revitalizing existing institutions, restructuring of regional design and technical centres, setting up of Hastkala Academy, construction of craft and office Complexes at Vasant Kunj, Okhla and any other infrastructure to be created at departmental level.

Marketing support and services

Domestic marketing events 1.1 Assistance for organizing/participation in marketing events in India It aims to provide a direct marketing platform to the handicrafts artisans/ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ entrepreneurs from various parts of the country. Promotion and marketing assistance will be provided to different eligible organizations to organize craft exhibitions in metropolitan cities/state capitals/places of tourist or commercial interest and other places.

1.1.1 Gandhi Shilp Bazaar/crafts bazaar In order to promote and market handicrafts, financial assistance will be provided to different eligible organizations to organize Gandhi Shilp Bazaars (GSB)/ Crafts Bazar in metropolitan cities, state capitals, places of tourist or commercial interest and other places. This will provide a direct marketing platform to the handicrafts artisans/ SHGs/ entrepreneurs from various parts of the country.

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1.1.2 Exhibitions The objective is to provide financial assistance for smaller marketing events at the local level to provide marketing opportunities to a group of artisans from the area. This will enable continuous availability of marketing platforms to the artisans/ entrepreneurs/ SHGs without the limitation of logistics and increase the penetration of the crafts to all parts of the country.

1.1.3 The hiring of built-up space in events organized by other organization It aims to enable the artisans to display and sell their products in established fair organized by the Department of Tourism, state and central governments or other organizations, and enabling provision is made for acquiring stalls at fairs for allotment to the artisans.

1.1.4 National Handicrafts fair The objective of this new programme is to organize an exclusive fair for handicraft products in India on a grand scale to increase the visibility of the products in the domestic market. The program will also benefit entrepreneurs who are unable to participate in the international fairs due to the high cost. This event is proposed to showcase the best of the Indian handicrafts in quality, design and versatility from across the country.

Assistance for organizing/ participation in marketing events abroad 2.1 Participation in international fairs and exhibitions abroad With a view to promote exports of handicrafts and carpets, the financial assistance will be provided to eligible organizations for participation in international fairs and exhibitions held in India and abroad.

2.2 Folk Craft Festival of India/ Stand Alone Shows/ roadshows The folk craft festival of India/ roadshows/ catalogue shows/ thematic exhibitions/ standalone shows/ special events/ programs shall be organized in India and abroad to create promote the products and create a brand image for Indian handicrafts in international markets.

1.2 Craft awareness program The program aims to support local level awareness programs that target the general public and spread awareness about our crafts.

Such programs may be taken up at schools or other places where reach to a wider audience can be ensured.

1.3 Demonstration program The objective is to provide to organize small scale interaction programs to promote handicrafts with the general public.

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2.3 Market studies abroad The market is dynamic in nature and changes frequently in terms of potentiality, taste, fashion and consumer preference. In order to remain competitive, it is necessary to gather the above marketing intelligence through market surveys/ studies regularly. This helps in capturing business in virgin & emerging markets besides strengthening our hold in the existing markets through better knowledge of market demand trends and product preferences besides the knowledge about techniques, processes, and materials/other inputs being used by the competing countries.

2.4 International craft exposure program This program has sub-components as follows: Long and short term training cum exposure programs of artisans/ master craftspersons/ designers/ technologists abroad on the subject of designs, product innovations, techniques, technology, processing, finishing, etc.

Financial assistance for craftspersons/ designers/ technologists from abroad to visit India & vice-a-versa for studying designs and products and for creating awareness on design and product requirements of the international market. the dissemination of information on the latest production techniques, tools, equipment and technology being adopted by different countries 2.5 Cultural Exchange Programme(CEP) Under this program, master craftsperson will be deputed under a Cultural Exchange Programme for live demonstrations of the craft he/she practices. The participation in the CEP is arranged as per agreed terms & conditions between the Government of India and other countries. In addition, the participation of master craftspersons is also arranged for programmes being organized by Indian embassies or in any festival of significance abroad to promote Indian handicrafts, Master craftspersons, Shilp Gurus and National Awardees etc. To monitor the impact assessment of such participations, one officer of the Office of DC (Handicrafts) can also be deputed to the program.

2.6 Compliance, social and other welfare measures This Program covers assistance for Compilation of product-specific common compliance code for use in International market and assist them in attaining standardized certification To create awareness about compliance among exporters/ artisans/ manufacturers and assist them to meet the compliance request Legal fees for contesting cases and to take safeguards against issues like countervailing duties, which will also include the hiring of lobbyists, the journey of officials of Export Promotion Councils

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Any initiatives including labelling initiative to counter problems arising out of national and international laws and regulations and standard in the areas of environmental and social factors in exports including the hiring of experts and consultants Any other measures including welfare measures as well as deputing delegations of members and officers to resolve labour related or other social problems being faced in the export of handicrafts

Buyer seller meets

3.1 Buyer seller meet in India The objective of this event is to provide linkages to local artisans to showcase their products to the major buyers of India ensuring integrated and inclusive development of the Indian handicrafts.

3.2 Buyers sellers meet abroad and reverse buyer-seller meet in India Since small exporting units cannot afford to participate in International Fairs organized in India & abroad on their own, it is proposed to fund the umbrella organizations mentioned in the eligibility clause for organizing International Handicrafts Trade Fair/ Buyers - Sellers meets in India and abroad. To monitor the impact assessment of such participations, one officer of the Office of DC (Handicrafts) can also be deputed to the programme.

4. Marketing Workshops Marketing workshops will be organized at National/ State/ Local level departmentally to discuss various problems faced in handicrafts sector with artisans and experts in relevant fields like designers, technologists, exporters, buyers and financial institutions etc.

5. Workshops/ seminars/ symposiums/ programs organized abroad This program is proposed with the following objectives: Awareness creation among foreign designers, technologists, buyers, media persons, opinionmakers as well as the general public interaction 40

Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

with government officials, trade representatives and buyers for topics like improvements in the products, policies and designs 6. Rental for warehousing This program aims at providing financial support for renting warehouses abroad.

7. Publicity and brand promotion 7.1 Publicity via print and electronic media Publicity and brand promotion shall help to highlight Indian handicraft products as quality products and thus boost sales in India and abroad. Under this programme, a comprehensive designing of large scale media campaign will be carried out to promote the brand. The campaign shall involve both digital (television, online and audio) and physical (press, billboard, in-store and street) advertising. Advertising of the brand at international and national fairs and events shall be carried out adopting a brand-centric approach and build on the same to increase sales of handicrafts by increasing brand recall.

7.2 Web Marketing The objective of the sub-component is to support advertisements and other publicity activities on the web media and also the creation of e-marketing platform.

Research and Development This scheme was introduced to generate feedback on economic, social, aesthetic and promotional aspects of various crafts and artisans in the sector. This office has been implementing the scheme called Research & Development on all India basis since the time it was introduced. This was done to conduct surveys and studies of important crafts and make in-depth analysis of specific aspects and problems of handicrafts. This helps to generate useful inputs to aid policy, planning and fine-tune the ongoing initiatives; and to have an independent evaluation of the schemes implemented by this office.

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• Rich culture • Imphal • Ukhrul • Tangkhul Naga tribe • Longpi • Food and cuisine • Demographics • Social culture

Manipur

The Land of Jewels Manipur is a beautiful eastern state in the lap of nature. It is the birthplace of Longpi black pottery and the cultural epicenter of North-East India. The state is known for its festivals, music, sports, etc. Let us get to know this place well and appreciate its natural beauty and rich heritage.

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Manipur

The Land of Rich Culture Manipur, the land of jewels is one of the seven beautiful states of North-East India. ‘Mani’ means ‘pearl’ or ‘jewel’, ‘pur’ means ‘land’, thus Manipur literally means “a jewelled land”. The beautiful landscapes between the mountains and valleys, seek the attention of the onlookers and tourists towards its scenic beauty. From lush greens to mesmerizing caves, waterfalls and rivers to the rough terrains constitute this scenic beauty. It is a dream destination for adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

The state is affluent in natural as well as cultural beauty. It rather boasts its unconventional ways of displaying its rich resources and heritage.

Manipur takes pride in its war heroes and the struggle for freedom through memorials and various other sites across the state. The state also commemorates the soldiers from Japan who laid down their lives for Manipur.

Manipur is an amalgamation of many tribes, customs, beliefs and practices. It is home to a range of diverse groups of people with different cultures and dialects. The tribal life is the identity of the state. The practices include the festivals, rituals, dance forms, folk music, indigenous games and the infamous martial arts.

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45 Uttra, Kangla Museum, Imphal, Manipur

Imphal, the capital city of Manipur When in Manipur, one can never miss to admire and appreciate the arts and crafts of the state. They are often made out of the materials exclusively found in and around the state, like bamboo, cane, serpentine rocks, pine wood and water reeds. The crafts include doll making, basket weaving, musical instruments, pottery, bamboo umbrellas and so on. All the crafts are handcrafted except for the usage of a bit of machinery recently to make things faster.

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Imphal is the capital city of Manipur. The city looking like a distorted oval lies in the central part of the state of Manipur. This bustling city houses some of the historic places, temples, lakes and national parks. This region boasts quite a few firsts: the world’s first polo ground, the only market run by women, the only floating national park in the world, and then some more. All this against the backdrop of scenic landscapes and a rich cultural heritage.

17. Zero-Mile stone, NH 150, Center of Imphal 18. Ariel View of Loktak lake, Imphal

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Canal in front of Kangla Fort, Imphal

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Longpi means “group lodge� in Tangkhul dialect. It is said that the villages served as a transit point for travelers in the olden days.

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Ukhrul:

The home to Tangkhul Naga tribe and Longpi pottery Ukhrul, a district located at the North-East of Imphal is another must explore town in Manipur. It is the home of the Tangkhul tribes, a rich cultured community.

The name ‘Tangkhul’ was given to them by their neighbours, the ‘Meiteis’. The northern Tangkhuls were also called the ‘Luhupas’. The name ‘Naga’ was given to them and similar tribes by the Burmese ( Myanmar ), which, in Myanmar means people with ‘pierced earlobes’.

Piercing of the earlobes is a wide-spread practice among the Naga people including the Tangkhuls.

The Tangkhuls belong to the great Mongolian race which is spread all over the World.

Linguistically, they belong to a large language family called ‘Sino-Tibetan’, within that family to the sub-family Tibeto-Burman.

Ukhrul town is also the administrative head of the district, and the following Sub-Divisional Offices are divided for better administration: Ukhrul, Chingai, Jessami & Lungchong Maiphei.

Longpi, situated in the Chingai sub-division of Ukhrul is a general reference to two villages, namely Longpi Kajui (New) and Longpi Khullen(old) in the Ukhrul District. The craft documentation was done at this part of the Ukhrul where the Black pottery is practiced.

Traditional Tangkhul Naga tribal dress

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21 Reaching the location

By Air The nearest airport to Longpi is the Tulihal International Airport, Imphal at an approximate distance of 105 km by road via Imphal city and Ukhrul town.

By Train The nearest railway station is located in Dimapur (Nagaland) at an approximate distance of 314 km. The station is the major railhead that serves both the states of Nagaland and Manipur. The remaining distance needs to be covered by road.

By Road One can reach by hiring private cars, taxis or take the public buses to Ukhrul located at approximately 80 km or a 3-Hour drive from Imphal by road.

Longpi is located at a distance of 37 km northeast from Ukhrul. It takes approximately 1.5-2 hours drive from Ukhrul town.

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Food/ Cuisines “Healthy� defines the food of Manipur. The food is rich in aroma from the local herbs and is mostly steam cooked rather than fried. A typical platter mainly comprises of rice, vegetables, salad, curry of fish or meat. The Meiteis from the valley has one of the most elaborate vegetarian platters. Chak-hao Kheer, a delicious kheer made of black sticky rice and milk is quite a delicacy in this region. Most ingredients by them are used are organic and similar to the South East Central Asian Cuisine. Rice is the staple food crop in Longpi. The Tangkhuls eat meat of almost all kinds. Fish is also consumed; smoked/ dried fish and dried meat are often available in most of the houses. They consume a variety of vegetables, grains and cereal. Also, rice beer is considered a part of the daily course of the meal. It is consumed in large quantities. It is also considered to be a substitute for tea.

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Religion & Caste Christianity is the major religion followed in Ukhrul at 94.63% population according to the 2011 census, followed by Hindus at 4.1%. Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 0.1% while Schedule Tribe (ST) were 94.4% of total population in Ukhrul district of Manipur.

Christianity is the only religion of the Tangkhul Naga today. Tangkhul people are the first community in Manipur to become Christian.

Christianity was first brought to the Tangkhul people by Rev. William Pettigrew of Scotland in 1895.

21. Traditional Tangkhul Naga house with animal adornments 22. Community fishing festival in Longpi village 23. Village Church in Longpi

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Also called as the dancing deer, it is found in its natural habitat only at the Keibul Lamjao National Park over the floating biomass in the south eastern part of Loktak Lake. The Sangai festival, an annual festival that occurs in the last week of November, is named after this deer. The sangai is believed to be the binding soul between humans and nature.

Nongin, also called as Mrs Hume’s Pheasant), is found in the deep forest areas in Ukhrul district, which borders Nagaland’s Phek district and Saigang division of Myanmar. It is the state bird of Manipur and Mizoram.

67% of the geographical area of Manipur is hill tract covered forests. The forest range from tropical to sub-alpine forests between altitudes 900-2700m. (https://manipur.gov.in/) 24 Flora & Fauna The scenic beauty of Manipur is a visual treat.

With lush green landscapes, it houses various flora and fauna exclusively found in this state.

Sangai deer, the state animal, is an endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer, found exclusively in Manipur.

24. Nongin bird of Manipur

Shirui lily also called Siroi lily or Lilium mackliniae, named after Jean Macklin, the wife of Dr, Frank Kingdon-Ward who discovered the flower in late 1940s. The lily is believed to be seen only in Shirui village on the Shirui peak.

The light pink flower blooms only for around 2-3 weeks in the months of May and June every year, attracting a huge number of visitors including tourists and scientists.

Language Manipuri language, Manipuri Meiteilon, also called Meitei (Meetei), is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken predominantly by the people in Manipur. Tangkhul is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Tangkhulic branch. It is spoken in 168 villages of Ukhrul district, Manipur, India, with speakers scattered in the neighbouring Indian states Nagaland and Tripura as well. There are different kinds of dialects in every village. More than 250 dialects are estimated to be spoken in different Tangkhul villages, but the lingua franca is the Hunphun dialect.

25. Shirui lily flower

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Clothes and Accessories The Tangkhul wear a colourful traditional dress.

Women wear ‘kashan’ and ‘kongsang’ while men have their shawl known as ‘haora’. However, as with the rest of the world, they have been rapidly westernized as a result of globalization.

Demographics - Education and Literacy , Population According to the 2011 Census, Ukhrul district had recorded a total population of 183,998 of which 94,718 are males and 89,280 are females.

With a sex ratio of 943 per one thousand males.

It has a density of only 40 persons per sq.km.

The total literacy rate of the district is 81.4% for total, 85.5% for males and 76.9% for females. It may also be stated that there are (248) negligible Scheduled Caste population in the district as per record of 2011 Census. Longpi is home to about 22 clans at present. (wiki) In 2011 Census, the district had total workers of 87,929 (47.79 %), comprising of 67,724 (36.8%) main workers and 20,205 (10.9 %) marginal workers. The main workers are further classified into four categories of economic activity, as Cultivators (64.6 %) sharing major workers, Agricultural laborers (4.4 %), workers in Household Industries (2.5 %) and Other workers (28.5 %).

Tangkhul Dance

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• Pottery in Manipur • Materials • Transportation • Process • Tools • Artisans

Black Pottery The black pottery of Longpi is the pride of Ukhrul and the whole of Manipur.

The famous pottery sans wheel has a fascinating process, tools, materials, and emotions attached to it. Let us take an overview of pottery in Manipur and understand black pottery in detail.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Black pottery in making

Pottery in Manipur The pottery is one of the major crafts cum occupations in Manipur. Here, it is all handmade by beating with a paddle which is either plain or cord wrapped or carved. The same technique is continued in making both the historic and contemporary ethnographic pottery. Over the years, there have been changes in the form and surface decorations of the pottery in Manipur.

Corded wares are found in both pre- and post-historic sites of Nongpok, Keithelmanbi, Napachik, Laimanai, Phunan, Sekta, Chibu and Ningel. Pottery artefacts are important indicators of the Stone age of Neolithic culture of Manipur.

In previous times, the pots from (Khamaran, Khonghapat and Imphal west) were used to store the locally made rice beer, water, burial remains and ritual offerings like beads or ornaments.

The form of the neck and body varied over time in terms of length and diameter based on the purpose and comfort.

Even though agriculture is the major source of livelihood throughout the year, pottery has a significant value in their life. Ukhrul witnesses various kinds of pottery across the district like Nungbi/ Longpi pottery and valley pottery well known in Andro, Thamjao, Chairel and Shugnu.

The pottery is traditionally made by Longpi Tangkhul Nagas. The finished pot is black in colour with an appealing lustre and smooth surface. The artisans use simple tools in making the pots. There is no season for pot making.

People are engaged during the whole year except during Luira Phanit(seed sowing festival) or a death in the family.

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Materials

Longpi pottery is made of two main ingredients namely Leshon or Salla Nali - (Weathered rock, reddish in colour) and Leshong Lung - (Black Serpentine rock).

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The weathered rock is obtained from a spot known as Sla (shonkashok ngalei). The location is around 4km east of the village.

Black Serpentine rock is obtained from the Kaphangran and Sarasen sites, located 2-3 km north of the village. The rock is available in 3 grades as A, B, and C. Grade A being the ideal composition with least impurities and hardest nature. Though it is difficult to crush and grind the pottery has excellent strength. Grade B has a medium amount of impurities and grade C has the least strength among all. Grade C is comparatively more amorphous and weaker in nature.

Transportation The material is transported in the local truck which they refer to as ‘Shaktiman’, from the source to respective houses. The truck is also used to transport from Longpi to Dimapur which is the nearest railway station to ship the material or finished pots to other states.

28. Black serpentine rock and Weathered red rock 29. Powdered Black serpentine rock and Weathered red rock 30. Wet rock piled for drying and stored

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Process Pre-Making The materials are manually queried from mountains nearby using hand tools like picks, iron rods and hoes. They are obtained with moisture in them. They are dried for a few days before using them to make the pots. The moisture makes it difficult to make the rock powder.

The powdered weathered rock and black Serpentine rock are mixed in the ratio of 30:70.

The powders are mixed thoroughly. The mixture is then added to water in a wooden trough (likhu) to create a paste.

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The mixture is kneaded and pounded properly using a paddle(suk) to get a paste with uniform consistency. The mixture is made sure to be void of big chunks of rock or clay. The thoroughly kneaded paste is shaped into lumps using hands and stored in plastic covers to prevent drying.

Pottery making process The black stone pottery making involves very and simple tools. The potter’s wheel is not required in this craft. The process after preparing the mixture dough follows a range of steps.

A small part of the dough of the mixture is used to create a base for the pot. Following that, a huge chunk of dough is rolled into cylindrical rolls. The dough is then pressed and hit into flat beds with fists on a plastic sheet over the flat wooden board.

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A uniform sized bamboo or wooden pieces of required thickness are placed on either side of the flat paste and a roller (PVC Pipe) is rolled over it for uniform thickness. The circular base is then placed on a rotatable stand. For the main structural part of the pot, another long cylindrical roll of the mixture is taken and the earlier process is repeated to get a flat bed.

31. Beating the base of pot 32. Base ready for further addition of clay 33. Rolling clay to form the body of pot 34. Beating the clay flat 35. Rolling with a pipe to get uniform slab

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A measuring scale is used to mark the rectangular area of the piece to use further to make the pot. The uneven edges off the flat paste are cut out using a bamboo knife/scraper.

The flattened paste is then checked for big chunks of clay, stone or unwanted materials before proceeding further. The plastic sheet is turned over onto the reversed wooden trough to separate the paste from the sheet. This step helps to keep the paste bed flat.

A wide PVC pipe is used to roll the long flat paste along into a cylinder. It is placed vertically on top of the base on the rotating stand.

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The edges of the cylinder are joined with the help of moist paste and pinching the open edges with roller as support from inside. Another long strip of paste is placed on the junction of the cylinder and the base, both inside and outside.

36. Measurement of clay slab 37. Joining the edges of clay slab 38. Beating the top edge of pot 39. Shaping the top edge with hands 40. Beating the pot for desired shape

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Water is kept in a bucket nearby for the process.

It is used to join the base using the strip of paste near the junctions.

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The cylinder is then beaten uniformly using soaked wooden paddle from all directions with fingers/another hand as support from inside.

The soaking helps in preventing drying of the paste while beating resulting in breakage. The beating is repeated continuously to give the required shape and size to the pot.

Either the stand is rotated, or the artisan moves around giving the shape to the pot. The pace of beating is ensured to be as consistent as possible to maintain the symmetry.

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Once the pot achieves a desired shape, it is then slowly shaped towards the final piece.

The bamboo scraper is used to remove excess material off the brim of the pot.

41. Smoothening the pot surface 42. Smoothening the inner surface

Decorative designs, mouth, etc. are achieved using the scraper or any other tool along the process while the pot is still moist or semi dry.

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Firing area post making of the pots

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Post-Making The post-making process of this pottery involves following stages- Drying, Firing, Cooling, Polishing & Additional decorative elements Cane weaving The drying process of pots is a slow process. The pots are completely dried in a shaded place for 4-10 days based on the size & type of vessel and the weather. It takes longer during the rainy season due to the moist environment. It is not exposed to direct sunlight as that may result in cracking of the pots. Circulation of air through all the sides of the vessel is ensured during the process. The raw pots are usually dried on a hanging plank or shelf above the fire hearth inside the house.

Following the drying process, the potters use various polishing or smoothing tools to give the pot a smooth surface before firing. Once it is completely dried and smoothed, the pots are fired. Firing is a major part of any ceramic product. It increases the life as well as look of the vessel. It brings in a different life altogether in the raw pot.

The dried pots are kept in open furnace or a closed kiln whose temperature sores up to 1500F. This helps in transforming the clay into hard ceramic. The high temperatures ensure the pots are glazed. This is an irreversible process.

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Tools 44. Two different grades of Black rock 45. Wooden mortar - shamkhur 46. Left: Sieve - Lishon Naya; Right: Pestle- Suk

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Pottery is a craft which requires a slightly bigger area to work as it ends up with lots of clay and water lying around. Most of the craftsperson have a dedicated space to make black stone pottery. Some of the essentials in the workspace are the tools and machinery (current scenario) to help in the complete process of the pottery.

Wooden Trough - Likhu It is a shallow wooden trough usually rectangular in shape. It has 2 faces, with a rectangular hole on one side. This side is used to prepare the paste of powdered rocks and water. This is also used to finely powder mixture of rocks when needed. The other flat side of the trough is used to flattening of the paste for further process. The flattening of the lump of clay using one’s fists.

Wooden mortar - Shamkhur It is made of a single solid log of around 11-15 inch in diameter. Usually cylindrical or narrowed at the bottom(inverted frustum). It has a round cavity at the top. Wood chunks are scooped out and levelled to make the cavity. It is used in pounding the raw material into powder. Here, the rock and the clay are pounded using a pestle into powder.

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Sieve - Lishon Naya It is usually square or rectangular mesh structure made of metal inside a wooden frame or rim.

This helps in filtering big chunks of rock from smaller and finer ones that will be further used to make the paste for the pottery.

Pestle- Suk It is made of a single long piece of wooden log of around 3-5 inch in diameter. It is thick enough to move in the cavity of mortar and the length is about 4-5 feet. The log is made sure to have a smooth surface. Both ends are rounded for ease of usage, ensuring no point inside the mortar cavity is left out while pounding and for the safety of the user.

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Measuring scale

Measuring scale

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It is made of a strong wooden strip with constant marks (inches) marked on them or nowadays a metal scale is also used. It is placed on the flattened paste to measure. (The markings are done using the hamlar. The excess edges are marked and removed using the hamlar, resulting in a rectangular slab). It is also used to measure the dimensions of the pot during the process.

Bamboo knife- Hamlar

Bamboo knife- Hamlar

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It is a thin bamboo piece roughly the size of a pencil, but wider for a better hold. It has a pointed tip on one end while the other end is either flat round edge or just rounded. This is used to scrape off excess clay during the whole process wherever needed. It is also used to make creative designs, motifs on the pot. It is a multipurpose tool. It is also used as a smoothing tool at the end of making the pot.

Pot Roller - Hamkhalou It is often made from bamboo, cane or wooden logs of uniform thickness. The length and diameter of the log are according to the desire and comfort of the potter. This is used to roll the paste on the flat side of the trough into the uniform flatbed of the paste.

Pot Roller - Hamkhalou

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Wide PVC pipe or bamboo piece This is used to roll the flat bed of paste into a cylinder of the desired dimension. The diameter of this piece often defines the base diameter of the pot the potter wishes to make.

Wide PVC pipe or bamboo piece

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Pot stand - Hammatom A square wooden base (Leibak Upak) is kept on a rotating stand or a stool made of wood. Few boards have circular depressions in them making it easier to place the pots on them. The potter uses the base of different sizes based on the desired size of the pot.

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Pot stand - Hammatom

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Hangpi/ Hamkapi

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A Bucket with Water

Hangpi/ Hamkapi It is usually made of wood or cane. It has a cylindrical handle on one end a flat rectangular part at the other. The flat end is used in the beating process giving shape to the pot. A potter usually possesses this tool in various sizes, thickness, textures and widths. Some potters wrap the flat part with a jute fabric, cord net or some fabric that has a texture, while some wooden pieces are woven with the cane.

This woven paddle is soaked in water and used in shaping up the pot by tapping it from outside. The potters also use stronger and unwoven wooden paddles to mix the powders while making. The woven material also helps in retaining the moisture in the paddle and prevents it from drying quickly.

A Bucket with Water Small amount of water, kept in a small bucket, is sprinkled on the pot during the process of making. It helps in keeping the pot moist making it easier to shape and prevents breakage or getting brittle. It is also used to keep and soak the tools like a bamboo scraper, paddle, etc. to prevent them from drying.

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Polishing (Pre-firing)

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Polishing tools (Pre-firing) Stones, toothbrush, rubber, hard plastic, beads, marbles etc. with rigid structures are used for polishing. They are used to smoothen the inner as well as the outer layer of the pot after the completion of the shaping of the pot.

Polishing tools

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Polishing tool (Post-firing) Polished stones or traditionally leaves of Sahi (Pasania Dealbata) are used post-firing. Once the pots are fired and cooled in dry grass, these leaves are used to finally polish the pot to give it the black finish.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Polishing (Post-firing)

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Waiting for the pot to dry

Process time Due to the absence of the pottery wheel, this pottery is a time-consuming craft. Be it querying the raw materials, shipping of raw material by road, preparing the paste/ lump of clay mixture, making of the pot, drying, or be it firing and polishing; The whole process can take anywhere between 6-15 days per pot. Although multiple pots are put to drying and firing at once.

In recent times, the artisans use multiple molds of various sizes & shapes or machinery for the initial step of shaping the pot to get the uniformity and increase the speed of making a pot. The molds are often made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). Usually, the molds are made with simple surfaces and shapes, making it easier to remove the pot when they are relatively dry.

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Artisans In Delhi Khanmung, Delhi Khanmung is one of the six artisans working in Mathew Sasa’s workshop in Vasant Kunj, Delhi.

Khanmung came to Delhi in 2013 to pursue his love for black pottery and make some money to help his family back home in Longpi. He mentions his distaste for studying and hence leaving school after class 8. He speaks Tangkhul, English and manages Hindi in bits and pieces.

Khanmung’s brother is studying in his village.

He often sends part of his earnings back home.

At the workshop, he handles all the big orders.

He earns a percentage share of every product he makes and sells.

All the artisans live together in the workshop, which extends to a small kitchen along with a bedroom full of mattresses for all of them.

They start working at 12-1 pm. They usually take breaks on Sundays and go to church. All of them take turns to cook food for the rest. They mostly cook rice and non-veg like in Manipur in black pottery utensils. They all have adapted to the lifestyle in Delhi and enjoy their work. This is reflected in their enthusiasm and quality of work in the pottery. The raw material in Sasa’s workshop is sent by his father Michelin Sasa, who stays in Longpi. He either sends it by train via Dimapur or in flight via Imphal.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Khanmung giving a demo at Mathew Sasa’s Workshop, Delhi

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Aban, Hao Craft Society, Delhi Aban is the owner of Hao Craft Society based in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. He established the workshop 10 years back when he moved to Delhi from Manipur. There are 25 workers engaged in making black pottery for export in various countries. The scale of production is significantly large at Hao Handicrafts. There are machines involved in the making of pottery mainly for achieving basic shapes and kilns for firing. The pottery consignment is sent to Mumbai which is the major port. From there, it is shipped to the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, etc. Aban aspires to increase the product range at his factory and bring in designers onboard to cater to a large export market.

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Aban giving a demo of how the pots are made at his manufacturing unit in Vasant Kunj, Delhi

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People Of Longpi

Machihan Sasa, Longpi, Manipur Machihan Sasa is a National awardee, for his excellence in Blackstone pottery craft. He is renowned with the title of “Shilp Guru�. He has been engaged in the craft since 1970 and later with the help of government he established a little training facility in 1990 in Longpi Khullen village with a purpose of training youth for the craft. His workshop houses machines for crushing the black stone, sieving the crushed stones, and mixing the stone and clay. The machines were bought from Kolkata 10 years back. The machines have made the process a lot easier and more efficient with the main challenge being the irregularity in the power supply of the village. The transportation of resources from hills is done by truck meant for Indian armed forces.

He has received recognition and awards at state, national and international platforms. He received an amount of Rs.10Lakh to set up the workshop for training. Another Rs.1Lakh from Home Secretary in Delhi. He requested Mr. Rahul Gandhi for financial help and received a Bolero for better conveyance related to work visits to Ukhrul and Imphal. He also has got the space (which is owned by Indian Army) to sell his pottery in Ukhrul and Imphal by Government.

He used to apply for various schemes and policies by the Indian government. Now he has taken a back seat as it involved travelling to Delhi and a lot of expenditure for the same.

Currently, he has 4 trainees in his workshop, one shop in Ukhrul, and one in Imphal to keep him busy. The shops witness a combined sale of Rs.25-30k on occasions and Rs.11-12k on regular days. The final price of pottery is slightly higher in Imphal due to transportation charges. He also has good sales in Dimapur district of Nagaland.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Machihan Sasa with his works and awards, Longpi, Manipur

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L R Steward, Longpi, Manipur Mr. LR Steward is a master trainer living in Longpi village with his wife and 4 kids. He learnt black pottery from his father. The pottery making skills are absolutely an intangible heritage in the family. He also has rice fields to feed his family. He is elated to share his capacity to make over 70 pots per week, but the biggest challenges are the storage space for these pots and outlets for sale. He has been to different parts of the country for events and exhibitions.

He visited Mumbai, Bangalore, Bhopal and also NID for pottery related events.

The house is made of a room with wooden walls and a tin shed. There is a kitchen and garden around the house with his dog and hens as pets.

The mortar and pestle are kept right outside the door to make rice flour. The pottery is made indoors and fired in jungle. He does not have enough space to store the fired pots and hence the production is not very regular.

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79 L R Steward with his family

Wonyophi, Longpi, Manipur Wonyophi is a mathematics teacher at Holy spirit school. Her Husband is dedicated to black pottery. Both live in a wooden house with their two daughters. Wonyophi has a fixed income and it helps in running the house smoothly. Her Husband depends on the orders and seasonal demand of black pottery to earn a living. They have a Kitchen garden near the house. Their major household expenditure is on food. They spend approximately 12000 monthly on food.

They go to Ukhrul and Imphal for shopping and to visit doctors as well.

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Wonyophi, Mathematics teacher, Longpi, Manipur

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Lena Kumrah, Longpi, Manipur Lena is a Clay seller in Longpi. She gets the serpentine rock and weathered rock from the hills and sell it to artisans in Longpi. She has two daughters who help her in household and business.

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Lena Kumrah, Clay seller, Longpi, Manipur

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• Business output • Scale of manufacturing • Sales volume • Profit and loss • Turnover • Costing and markup • Value added • Market competition • Market size • Feasibility • Income generation • Standard of living • Wealth • Production process cost • Raw material cost • Investment • Employment opportunity • Tourism • Distribution channel • Export

Economics of Black Pottery

This section shows an analysis of black pottery based on its economic activities. Here we take a comparative approach to understand various economic parameters of black pottery in Manipur and Delhi. Manipur is the birthplace of the craft while Delhi became the business hub of black pottery.

Let us understand the analysis and insights drawn from this comparison.

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Overview The origin of crafts largely revolves around the religious and traditional aspect, but over a period with the change in the structure of society, these activities have been commercialized. The economic aspect of the craft and the profitability of practising it has become one of the major factors that the craft still exists.

Black pottery was initially a religious practice that later was picked up as a commercial activity.

For many in the Longpi village, it remains a religious practice or a source of secondary income, agriculture being the primary. For some, this craft is a business opportunity as they have not only extended the boundaries of this pottery location wise but also in the utility and aesthetics of the product. The following study of the economic situation was done to analyze the current scenario of the craft being practiced and understand the situations.

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1. Business output In economics, the output is the total quantity of goods and services that an individual, company, industry, city, region, country or even the whole world produces in a given period.

With the change in intention of the production, the business outcome has largely varied from place to place. The individual artisans in the village make pottery for local consumption at

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Traditional Black pottery vessel used for cooking

nearby places. Thus, the outcome is approximately 70 products including pots, vessels mugs etc. in a week. A small-scale manufacturer with around 7-10 artisans working under him usually makes pots for sales at exhibitions, craft emporiums and trade fair etc. Medium-scale manufacturers with 22-25 workers produce for the purpose of export to countries like USA, Germany, Spain, Canada etc.

Longpi

Delhi

In Longpi, making of pottery is more of a leisure activity for them. It is of relatively lower economic value as compared to the manufacturer in Delhi. There is no set procedure followed for the production process. The products are intuitively designed and made. Also, the production doesn’t happen throughout the year as it is a secondary source of income for many.

The production in Delhi is more market focused and outcome centric. The products are designed consciously before production. Molds are made for multiple and faster production of the products. In a few places with large scale of output, machines are used for initial processes to meet consistency and the requirement.

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1. A) Scale of Manufacturing Manufacturing is the process of transforming raw materials or parts into finished goods with the use of tools, human labour, machinery and chemical processing. The scale of production is determined by the size of the manufacturing plant, the number of plants installed, and the technique of production adopted by the producer.

Previously, the practice of the craft was quite a personal activity and generally happened at an individual level since it was more of a religious ritual or a cultural activity. But with the change of perception of the craft as a commercial practice, business models developed, big players started emerging and the production of the crafts began happening at different levels.

Pottery being one of the oldest and the most popular of all the crafts, are produced at many scales, right from artists making custom pieces to mass machine manufacture for daily use.

Black pottery still takes place at an individual level in the place of its origin with not much amendments in the process. In other places like in Delhi where the focus is the business output, a few modifications in the way the pottery is manufactured have been implemented to enhance the quality of product and make the process faster.

Longpi Production happens at an individual level with minimum or no infrastructure. The home of the artisan and surrounding areas are used as the place of production and storage. Market feedback is of less or no importance in their production process due to the involvement of middlemen.

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Water grass products and black pottery shop at Dilli Haat

Delhi Delhi being a tourist place, serves as an ideal market for craft-based products. A few smallscale manufacturers that employed around 7-10 artisans, produced pottery for the consumption in the local market, according to the response received from sellers at exhibitions and craft bazaars. They are also involved in the making of custom orders for famous designers. A few medium scale production units that employed approximately 22-25 artisans, have an online presence and are also involved in the export of the pottery.

1. B) Sales Volume Sales volume is the number of units sold within a reported period. This figure is monitored to see if a business is expanding or contracting. Within a business, sales volume may be monitored at the level of the products, product line, customer, subsidiary or sales region.

There is an increasing awareness about the handicrafts in India. People are choosing handicrafts over the machine produced massmanufactured goods which were previously a valued good. But with the change in the fashion industry and intervention of famous designers, handicrafts are becoming aspirational again.

Many crafts have gone through transformation either in terms of their utility, the material or the production process to make it more apt for the current consumers.

decoration. Thus, the demand for these handicrafts is present throughout the year.

Medium-scale manufacturers that cater to the export market also function throughout the year due to the constant demand for this pottery in the international market. They cater to different countries at different seasons according to the demand for export from the respective countries.

Longpi Agriculture is the main occupation of the village. Hence, pottery is usually halted during the harvest season. They do not have the requirement to produce the handicrafts throughout the year. A few artisans only make pottery only based on order from the middlemen.

Since they only cater to the local market nearby, the demand for this pottery is not constant. Also, the focus of the production in the village remains the utility aspect.

Delhi Small scale manufacturers have their production going on throughout the year as they cater to the local market. Hence, they have a continuous demand for pottery. The pottery produced by them is not just for utility purpose but also for

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Longpi pots stocked for drying

1. C) Profit and Loss The Profit and Loss (P&L) statement is a financial statement that summarizes the revenues, costs and expenses incurred during a specified period, usually a fiscal quarter or year. These records provide information about a company’s ability or inability to generate profit by increasing revenue, reducing costs, or both.

Craft sector being an unorganized sector has its own challenges and flaws. Majorly, regular income is one of the biggest challenges faced by the craft industry and the artisans, resulting in a decrease in the practice of the craft. Due to its uncertainty, few crafts suffer after investing huge amount of capital and time. There can be multiple reasons for such a situation to occur.

At times, handicrafts are unable to tap the right market at the right time. Some crafts haven’t upgraded or updated with the changing market due to lack of design intervention or the rigidity of a community to do so.

Pottery as a craft has a huge share of the market and is considered as one of the most popular crafts around the world. There has been a lot of design intervention that has taken place in the area of pottery. Pottery now has found its way into other utility purposes apart from its primary use.

Pottery being a fragile object has significant losses both in the production phase and transportation phase. The process of making pottery and then firing it is so delicate and precise that a lot of errors happen during the production. The production error before the firing stage can either be rectified or the raw materials can be reused. Post firing stage, the errors are difficult or impossible to rectify.

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67 Black rocks outside pottery workshop

Longpi Due to the inherent nature of the production and the lack of connect with the direct market, the production cannot be anticipated by an artisan beforehand. Profits are relatively insignificant due to the poor negotiation skills of the artisans.

Delhi Due to the availability of raw material only in Longpi, the process of transporting it from the village adds on as the extra step. It is both timeconsuming and costly for the manufacturers in Delhi. Production in Delhi both at the small scale and medium scale manufacturing is anticipated before production and planned accordingly.

Their direct connect with the market help them understand the kind of product in demand and the quantity to be produced. Losses are incurred while transporting the pottery to the market and for export purpose.

1. D) Turnover Turnover is an accounting concept that calculates how quickly a business conducts its operations. Most often, turnover is helps to understand how quickly a company collects cash from accounts receivable or how fast the company sells its inventory.

The craft industry does not follow a fixed pattern in terms of sales. The demand of handicraft products is always difficult to calculate with it being one of the main reasons why craft industry is categorized as an organized sector. This affects the turnover of a manufacturing unit as the demand is occasionally higher than the supply and vice-a-versa. The dead inventory or slowmoving inventory drops the turnover of the company.

There is both qualitative and quantitative variation in the products. The qualitative variation is the output rate that emerges from the orders they receive and the manpower they have. The standard size of the product produced in a month varies from enterprise to enterprise depending on the sale of goods in the tourist season and depending on the size of the order received.

Longpi In the village, there is a big role of the middlemen in the sales of the pottery. The middleman becomes the source of market information for the artisans. A middleman ensures that the artisans produce what is acceptable in the market. This is done to ensure that he does not bear the loss of the dead inventory or slow-moving inventory as the expenditure as the loss is borne by the middlemen himself.

Delhi In the manufacturing units in Delhi, the production happens throughout the year. Due to this, there are sales throughout the year resulting in no stagnant inventory. The production runs according to the requirement of the market at that season. The turnover differs from season to season and from product to product.

However, the profit range varies on two grounds; first, depending on the size of the product i.e. the bigger the product the better is the profit and second, depending on the nature of the customer. In case of local customers, the profit margin is less and in case of an international customer, the profit margin is almost triple.

Final touches to the finished products

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation An artisan working on a pot

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1. E) Costing and Markup

2. Value added

Cost is one such factor that decides the sales and the positioning of a product for a certain market. Few crafts are adopted by designers and then priced in such a fashion that the upper segment of the market is targeted. This creates an aspirational value for that craft. Generally, the costing is done by the artisan in a casual manner thus affecting the sales and the profit from the products sold.

The amount by which the value of an article is increased at each stage of its production, exclusive of initial costs is the value addition.

Handicrafts are one such product that has huge scope for value addition depending on the market they are positioned into. The higher the market value that the craft intends to cater more the value addition is required.

Markup is the difference between the selling price of a good or service and the cost. It is often expressed as a percentage over the cost. It is added to the total cost incurred by the producer of handicraft in order to cover the costs of doing business and create a profit. Craft entrepreneurs take the expenses into account while fixing the price of the products. These include the raw material procurement, labour charges, transport charges, establishment cost, purchase of machinery and equipment, payments to the workers, cost post-production, losses and overhead cost.

Longpi The cost of a handcrafted product is decided by the middlemen and then the artisan might take a call on agreeing or disagreeing to the terms.

Generally, there is a set standard for costing across the artisans and the middlemen that are paid to the artisan. The middlemen then add their markup to that cost following which the product is sold in the market.

Delhi Here, the costing is done keeping in mind the transportation cost of raw material form Longpi, cost of labour, manufacturing, production error, infrastructure and the profit percentage. These are decided by all the manufacturers of that area to maintain uniformity amongst the pricing for a certain type of market.

Black pottery as a craft is not being used for its intended purpose in major markets and the craft has been adopted by designers for events and exhibitions. Right from production for personal use to display in a gallery to material innovation, form exploration and the addition of new material to enhance the existing material to digital marketing, the handicraft goes through different types of value addition.

Longpi The production is done by artisans with their basic understanding of the market that they receive from the middle man. There is relatively lesser value addition in their existing style of manufacturing. The pottery has evolved multi folds from its initial form and functionality even though it still lacks the constant feedback of the rapid change in the market.

Delhi The strong understanding of the market allows them to add elements that are preferred by the market. The cane that is woven into the handles of the pottery is a value addition that is preferred by the consumers who buy this pottery exclusively for decorative purposes. The pottery becomes non-functional when the cane is used as the cane is not water-friendly, a major portion of the export is for the decoration purpose. Play with the form or the utility of the product is a valuable addition to the basic pottery.

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Use of similar products made of other materials at a house in Longpi

2. A) Similar products There are numerous kinds of pottery practiced all over India and within the state Manipur itself. Generally, all the different kinds of pottery including different production methods are clubbed under a single category. This sometimes takes away from the special attention that a kind may demand.

From the market perspective, similar products are a competitor or a threat to pottery.

Pottery making is a time-consuming process as compared to the similar mass-produced machine-made plastic or metal pots available for a much cheaper price in the market. The fragile nature of the pottery makes it difficult to compete with those in the market when compared as a utility product. For other purposes like medicinal, cultural, decorative, uniqueness and sustainable consumption, pottery has an edge over other products.

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Longpi The production of the pottery by the artisans is for self-consumption and for the local markets.

Where the consumers buy the pottery mainly for its utilitarian purposes. Thus, mass-produced similar industrial products have found their way in the local market there and in the life of that artisan. Due to the cheaper and better designed for utilitarian purpose aspect.

Delhi The pottery has no competition with massproduced similar products. The small scale and medium scale manufacturing units in Delhi produce for markets like trade fairs, export, exhibitions etc. where the main purpose of the pottery is not utilitarian but decorative. The consumers are aware of it and buy the pottery for the process and the uniqueness of it.

2. B) Market Markets facilitate trade and enable the distribution and resource allocation in society.

In mainstream economics, the concept of a market is any structure that allows buyers and sellers to exchange any type of goods, services and information. The market is the single most important factor in deciding the viability, growth and quality of any product of a business established. A market-friendly environment increases the flow of capital and expands opportunity for employment and ensure selfsufficiency in the enterprise. Craft items are circulated into the local and export markets.

The export market is becoming increasingly important for entrepreneurs, especially for small and medium-sized manufacturing units.

Products are distributed through trade fairs, agents and middlemen. Wholesalers, importers, buyers at craft fairs and agents are all part of the circulation and distribution of the products to the international market place.

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The marketing of products, especially in the context of the export market requires intermediaries who are skilled and experienced in that market. Black pottery mainly caters to the export market followed by the trade fairs and exhibitions. A very minute or negligible portion caters to the local needs of the people.

Longpi The production in Longpi is a seasonal activity and continues to be one as the demand for the pottery in the local market there is also seasonal.

Delhi The manufacturing units in Delhi have their production functioning throughout the year.

They employee artisans majorly on salary basis or percentage basis, indicating the availability of work throughout the year. This is due to the demand of pottery from the kind of market they cater to.

95 Aadi Mahotsav at Dilli haat, a craft fair in Delhi

2. c) Feasibility The degree to which the economic advantages of something to be made, done, or achieved are greater than the economic costs. Craft process used in manufacturing units are traditionally originated. In most cases, the process passes from generation to generation.

Increase in the training courses and development projects are influencing production techniques in the rural setting. People produce craft independently or in groups in their respective houses amidst other duties and responsibilities.

The crafts involving complicated processes are long drawn out and multistage in character.

Handicraft sector being labour intensive and time-consuming has a need for the account of economic benefit from the sales of that handicraft. The fluctuating market demand makes the manufacturing unit stock up overly resulting in maintenance of the dead inventory making it a non-feasible situation.

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Women carrying water using the traditional basket

Longpi The production is mainly a secondary activity for many artisans and is performed during the offseason as their primary source of income agriculture. The main reasons to produce pottery are extra income and the passed-on knowledge of this craft from generation to generation. The raw material being very specific to that area makes it feasible and unique to produce.

Delhi Exports and trade fair are year-round markets encouraging sales of handicrafts at all seasons.

Thus, the manufacturing units catering to such markets are on the continuous run, thus making their business feasible and profitable. The post order production helps the manufacturing unit to not create excessive pottery that adds on to the storage and maintenance thereafter.

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Rice fields in the hills around Longpi

3. Personal income generation Handicraft industry has helped the artisans to uplift economically to reduce poverty. Artisans work in all seasons and produce craft in their leisure time as well. The cost incurred for production is less due to the availability of resources in the local area. Hence, this industry is classified as small-scale industry or household industry. The women in the family add on to family income by working from home while balancing their home responsibility and work.

whenever necessary later. This industry has evolved as one of the major revenue generators over the years in India.

The industry earns from both domestic and international market. The craft is mass-produced at production units so that the artisans have full-time work. Since the capital investment for this industry is less, the artisans start their own business on a small scale. Demand and supply for the craft are managed such that the product can be stored in their respective homes and sold

Delhi

Longpi The making of pottery is a source of secondary income. The artisans make a significant amount of money out of black pottery produced for the local market other than agriculture.

The small scale and medium scale manufacturing units employ several artisans on salary terms.

From the salary, the artisan send a share of it back to their respective homes. All the artisans have a bank account and a decent amount of money is kept aside as their savings.

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3. A) Wages and Income

3. B) Standard of Living

A worker works on either as a wage or per piece rate. The regularity of tenure of this payment is either daily or monthly.

The pottery industry in India provides mass employment along with betterment of living standards, both in the rural and urban, comprising the workforce of the industry.

Income earned from a job is not the only factor that defines the handicraft industry. Artisan is a major part and the standard of living depends on several factors like the place of work, timings of work, climatic conditions, group in which they are employed, the technology used in the process of production, risk involvement in the job, travel to the workplace and so on. Income from pottery also depends on the season, functions and festivals.

Generally, an employer is responsible for the wage as well as working conditions, living conditions, security against the unforeseen emergency, and old age. Sometimes, in order to save money as a result of uncertainty in production, the small manufacturers employ people on a wage per craft piece basis rather than a fixed salary. But the medium-scale manufacturers claim that they pay overtime to their workers and provide an off day once a week. Some craft units have a hierarchy of workers functioning on a gradational system based on their level of skills, gender and work allotment pattern. These gradational variations entitle them to different wages in the enterprises.

Longpi The artisans do not work on any contract basis.

They work on order basis and get paid for every piece of pottery they make nad have produced.

The kind of product and design is generally decided by the middleman who connects the artisan and the local market.

Delhi The artisans in Delhi are employed on a salary basis. There is a well-defined and structured employment agreement. Along with monetary benefit, the artisans also receive basic amenities like stay and food. Sundays are considered as non-working days like many professions.

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Longpi The artisans in Longpi carry out the making of pottery in their home itself. Since the artisans are not on contract, they do not have any fixed hours of working for a set production target.

The pottery is made based on convenience while balancing with the agriculture practice.

Delhi The artisans employed in the small scale and medium scale manufacturing units have a separate space where the production would take place step by step. Small sharing rooms for several artisans are provided by the manufacturing units to stay. They have fixed working hours and a day off once a week. All the artisans employed belong to the same village and hence travel back home in groups. Pottery being a tender craft does not involve any major workplace hazards.

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A potter’s household in Longpi

4. Wealth Wealth measures the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person or a company. It is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned.

The diverse and dynamic, art and cultural heritage in India is one of its richest and most important resources. It has the capacity to generate significant economic and social benefits for the nation.

Equally important but less understood is the potential of a vibrant and dynamic art and culture sector to contribute significantly to the economy of the country. India present in its folk culture is the right blend of colours. Each region of this land has preserved its own artistic heritage skills and traditional families of craft person have carefully honed their technical skills over generations. It is also an industry that promotes India on a global scale.

Hence, it is important to promote and preserve the industry, as it showcases the creative wealth of our nation. Black pottery in terms of its material, method and aesthetics is so unique that the knowledge of the artisan is also considered as wealth for the nation.

Longpi There are no such assets that are owned by the artisan other than skill and knowledge of the craft.

Delhi The manufacturing units in Delhi have a proper setup for the production to happen. They also have a separate place for storage for both pre-firing and post-firing stages. The space, skilled artisans, tools, machinery, the product etc. are the asset owned by the owner of the manufacturing unit.

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4. A) Raw Material Culturally the handicraft of a region has adopted the use of raw materials available locally.

With the popularization of certain crafts, the production of that craft has begun in other places of the country to meet with the demand of that product. In the case of black pottery, production takes place in different places of the country apart from the place of its origin. This happens due to several factors like proximity to the market, government initiatives like a trade fair, easy availability of necessary facilities and easy access to capture the export market.

Longpi Longpi is the place of origin of this craft and its raw material. There are a lot of traditional stories regarding the origin of the black pottery at that village. The serpentine rock according to the locals is available only at that locality and is valued with high regards by the artisans.

Delhi The raw material used in the manufacturing of black pottery is available only at the place of its origin Longpi. Hence the manufacturing units in Delhi must get their raw material shipped to them with the help of someone back in their village. It is usually shipped through train via Dimapur or air via Imphal from Longpi. The transportation of the raw material from the village to Delhi adds a lot to the production cost.

4. B) Production process cost The craft industry is unique for being entirely self-reliant starting from procurement of its raw material to reaching high value-added products to the consumer. It is in a position to contribute to the whole range of activities significant to the

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation

economy of the country. The craft Industry needs to improve certain areas of weakness and enhance its competitive strength to retain and improve its position in the world. The same, particularly in the context of emergent liberalization and globalization of products and trades.

As a craft, black pottery is not production heavy.

It does not include many layers of process or labour intensive procedure. Black pottery is also known for its unique raw material and the material quality. One of the major costs incurred in the production process is the procurement of raw material and making the raw material production-ready. Pottery being a fragile craft, incurs a lot of production errors adding to the production cost.

Longpi The production process cost incurred in Longpi village are procurement of raw material from nearby locations, grinding them and making them production-ready. The tools that are used in making the pottery and the firing are different than the pottery demands once the desired shape is achieved.

Delhi The manufacturing units get their raw material transported from the Longpi village which adds to a major portion of their production cost. The clay and the rock are both are transported in the form of powder which is ready to be used for production. The production process then does not require any heavy machinery or tools. Firing the pottery once it has reached the desired form is done in a remote open area. The process of firing takes a lot of time and energy resources.

4. C) Investment The Handicrafts industry in India is a low capital investment industry for the products are prepared by hand or with the use of simple tools. The raw material is generally available locally. Handicrafts are also being practiced by many as a regular practice that has been passed on from generation to generation. Hence, for such artisans, it is not difficult to set up a small business that caters to the local market. Further, the handicrafts industry in India has been on the rise for export in the industry and has increased at a rapid pace. The people in the rural areas in order to make money are setting up more and more handicrafts-based businesses. This has also led to the growth of finance in the industry of handicrafts in India.

The black pottery as a craft is not investment heavy and does not possess monetary or physical challenges in terms of creating a living out of it.

Longpi The artisans in Longpi have been practicing this craft as a leisure activity that has been passed on from generations. Artisans that make pottery for sales in the local market do not require much

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investment to start manufacturing to cater to the demand of the local market. The raw material is available locally and can be procured without any cost. The artisans work at their homes, produce and store the pottery within the limited space available at their home. The firing of the pottery is done at the outskirts of the small village which again does not require much of investment. And finally, the sales of the pottery at the local market is generally taken care of by the middle man. The return of investment factor is high.

Delhi For an artisan from Longpi to set up a manufacturing unit in a faraway location like Delhi needs some initial investment. A decent amount of investment is needed to buy or rent a place suitable for the production process.

The transportation cost of artisans and the raw material, buying or renting a shop, to sell the product in the market are some other investments that a handicraft manufacturing unit needs to invest in. Return on investment is high in places like Delhi where there is close proximity to the market and there’s demand for handicraft. The outcome here is much higher than the investment.

Powdered raw material

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5. Opportunity Created The craft sector constitutes an important segment of the infrastructure of our economy in terms of employment and potential development of skills. The expertise in the production of craft goods and services feeding the large industries generally contribute to the achievement of self-reliance and self-sustaining.

Crafts represent both richness and diversity of our cultural heritage besides the exquisiteness.

Giving employment to millions of people and contributing significantly to the foreign exchange earnings of the country.

Often the design intervention and process upgradation in craft sectors are essential for improving quality acceptable to the customers in the changing scenario. Increasing the number of people employed in this sector is a necessity to meet he needs. At present this sector employees more than 20 million people, a significant portion of which belongs to women, minorities and other weaker section of the society. The sector continues to grow at a respectable rate of 15% annually. The last decade saw an emerging trend in this largely unorganized sector and has become increasingly export-oriented.

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Innovation in the design and functionality of the Longpi pots done over the years by Michelin Sasa

Longpi The craft that the artisans did as a leisure time activity, now with the increasing popularity is being a source of extra income for the artisan.

It gives them the opportunity to relocate and explore new markets.

Delhi Longpi pottery is appreciated in the market for its contemporary looks and the subtle lustre in its surface. This has created an opportunity for artisans from the village of Longpi to expand their market and set up a manufacturing unit in Delhi. Black pottery as a craft is appreciated in the international market, creating an opportunity to export their products. A craft manufacturing unit creates multiple job opportunities. It employs other artisans from Longpi, creates intermediate job opportunities like transport, distribution and marketing.

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5. A) Tourism The handicraft industry aids the tourism industry and vice versa. Handicrafts are one of the factors majorly influencing the tourist attraction and development. This results in the growth of handicraft production and sales.

Handicrafts are part of tangible cultural heritage and as cultural souvenirs play the main role in tourism.

Longpi Longpi being the place of origin of the craft and a scenic place interests a decent number of tourists.

Delhi Being a capital city, it has become a must-visit place for many tourists. The governmentinitiated trade fairs and exhibition enable the artisan to expand their market. This helps in reaching the tourists from different places.

5. B) Distribution Channel There are various distribution channels through which the craft industry reaches and sells like Direct market, Middlemen, E-retail, Trade fair and exhibitions. The cycle is completed with the response of the market and the sales information received. It is used to improvise the product according to the market that it caters to. Craft enterprises mainly use informal information typically self-generated or from families and friends. Informal information is essential to the sustenance of existing customers and to locate new customers. It is easier to use over the formal information as it is more flexible and richer in detail.

Direct market or trade fairs are a great way to expose the artisan to the market directly, thus making the artisan more aware of the market. They provide an opportunity for information exchange based on personal contact.

Participation in trade shows is beneficial to the artisans as many of them are government-funded and reduce the cost of multiple folds.

Trade shows, however, are considered to be a risk as the craft entrepreneurs face heavy competition to market their products. It becomes difficult for the small units to survive in the competitive scenario. The craft entrepreneurs are sometimes compelled to reduce the price of the commodity to avoid stocking of items and to arrange their working capital.

The Longpi pottery normally caters to the needs of three groups of people, the organized industry, the national tourist and international visitors.

The pottery sells major part of their production through showroom sales, exhibitions and orderbased sales. These products have proliferated today into the global market. The enterprises as such do not have any well-developed strategies for marketing their products. Exhibition and trade fairs by general nature of the state are essential to crafters who want to establish themselves as wholesalers. This is due to the consumers buying are from large retail outlets attend such events to source new products and to reorder on existing lines.

5. C) Export India’s major handicraft exports are gems and jewellery, hand-knotted carpets and metalware.

The main competing countries across the broad range of handicrafts are Taiwan China Hong Kong and Korea.

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Besides proving to be important from the point of view of employment and foreign exchange, earnings in the handicraft sector also adds in the protection of traditional skills and cultural heritage.

However, the cultural market abroad is quite small in comparison to the commercial market.

It is in the latter where India’s export-oriented handicraft industry has been quite successful. One of the major reasons of handicraft export is the production of new products and designs as desired by the consumers abroad. A clear understanding of the market abroad according to different regions has been India’s expertise in terms of export of handicraft. India’s success in developing handicrafts for export has seen steady growth in recent years. Handicraft sector contributes significantly to the foreign exchange.

Factors that influence demand for an export product include quantifiable factors such as the price of the product, the price of its competitors, population and consumption expenditure in the import market, the general price level and the spending capacity in the importing country. Nonquantifiable factors include the taste of consumer, product promotion barriers to entry of reputation of the exporting country and so on.

Longpi The main production is to cater to the local market or as suggested by the middleman. There is less or no interaction with the international mart.

Delhi The manufacturing units majorly focus on the export market as the revenue earned from exports are higher than the domestic market.

They have an online presence that enables them to get direct orders from the international market. Over time these manufacturers have understood the international market and have modified their products accordingly.

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105 Innovations and Customizations in products done for Export

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Landmarks

In our research journey The research visit was a full roller coaster ride with mixed emotions and a lot of learning. It was a profound experience to travel all the way from the western end of the country to the extreme east. Our destination was Longpi but we kept our researchers’ hat on throughout the journey. Every place had something to offer and we returned with our bags full of lifelong memories and loads of data.

Let’s go through the landmarks of our research journey.

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Ukhrul Black Pottery Restaurant Located at the center of Ukhrul town, is a restaurant which exclusively serves its customers in crockery made of black pottery. The utensils are made in Longpi and brought to Ukhrul every month. The food is cooked in big black pottery pots. The place also offers the utensils for sale.

78. Tea served in Black pottery ware at Black Pottery Restaurant, Ukhrul 79. Product display at Black Pottery Restaurant

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Imphal Sangai Festival It is one of the most awaited and grandest festivals of Manipur. Held annually, the festival named after the Sangai, the state animal of Manipur, started in the year 2010. The ‘Festival’ is named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur. It has grown over the years into a big platform to showcase its rich tradition and culture to the world. The festival helps to promote Manipur as a world class tourism destination.

Every edition of the festival showcases the tourism potential of the state in the field of Arts & Culture, Handloom, Handicrafts, Indigenous Sports, Cuisine, Music and Adventure sports renown in the state and so on.

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80. Folk dance performance at Sangai festival, Imphal 81. Festival Banner outside Sangai festival 82. Manipur Tourism center, Sangai festival

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Ema Keithel - Market run by Women The market, located at the center of the city, is the symbol of women power. ‘Ema’ means ‘mothers’ or ‘women’ and ‘Keithal’ means ‘market’. The complete market is run by over 3000 women of Imphal. The market is divided into two sections and houses some of the authentic local and exquisite goods of Manipur. One section house fruits, vegetables, fish and groceries while the other houses the magnificent and well-crafted handloom of Manipur. The crowd in the market grows exponentially starting from early morning. This place is one of Asia’s largest all-women markets. It is believed to be more than 500 years old.

83. Ema Keithal, a market run exclusively by women, Imphal 84. Clay pots shop at Ema Keithal

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Sanamahi temple inside Kangla Fort, Imphal

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Kangla Fort

Kangla Museum

Located at a walking distance from Ema keithel, at the heart of the city, with Imphal river flowing in front, is the fort of Kangla.

Old Victorian Building in Manipur serves as a space highlighting the culture, myths and legends of Kangla. It also serves as a bridge between cultures, especially when it comes to people from outside Manipur.

‘Kangla’ means “dry land” in old Meetei. ‘Kangla’ is regarded as the holiest place for the Manipuris.

It is a symbol of Manipur’s glory. It is one of the most important historical and archeological sites in Manipur. The fort houses the ruins of the citadel, ruins of the Uttra, two huge ‘Kangla Sha’ made of brick used to stand in front of the “Uttra”, temple of Shree - Shree Govindajee, stone inscriptions and a museum. “Uttra” is the ancestral coronation hall of the Manipur kings.

The museum has two galleries.

• The first one houses portraits of rulers of Manipur, model of Kangla Fort, maps of the state during various periods, etc.

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The second gallery is made up of archaeological findings from Kangla.

Kangla Museum

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Manipur State Museum Inaugurated in 1969 by Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister of India is a major tourist attraction of the state. Galleries house materials of natural history, ethnology, and archaeology. Collection includes tribal ornaments, Manipuri textiles, agricultural equipment and other items of cultural relevance to the state.

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Other Museums in Manipur Tribal Research Institute Museum, Imphal The INA war museum, Moirang People’s Museum, Imphal Agape Museum, Imphal Zogam Tribal Museum, Imphal Loktak Folklore Museum, Imphal 90

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87. Manipur State Museum 88. Longpi pottery display at Museum

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89, 90, 91. Various heritage potteries of Manipur

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Delhi Dilli Haat It is an open-air food plaza and craft bazaar located near INA in Delhi. It is a permanent market run

by Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). The market includes the rich varieties of products sold which may include rosewood and sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware, metal crafts, and silk & wool fabrics. Numerous shows promoting handicrafts and handlooms are held frequently at the exhibition hall in the complex. The complex also boasts the food plaza from each state of the country. The Longpi pottery sales here is an initiative by Matthew Sasa and Hao crafts society.

Longpi pottery at Dilli Haat

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Matthew Sasa Workshop- working area

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Longpi pottery | Craft research and documentation Matthew Sasa Workshop- Drying area

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Mathew Sasa’s workshop Mathew Sasa a resident of Longpi Khullen, started an outlet named Mathew Sasa Craft at New Delhi in 2007. His workshop is in Vasant Kunj in Delhi.

He is one of the pioneers of bringing black pottery into the commercial markets in Delhi.

The workshop employees 6 craft persons. They stay in a room attached to the workshop. His workshop is located amidst the small apartments in the remote region of Vasant Kunj. The workshop displays a wide range of pottery done based on various orders along with the Plaster of Paris (PoP) molds. He ships his products to various stalls in Dilli Haat and the Manipur emporium near Connaught Place Delhi.

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Meeting with artisans at Mathew Sasa’s workshop

96 Firing area in workshop at Hao Crafts

Hao Crafts At a walkable distance from Matthew Sasa’s workshop in Vasant Kunj, is the workshop and office of Hao Crafts Society. The workshop houses multiple sheds with workspaces exclusive for the office, pottery area, firing area, storage area, living area/ home for the artisans and an open ground for drying the pots. The workshop includes machines to quickly make base shape of the pots.

The machines use huge number of PoP molds of various shapes and sizes based on requirements for the shaping purpose. This speedens the making of pots on a large scale. The modern influence on the pottery is seen in this workshop with products of various shapes, sizes and purposes.

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India International Trade Fair - IITF The 39th IITF was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi between November 14 and 27, 2019. Organized by the India Trade Promotion Organization(ITPO), the trade fair aims to provide platform for display of entrepreneurial skills and ingenuity of the people of India. The theme for the 2019 edition was “Ease of Doing Business” inspired by the unique achievement of India of rising to 63rd rank on World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index form 142 nd rank in year 2014. The states in focus were Bihar & Jharkhand and the foreign countries in focus were Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Korea. They were accorded as the “Partner Country” during the trade fair. The whole fair was spread across 14 halls.

IITF 2019, Delhi

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National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum Commonly known as National Crafts Museum is situated on the corner of Pragati Maidan, facing the Purana Qila complex, in New Delhi. The museum is one of the largest crafts museums in India. It is run by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Established in 1956, the museum was designed by the renowned architect Charles Correa.

The museum collection consists of over 33,000 specimens in various crafts, acquired over a period of 60 years collected from various states of India

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Longpi | Craft research National pottery Handicraft Museum, Delhi and documentation

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99 Sanskriti Museum, Delhi

Sanskriti Terracotta Museum The museum is run by Sanskriti Foundation, a non-profit culture and arts promotion organization.

It is located on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Rd in New Delhi amidst a calm environment. It houses 3 types of museums within the same campus. Museums of Everyday Art, Indian Terracotta and Textiles are a conduit for the preservation and presentation of indigenous heritage, craftsmanship, aesthetic functionality and cultural practices.

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Panthoibi Manipur Emporium Manipur emporium located near Connaught Place, New Delhi is a handicraft shop. The handicraft shop houses a range of products made of silk, cane, papier mache, bamboo, water grass, black stone pottery and so on. It depicted the rich heritage of Manipur with range of products sold there.

100 Ms. Babita and her pottery collection at Manipur Emporium

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Manipur Bhawan, Delhi Manipur Bhawan is the initial encounter with details of the beautiful state of Manipur in Delhi.

There is all the required information before heading to Manipur. The administrative structure, officials, security regulations and other necessary information is available at the Manipur house.

Meeting with Resident Commissioner at Manipur house in Delhi

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Machihan Sasa’s Workshop, Longpi

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Stone Crusher unit

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Pots polishing and finishing area

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Interaction with Machihan Sasa

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Few of Machihan Sasa’s Certificates

105 Surajkund Craft Mela 1991

All India Handicrafts week 1986

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106 Manipur Handloom & Handicraft Exhibition 1983

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108 Basanta Craft Bazaar Competition 2008

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109 Republic Day Honour, Govt. of Manipur 1991

Handloom and Handicrafts Exhibition 1992

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Conclusion Black pottery of the beautiful land of Longpi, Manipur, has found a better place in the niche market of the country. The export market has welcomed the craft with open arms. The craft originated as a ritual is now catering to a broad luxury market attracting them with its smooth black finish. An exceptional tradition of Tangkhul Naga tribe has become a household essential in various parts of the country.

Longpi pottery has gained recognition over the years with various names. Few of the names include the stone pottery, the pottery without pottery wheel and the Black gold of Manipur, due to its origin from the black rocks. The unique features of this craft have gained huge popularity in the market across the country. The products made from this craft practice are not only convenient for cooking but also for serving; these are meant for withstanding the high heat generated from direct cooking over gas, firewood and even in an oven. A completely eco-responsible craft is brewing in the national as well as international market.

The journey of craft has had many ups and downs in its course. The craftsperson has reached many places to offer their products but the struggles back home (Longpi) remains the same. The government has also identified its potential of contributing to Indian Economy. There are ample of schemes and initiatives for the craft and related communities by various ministries, especially the Ministry of Textiles in India. The purpose is to uplift the crafts as well as craftsperson at every stage from making to selling. Various organizations and educational institutes are eager to engage in projects with Longpi artisans. Few high-end brands have also launched collections in black pottery. The exhibitions and trade fairs provide a great platform for Longpi artisans to grow their business and get direct feedback from the market.

The pottery has now moved ahead of its geographical confines. The Craftsmen have established pottery workshops in Delhi to cater to a large market efficiently. The raw material (crushed serpentine rock and weathered rock) is shipped from Longpi to Dimapur by small trucks and then from Dimapur to Delhi by train. In some cases, it is taken to Imphal in trucks and then Imphal to Delhi by flight. The same route of transportation is also valid for market-ready products made in Longpi itself. The various modes of transportation and sales have given a new dimension to the craft. The market feedback in Delhi helps the artisans to learn and grow accordingly.

A comparative study of craft and community in Delhi and Manipur connect the dots of the Black pottery’s journey. The two places are poles apart in many aspects, but the craft is nurturing equally well. The export market has been one of the biggest opportunities for Black pottery artisans as it opened a new doorway for sales. The movement from Longpi to Delhi is still not very smooth. It may become better with better facilities in Future. Since the schemes are already in place for Handicrafts, better craftsmen engagement and awareness can prove to be beneficial for the Craft and community. Policies take much longer than expected to trickle down the system to reach the artisans. Once this gap begins to reduce, the crafts would take no time to regain their long-lost charm in Indian as well as International Market.

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Recommendations The study of Longpi black pottery through an ethnographic approach leads us to highlight the potential areas of improvement in this craft ecosystem. Looking at it from the design angle, we have the following recommendations: The tools and machinery for procuring the clay and rock from distant hills can be updated with efficient and ergonomic design interventions to reduce the burden on artisans. Getting the raw material for pottery is a tedious and laborious task. The easy availability of material will encourage the artisans to enhance their craft.

Black pottery is comparatively stronger than other forms of pottery but it also suffers from transportation damage. The current packaging of black pottery products uses newspapers for protection. There is a huge scope of improvement in the packaging of the pottery products to ship it safely across the country as well as abroad.

The youth in Longpi lack training and practice of craft due to various reasons. There is a need to bring young artisans together in learning the craft with the intersection of design and business. The training modules can be customized to benefit the artisans in their village itself with innovative ways of engaging them in learning.

The pottery-making is a long process and it also requires a lot of space along with time. Artisans in Longpi have to wait a lot for the pots to dry before they start a new batch due to limited storage space.

The design solution for drying and storage space can help in an efficient workflow of the craft.

There are artisans in Delhi also who rely on the material from Longpi to practice black pottery. The supply of clay and rock powder is either through trucks, trains or flights. This journey of material can be improved with the interventions in material packaging and transportation facilities. It may need a collaborative approach from the state authorities to work out a system of supplying raw material to different places and not just Delhi.

There are many craft shows and exhibitions to showcase the craft products but the information remains to only a few artisans in the village.

There is a constant struggle to gather sufficient knowledge about such events. This issue can be handled by providing a common platform for everyone to access, share and review the craft events across the country.

The artisans in Longpi create wonderful craft products and the right business approach would be a huge addition to their practice. Customized business and entrepreneurship training can be provided along with lessons to excel in the exhibitions and sales.

There are ample of initiatives by government and non-government organizations for the welfare of craft communities but the clear information does not trickle down to the artisans. There can be many design interventions to bring the details to artisans so they can avail benefits hassle-free.

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Bibliography

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10.4172/2223-5833.S3-009. https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/313400705_Handicraft_sector_and_ its_share_in_Indian_economy 25. Essay -Pottery has been known as lyrics of handicraft and significantly symbolized the status of culture and society. Elaborate (for keywords) https://www.civilsdaily.com/question/potteryhas-been-known-as-lyrics-of-handicraft-andsignificantly-symbolized-the-status-of-culture-andsociety-elaborate-250-w/ 26. Sustainability for the Handicrafts Sector http://www.aiacaonline.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/11/Sustainability-For-TheHandicrafts-Sector.pdf

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Image Index Page No.

Image No.

Source Link

12 14

1 2

15 15 16 16 18 22 24 30

3 4 5 6 8 9 10 12

32 36

13 14

38

15

49 52

20 24

52

25

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26

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68

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69 77

httpsa://www.harappa.com/slide/priest-king-mohenjo-daro https://steemit.com/art/@atishdarpel/found-the-oldest-and-world-s-fristpuppet-kathputli-art-show-on-street-of-rajasthan-incredible-india https://www.flickr.com/photos/pondspider/3657806799/ https://in.pinterest.com/pin/527554543852523904/ https://unsplash.com/photos/496EjDO2YFE https://unsplash.com/photos/cyOpW2k_xe0 https://unsplash.com/photos/w46tRF64qNc https://heritagehandicraft.com/ http://www.handicrafts.nic.in/pdf/Scheme.pdf http://natgeotraveller.in/handicraft-holidays-souvenirs-of-a-lifetime-from-thepeople-that-make-them/ http://ibgnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/l2016110292739.jpg https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/surajkund-mela-2020-tostart-from-feb-02-all-that-you-need-to-know/as73486834.cms https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/designer-anita-dongre-empoweringwomen-213052290.html https://in.pinterest.com/pin/465981892693614555/ https://nenow.in/north-east-news/manipur/manipur-initiative-conserve-state-birdmrs-humes-pheasant.html https://bestmanipurguide.blogspot.com/2018/09/shirui-lily-state-flower-ofmanipur.html https://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/Northeast/Manipur/Imphal/ photo1490718.htm https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/tst/img/645020/ TripDocument/1545566316_img_20180511_wa0054.jpg http://www.giskaa.com/earthenware-clay-round-serving-tray-longpi-black-pottery https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdjmYanX4AAEn2Y.jpg

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