An interview with a Craftsman

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO PUTS HEART AND SOUL IN MAKING CRAFTS

An Interview with a Craftsman

BY SHIKHAR BHARDWAJ

An communication assignment to interview the artisans and loosen the bridge between the designers and artisans. To know who these people,are how they create what they create and why they do what they do.

"A MAN WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS IS A LABORER; A MAN WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS AND HIS BRAIN IS A CRAFTSMAN; BUT A MAN WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS AND HIS BRAIN AND HIS HEART IS AN ARTIST."

-Louis Nizer

THAK! THAK!

Who did I interview?

Ramesh Babulal ji5012th Pass

He has two children, probably grown up and working. The way he replied slowly, I understood that he wasnot comfortable answering such questions so, I thought not to get too personal. I might ask about hisfamily later when we both know each other well. We agreed to meet on Sunday.

Now, lives in Thathero walo ka rasta and everyone knows him as it was quite easy finding him. But alsohas a home near Amer fort.

Has been doing the work of Thathera (Copper smith) for last 35 years.Three Generations were involved in this craft so having said that his family is working for more than acentury.

On asking upon, why you do this and do you like what you do,

he replied that he had no choice, his father used to do it, his grandfather used to do it, the atmosphere was and he also said that there were not many options like today. He also said that of course he likes to work with metal because he has been doing it since the age of 15 and he also said that he loves experimenting with new style and methods but also mentioned that he had to do something to earn and this was what he could do.

We told him that we recently saw some work of metal in Albert Hall Museum and he said that his ancestors used to work for maharajas and the work in the museum is also made by his ancestors.

Initially, he started selling his work at Rajasthali Handicraft Emporium and slowly slowly designers from all over the India and world, wanted such work to be sold so they came discussed and even now, people send him drawings and he make those 2-d drawings into 3-d stuff.

Hand Tools

According to me, every craftsman whether its potter, cobbler, carpenter or smith, they all uses some or the other tools to make things. Tools are very important part of their life's. Tools define who they really are.

While talking to Ramesh ji, we learned that the tools they had are also handmade, specific to the work they do, to the different metal they use, for example: brass and copper cannot be hammered with the same hammer, they need different hammers. We also learned that with the industrialization, they now have new machines which help them achieve things that were impossible 20 or 30 years ago.

He and his co-worker Bunty.

Conclusion

TO SUM UP, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THATHERAS ARE TRADITIONAL COPPER AND BRASS UTENSIL MAKERS WHO OPERATE OUT OF ‘THATEREWALLON KA RAASTA’ IN THE WALLED CITY OF JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN. THEIR PRODUCTS RANGE FROM HOUSEHOLD ITEMS SUCH AS WATER STORAGE VESSELS, COOKING VESSELS TO RITUALISTIC ITEMS. FROM 88 FAMILIES EMPLOYED IN THE PROFESSION IN 2008, THE NUMBER COME DOWN TO A MERE 15-ODD FAMILIES NOW. WITH THE GROWING POPULARITY OF MORE PRACTICAL AND STAINLESS STEEL,PLASTIC AND ALUMINUM VESSELS, THIS HAS BECOME A DYING CRAFT. THE OTHER PROBLEMS FACED BY THE THATHERAS IN THE CITY INCLUDE POOR WORKING CONDITIONS, LACK OF EVOLUTION IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. ALL THESE FACTORS HAVE LED TO A DIMINISHING OF PRIDE WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION SEEING NO FUTURE IN LEARNING AND FOLLOWING THE CRAFT OF THEIR FOREFATHERS. AND THAT'S HOW CRAFT LIKE THESE ARE DYING DUE TO LESS MARKET AVAILABLE FOR THESE PRODUCTS.

Thank you.

ALL IN ALL LEARNED FEW THINGS AND RELATED THEM TO THINGS THAT I HAD ALREADY SEEN.