BRINGING LACQUER TO LIFE
DECLARATION We hereby declare that the information given in this document is authentic and the copyright to reproduce this document in any form is reserved to Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Institute of Design, Baroda. The diagnostic study was conducted between 07/01/2019 to 11/01/2019 and the information is valid for the year 2019-2020
Anjali Darbha Avinash Nair Janvi Shah Shreya Yadav Stuti Jain Tanaya Khadke
Dr. Jayram Poduval Associate Director (designation)
(Communication Design) (Moving Images) (Accessory Design) (Communication Design) (Accessory Design) (Moving Images)
Mrs. Anju Pawar Associate Director (designation)
BATCH OF 2016- 2020, Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Institute of Design
ABOUT M. S. UNIVERSITY, BARODA The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), formerly Baroda College is a public university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after the independence of the country. It was later renamed after its benefactor Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda State belonging the royal Gaekwad dynasty of the Marathas. The University offers around 78 postgraduate courses, 76 Ph.D. programs, 34 post graduate Diploma courses and 88 undergraduate courses with an option of 347 programs in 92 subjects, the undergraduate, postgraduate, integrated and doctoral programs are offered in a wide range of subjects and specializations like Arts, Commerce, Education & Psychology, Family & Community Sciences, Fine Arts, Journalism & Communication, Law, Management Studies, Medicine, Performing Arts, Science, Social Work, Technology & Engineering, Pharmaceutical Studies.
ABOUT FACULTY OF FINE ARTS Faculty of Fine Arts was founded in June 1950. For the first time in independent India, a programme of study was introduced to offer UG/Diploma, PG/Post-Diploma Courses and Research facilities. Art was envisaged as an integral part of life for the new citizens. The emphasis was laid on individuality through knowledge of Indian and Western traditions. The Faculty is situated opposite Sayaji Baug and Baroda Museum in the leafy green surroundings adjacent to Sayajigunj. The pleasant environment and atmosphere of openness and freedom is backed by spacious and well-equiped studios. The training programme is oriented to one's individual ability and expression through one to one teaching, group tutorials and seminars, visual aids, books, exhibitions, visiting artists, craftsmen and activities like study tours and field trips to provide necessary exposure. The Fine Arts Fair, a biannual activity, encourages and involves students and teachers to experiment and work with materials to produce toys, utilitarian objects, illustrated books, masks and puppet shows to raise funds for students welfare. The fair brings together the city public and the faculty through creative diversity.
ABOUT MAHARAJA RANJITSINH GAEKWAD INSTITUTE OF DESIGN The Faculty of Fine Arts, one of the premier art schools of India, is dedicated to the education of professional artists and scholars of theory of art more than half a century. It has been recognised on global level as the foremost institute in India in the field of Visual Arts. As part of the dissemination and expansion of the art and design curriculum, Faculty of Fine Arts has established in 2013, a National level Design Institute under its auspices. The Design Institute is named after the alumni of the Faculty and the erstwhile Maharaja of Baroda, Shrimant Ranjit Sinh Gaekwad, hence the name, Maharaja Ranjit Sinh instate of Design (MRID). MRID offers design courses at the Graduate and Post Graduate levels specialising in Craft and Design, Communication Design, Accessory Design, Ceramic & Glass, and Moving Images. The Degrees offered are with the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des). MRID is intending to create an advantageous academic environment of creative minds working in pure visual arts along with Craft and Modern Design. The Maharaja Sayajirao University envisages a very fruitful interaction of these creative minds which will be a unique experiment in the design as well as visual art pedagogy in India.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This project would not have been possible without the help and kind support of various individuals. Every person we met or spoke to helped us in moving a step further towards the beaerrnent of this project. Firstly, initiating sincere thanks to Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad institute of Design, for allowing us this unique opportunity to undertake the craft study on ‘Lacquer Wooden Craft’ of Kutch, Gujarat. The preparation of this documentation would not have been possible without the valuable contribution of Dr. Jayram Poduval, Associate Director. and Mrs. Anju Pawar for guiding us to lead the documentation and conceptualization of this project. We would like to thank Mr. Hitesh Rathore and Mr. Shatrughan Thakur whose guidance played a very important role in the understanding of the entire project. They guided us throughout the project and also gave a direction to our work and research. We wish to take this opportunity of expressing our deep sense of gratitude to the artisans, Mr. Popat Bhai and Jayanti Bhai, and their families for inviting us into their humble abode and showing generosity by answering our questionnaires, letting us shoot their lives and work, and for sharing the knowledge of an age-old tradition. They provided us a comfortable and amicable environment to work in and we sincerely thank them for letting us be a part of their lives and for co-ordinating with us till the end of the project. We hope that our document serve as valuable resources for future work in the area.
PREFACE “Famous Kutchi food, handicraft & embroidery market, camel safari, wildlife sanctuary and vibrant Rann festival here fits Kutch perfectly with the title. Kutch Kutch hota hai means there is no such place like Kutch in the world.� This city is home to age old traditions and crafts. which is being passed down from generation to generation. We are thankful for the opportunity given to us to study an Indian traditional craft. and for to make a contributiong to their work and provide them solutions. We chose lacquer wooden craft, known for its hand-made items and its bright colours. Our group, consisting of 6 students from different specializations, explored the lacquer- related part of the small village Nirona of Kutch. Before we went to Nirona, we did our secondary research on Lacquer craft wich gave us an insight into the craft, but the real experience was being there and interacting with the artisans. This exploration was held there, was for us to be able to research the craft and the artisans working on it, in person. We experienced their lifestyle and how they worked , how they sell their products, their main issues and concerns and how they dealt with them. Our tasks there included researching, making a documentary on the family, and then combining all the researh and questionnaires into a documentary.
objective - To study the craft of Kutch: the tools, raw materials and process, in detail and to derive intervention in all possible sectors for further development of the craft and to support the artisans. - To evaluate the current status socio-economic profile of the craft. - To assess the current status of wooden lacquer craft in terms of the awareness of the craft amongst common people. - To assess the current status of wooden lacquer craft in terms of the promotional, advertisement, make aware about the craft. - To survey the role and support of the government and different organizations. - To highlight the issues and concerns faced by the artisans and suggest some action plan for future. - To suggest them alternative materials and methods, making them aware of new technologies and innovations and how situations could be better with them and in what ways.
CONTENTS
01
01 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
01 05
02 THE DISTRICT OF THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT 05 GUJARAT : KUTCH: KUTCH 05
2.2.5 Economy
07 07 05 09 09 05 10 05 12 05 12 05 12 05
03 FOLKS OF KUTCH
13
2.1 Gujarat 2.1 About About Gujarat
02
2.2 Kutch 2.2 About About Kutch
2.2.1 Foundation Foundationand andHistory History 2.2.1 2.2.2 Flora Flora and andFauna Fauna 2.2.2 2.2.3 Climate
2.2.3 Climate
2.2.4 Demographics
2.2.4 2.2.5 Demographics Economy
FOLKS OF KUTCH 3.1 Religion 3.2 Religion Language 3.1 3.3 Language Food 3.2
03
3.4
Festivals
3.5
Culture
3.3 Food
3.4 Festivals
3.6 Crafts of Kutch
3.5 Culture
3.6 Crafts of Kutch
05 15 15 07 16 05 16 05 18 05 19 05 05
LACQUER IN KUTCH 04 LAQUER IN KUTCH
05 25
4.1 History History Origin of Craft 4.1 andand Origin of Craft
27 07 28 05 29 05 30 05 30 05 30 05 30 05 31 31 05 31 05 32 05 32 05 32 05 05
4.2 Location Location 4.2
04
4.3 Socio-Cultural Information
4.3 Socio-Cultural Information
4.4 Lacquer in India
4.4 Lacquer in India
4.4.1 Channapatna
4.4.1 Channapatna
4.4.2 Jammu and Kashmir
4.4.2 and Kashmir 4.4.3 Jammu Rajasthan 4.4.3 4.4.4 Rajasthan Andhra Pradesh
4.4.5 Andhra Punjab Pradesh 4.4.2 4.4.6 Punjab Bihar 4.4.2 4.4.7 Maharashtra
4.4.2 Bihar
4.4.8 Gujarat
4.4.2 Maharashtra
4.4.9 West Bengal
4.4.2 Gujarat
4.4.2 West Bengal
05 RAW MATERIALS
33
08 PRODUCT ANALYSIS
65
5.1 Introduction to Raw Materials
35
8.1 Product Range
67
5.2 Description of Raw Materials
35
8.2 Common Motifs and Inspirations
73
5.3 Suitability of Raw Materials
39
5.4 Storing Raw Materials
40
5.5 Sourcing of Raw Materials
41
5.6 Material Procurement and
43
09 LIFE OF ARTISANS 9.1
Case Study
75 77
Problems in Obtaining
10 PRIMARY ANALYSIS 06 WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
45
6.1
Workspace and Ergonomics
47
6.2
Tools
49
6.2.1 Sizes and Local Names
49
6.3
54
Tool Maintenance
07 PROCESS
55
7.1 Preparation
57
7.2 Process
59
7.3 Sequence os Steps and Time Devotion 7.4
Gender Based Analysis
62 63
81
10.1 SWOT Analysis
83
10.2 Issues and Concerns
85
10.3 Interventions
86
11 LIMITATIONS IN RESEARCH
87
11.1 GAP Analysis
89
11.2 Present Scenario
90
12 ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATIONS
91
13 BRANDING CONCEPT 14 CONCLUSION
95 103
“
You’d wonder, since when there was so much beauty around?
”
1 INTRODUCTION
The rich and diverse creative traditions of Kutch live at the intersection of cultures and communities. As a border state, Kutch is constantly absorbing cultures from the north, west, and east. Craft is inextricable from the numerous communities, connected by trade, agriculture and pastoralism in Kutch. Kutchi motifs can be traced to the ancient Harappan civilization, yet craft is developing and growing with the innovative and entrepreneurial drive of spirited artists. Lac, a material taken from insect resin, has been used in Indian craft for centuries. Coloured lacquer is applied to wood by heat through turning with a hand lathe. In the process, the artisan maneuvers the lacquered colors to create patterns by hand in kaleidoscopic designs. This form of lacquered patterning is found only in Kutch. The craftsmen are believed to be practicing lacquer lathe work for seven generations now. The whole family is involved in this craft, with men doing the heavy work of cutting and shaping of the wooden articles and women applying finishing touches to them. Lacquer work is the main profession of this semi nomadic community of Vadhs. They work using simple tools, even the lathe is portable, and they do not use any electricity in the process. Working under a tree in the day time, chatting with family
3
|
INTRODUCTION
members, with so much simplicity they create wonderful objects, spicing up our everyday chores. The purpose of this documentation is to present in a single comprehensive volume the entire description of Kutch Wooden Lacquer Work, in a simple outline. The first two chapter deals with the salient features of the Kutch and origin of the craft while the rest of the book discusses the varied expressions in separate chapters in order to bring out an integrated picture of each one of them. For the errors of omission we urge our readers to bear in mind the enormous exploration taken by this compilation in a limited time frame and limitations like language.
INTRODUCTION
|
4
“
When in Kutch, do as the Kutch people do.
”
2 THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT :
K U TC H 2.1
ABOUT GUJARAT
2.2
ABOUT KUTCH
2.3.1 2.3.2
FOUNDATION & HISTORY FLORA & FAUNA
2.3.3 2.3.4
DEMOGRAPHICS CLIMATE
2.3.5
ECONOMY
ABOUT
GUJARAT Gujarat, India’s westernmost state, has varied terrain and numerous sacred sites. It is one of the most diverse states in India. Gujarat derives its name from the word ‘Gujaratta’. Gujaratta means the land of gurjars. The gurjars were a subtribe of the Huns who ruled the area during the 8th and 9th centuries AD. They passed through Punjab and settled in some parts of western India, which came to be known as Gujarat. The state of Gujarat is an industrially advanced state. It is a popular tourist destination among foreign and Indian tourists and holds an important place in India. The official and primary language spoken
7
|
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
Fig 2.1 Photograph by Avinash Nair
is Gujarati. The Gujarati food is mostly vegetarian. The dishes of Gujarat are not very spicy and sweet than those of the neighboring states. Some of the popular dishes of Gujarat are Kadhi, Undhyoo and rotlo. The state of Gujarat is known all over the world for its holy temples, historic capitals, wildlife sanctuaries, beaches, hill resorts, fascinating handicrafts, mouth watering cuisine and colourful lifestyle of the people of Gujarat.
KUTCH
Fig 2.2 Politcal Map of India and Gujarat
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
|
8
ABOUT
KUTCH FOUNDATION & HISTORY Kutch is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km, it is the largest district of India which lies on the India-Pakistan border (west coast of India). The land is virtually ‘an island’ resembling a tortoise “Katchua or Kachbo”, surrounded by seawater. Kutch was also known as the kutchdweep or Kutchbet.” Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerged in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in the languages of Sanskrit origin for a tortoise. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains. Kutch is also among the largest district of India
9
|
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
Fig 2.3 Bhujia Fort in Bhuj (Capital of Kutch)
with a terribly low population density and also famous for crafts and embroidery works, Flamingo Sanctuary and Wild Ass Sanctuary.
FLORA & FAUNA The Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the Indian state of Gujarat, is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the country. In fact, it spans the entire area of the little Rann of Kutch where small grass covered areas, known as baits, forms the flora and is an important source to support the fauna of the region. The Rann of Kutch is full of dry thorny scrub and there are no large trees. The main vegetation in the region includes many species of grasses that are widely available as the source of food for the wild Asses. The most famous wildlife of the region includes the Indian Wild Ass, as
well as the chinkara, desert fox, jackal, desert cat, caracal, nilgai, wolf, blackbuck, and striped hyena. Asses are the prominent attractions and the animal found in large numbers in the region. Herds of these animals can often be sighted in the area, grazing on the patches of grass. It is an interesting experience to observe some of their peculiar habits. Besides the asses, other animals that can be found in the area include the endangered Ghudkhur, Blue - Bull, Chinkara, Hedgehog and carnivores such as the Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Jungle and Desert Cats. The avian population of the area is equally diverse with more than 300 species of birds already registered. Some of the famous birds include Cranes, Flamingos, Houbara Bustard, Falcons along with a large number of larks, another major attraction of the area.
Fig 2.4 Fauna of Kutch
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
|
10
Fig 2.5 Rann of Kutch
Fig 2.7 Mornings in Kutch
Fig 2.6 People of Nirona
11
|
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
Fig Fig 2.7 2.8 A A walk walk through through Nirona Nirona
diverse with more than 300 species of birds already registered. Some of the famous birds include Cranes, Flamingos, Houbara Bustard, Falcons along with a large number of larks, another major attraction of the area.
DEMOGRAPHICS Kutch is a district of Gujarat state which covers an area of 45,674 km² it is the largest district of India. The population of Kutch is about 2,092,000. It has 10 Talukas, 939 villages and 6 Municipalities. Kutch has a sex ratio of 908 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 71.58%.
CLIMATE Kutch’s summer season begins in the month of April and lasts till June. Summers are incredibly hot and humid. Temperatures during the day can reach as high as 48 degrees Celsius. Monsoons begin towards the end of June and continue through the month of September. Kutch’s winter begins in October and ends in February. The winter season is quite pleasant, with the average temperature ranging between 12 degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius. At its coldest, Kutch’s temperature can fall to 2 degree Celsius.
ECONOMY Kutch is also well known for handicrafts. Out of total one hundred and thirty-six industrial cooperative societies, seventy-one belong to handicrafts. Palaces, temples, fairs and festivals of Kutch attract a large number of tourists in the district which also contribute to the economy of the district. Madhapar village in Kutch is considered to be Asia’s richest village due to foreign remittances by NRIs in Africa, the Gulf countries, UK and the USA. Industries in the Kutch district such as minerals, port-based, cement, salt, textiles, engineering and auto, steel pipes, tourism and infrastructure projects are the main drivers of economy. Rich mineral wealth of the district is an attraction for investors. Many foreign companies are expected to invest on lignite, limestone and bauxite reserves. The tourism sector is experiencing a strong resurgence. The palaces, fairs, wildlife and festivals of the district are witnessing a large incursion of national and international tourists.
THE DISTRICT OF GUJARAT : KUTCH
|
12
“
“Art is an effort to create, beside the real world, a more humane world.” - Andre Maurois, French Author
”
3 FOLKS OF
K U TC H 3.1 3.1.1 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4 3.1.5
3.2
FOLKS OF KUTCH RELIGION CULTURE LANGUAGE FOOD FESTIVALS
CRAFTS OF KUTCH
FOLKS OF
KUTCH RELIGION Several groups and communities live in Kutch. These comprise of various nomadic, semi-nomadic, and artisan groups, and the majority of Kutch’s population is Gujarati Ahirs.  Most people in Kutch are vegetarians, as a chunk of the population follows Jainism and several Hindus are Brahmins. More than 75 percent of the population in Kutch follows Hinduism while a little over 20 percent follow Islam.
Fig 3.1 A walk through Nirona
LANGUAGE The language spoken predominantly in Kutch is Kutchi language, a slightly varied dialect of standard Sindhi, to a lesser extent Gujarati, and Hindi. Kutch district is inhabited by various groups and communities. Many of these have reached this region after centuries of migration from neighbouring regions of Marwar (Western Rajasthan), Sindh, Afghanistan and further.
15
|
FOLKS OF KUTCH
Fig 3.2 Women of Nirona
FOOD The people of kutch believe in simple living and high thinking. The staple food is Rotlas made of bajri (millet) which the local relish with buttermilk (chhas), butter and jaggery (Gud). Khichdi made of rice and dal (pulses) is liked by everyone. The usual Kutchi cuisine consists of Roti or Rotlas, curd, buttermilk, dal, curry, vegetables, papad, kachumbar. Dry rotlis or theplas and khakras and sev (of gram flour) are made and stored as food during travelling.
FESTIVAL Kutch is famous for its various fairs and festivals. Here people enjoys life by celebrating vibrant festivals. Different communities of Kutch like Koli, Jat Rabari, Megwal, Sodha, and Ahir come together and celebrate these festivals with extreme joy. Among all of the festivals, some are very unique and traditional that everyone must attend. They show the real culture, traditions, ethos and spirit of Kutch. Monsoon is especially the season when most of the fairs are celebrated. Kutch is known to the world for hosting the exuberant Rann Utsav, a cultural extravaganza organized every year by the Gujarat Tourism.
Fig 3.3 The Kutch thali
Fig 3.4 Folks of Kutch
FOLKS OF KUTCH
|
16
Department. Activities like folk dance, musical performances, shopping malls, camel safari, bird watching safari and horse ride are hosted during the event. “Mota Yaksh, Hajipir, Dada Mekan Fair, Shitla Saptami, Jesal-Toral, naagpanchmi, Mamaidev, Matia Pir and Mai Bhambhi are some tribal festivals celebrated in the region.
Fig 3.5 A lady stitching a blanket for her family
17
|
FOLKS OF KUTCH
CULTURE Culture of Kutch is symbolic of Gujarati culture, famous for its traditional and cultural values mostly for its creative art. Tattoos are a popular part of Kutchi culture, and most Kutchi women have tattoos on their hands, behind their palms, between their eyebrows, neck, chest, and legs. Music plays an important role in the cultural lives of the people of Kutch. Dhol, a kind of musical instrument, is a popular musical instrument used by the people. The people of Kutch are prolific in manufacturing textiles. The embroidery work done by the people in this region is dense with motifs, and very beautiful overall. The staple elements of village meals include kadi-khichdi, bajra and milk. Buttermilk is also commonly consumed during lunch.
Fig 3.6 A lady from Kutch in tradtional clothing
FOLKS OF KUTCH
|
18
CRAFTS OF KUTCH BANDHANI In Kachchh, tie and dye craft is known as “Bandhani.� Bandhani dates back to the Bandhani 12th century, and came to Kachchh when members of the Khatri community migrated from Sindh. Much like the local block printers, bandhani artisans used local, natural resources like madder and pomegranate to dye their cloth in a brilliant range of hues. The technique of tightly winding a thread around a section of cloth, dyeing it, and then removing the thread to reveal a circular resist motif has remained the same since bandhani was first practiced. Bandhani has long been culturally important to Kachchhi communities. The most revered type of bandhani is the gharcholu, which is the traditional wedding odhani of Gujarati Hindu and Jain brides. The chandrokhani is worn by Muslim brides.
Fig 3.6 3.7 Photo Sourceby: https://mediaindia.eu/art-culture/a-tied-and-dyed-fashion-tale/ Photograph
19
|
FOLKS OF KUTCH
BELL MAKING The metal bells are manufactured in the traditional process of heating and beating. In India it is believed that the bell sound will drive away all the negative thoughts. In Hinduism and Buddhism, bells are used in religious ceremonies and bells are also called as ‘Ghanta’ in Sanskrit. Before these bells were made in Zura but as time passes this craft spread to some other places like Nirona and Bhuj etc. Iron sheets, metal powder and mixture of raw cotton and mud are the basic materials for bell making that include five important steps those are shaping the metal sheet, applying metal powder, mud wrapping, heating and tuning.
Fig 3.6 3.8 Fig by Shubra Saha APhotograph lady from Kutch in tradtional clothing
FOLKS OF KUTCH
|
20
LACQUER Lac has been used in Indian craft for centuries. Coloured lacquer is applied to wood in layers and chiselled to create designs and effects. A handful of families from Kachchh’s semi-nomadic Vadha community settled in villages like Nirona and Jura where they use the technical and artistic skills of their forefathers to sustain the lac turned wood craft tradition. The Vadhas traditionally moved and worked, where needed, throughout villages bordering Kachchh’s Great Rann. They carved and coloured wooden furniture and household accessories for many local communities. The descendants of these artisans now work in the villages where they have settled. Few traditional lacquer artisan families continue the craft in Kachchh. Lacquer is a kind of wax obtained from trees and extracted with a stone. This is then mixed with colours and applied to wooden objects to make them attractive.
Fig 3.9 Photograph by Janvi Shah
21
|
FOLKS OF KUTCH
LEATHER The Kutch leather craft is a means of business and livelihood for many villages in Kutch, Gujarat. The leather craft was traditionally used to make harnesses for camels and horses, musical instruments, storage containers and footwear. Today, this craft is an important supplement to the income from farming, for communities in Hodka, Bhirandiyaro, Dhordo, Sumarasar, and many other villages in Kutch. The craftsmen either leave the leather in its natural colour, or dye it with stainers in shades or brown, or sometimes even bright colours like yellows, blues and reds. Using punches of a range of shapes and sizes; from geometrics like circles, triangles, squares, ovals and rectangles, to shapes like leaf, heart, moon and stars.Working with simple punches and hammers, an amazing variety of geometric patterns are created by the craftsmen, giving the surface a playful, vibrant character. The craftsmen make holes in the leather for a reverse appliquĂŠ like technique.The pieces of leather are hand stitched by passing thick thread through small slits made with a stitching awl.
Fig 3.10 Photograph by Aadithyan Mannar Mannan
FOLKS OF KUTCH
|
22
ROGAN Rogan is the technique of painting on fabric, crafted from thick brightly coloured paint made with castor seed oil. Artisans place a small amount of this paint paste into their palm. At room temperature, the paint is carefully twisted into motifs and images using a metal rod that never comes in contact with the fabric. Next, the artisan folds his designs into a blank fabric, thereby printing its mirror image. In effect it is a very basic form of printing. Kachchh’s Rogan tradition is sustained by two families in Nirona Village. The members of the Khatri muslim community were doing the Rogan art work on various costumes of local animal herder and farming communities, but the craft ceased to exist when the community started using other machinemade textiles as a more cost-effective alternative. The artisans successfully revived the craft as an art form by making wall pieces for display. The main theme of the wall pieces revolves around the “Tree of Life�.
Fig 3.11 Photograph by Ayushi
23
|
FOLKS OF KUTCH
WEAVING Kachchhi weavers traditionally come from the Marwada and Maheswari communities. The Maheshwaris transitioned into the art of mashroo, while the Marwada style is now well known as Kachchhi weaving. This community is versatile, crafting woven textiles, leather and woodwork all over Kachchh. Each weaver was once personally linked with a Rabari family, who would supply yarn from sheep and goats. Farming communities like Ahirs cultivated kala cotton, which produced woven textiles for shoulder cloths and headgear. Sheep and goat wool was used for veils, skirts, shawls and blankets. The designs woven into Kachchhi woven fabrics were inspired by the communities who wore them, replicating the shapes of musical instruments, the footsteps of an animal herd, etc. The names for motifs like vakhiyo, chaumukh, satkani, hathi, or dholki are evocative of the rural images. Muslim brides.
Fig 3.12 Photograph by Hiten
FOLKS OF KUTCH
|
24
“
The fact that I still find so much beauty in a handicraft is because my mother taught us to see not just the craft as a product but the craft as an embodiment of human creativity and human labor. - Vandana Shiva
�
4 lacquer CRAFT in NIRONA 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF CRAFT LOCATION SOCIO-CULTURAL INFORMATION LACQUER IN INDIA
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF CRAFT Indian lacquer or Lac turnery is one of the oldest Indian crafts. In terms of lacquer ware, it is at least four hundred years old. In recorded history Lac is first mentioned in ‘Aaine Akbari’ written by Abul Fazl in 1590 AD. Lac is a gummy deposit obtained from crimson-red tiny insects which thrive on certain species of trees. The process of using lacquer in decorating the wooden or papier-mache articles is known as ‘Lac turnery’ or Indian lacquering. Lacquer is used in the form of variegated coloured lacquering sticks and is applied on wooden articles while they are turned on lathe.
27
|
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
Fig 4.1 Photograph by Janvi Shah
LOCATION N
Bandhani
Rogan Weaving
Leather
Bell Making
Lacquer
Fig 4.2 Map of Nirona
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
|
28
SOCIO- CULTURAL INFORMATION The Vadhas are a nomadic community that moved throughout Kachchh through villages like Nirona and Jura. They collected natural stones and colors from forests, created lacquer goods, and bartered them with the Maldhari community, who they had close ties with. The descendants of these Vadha artisans now are permanently settled in Kachchhi villages. There are only a few traditional lacquer artisan families continuing the craft in Kachchh, and they are challenged socioeconomically. Now, they depend on the tourist market for seasonal sales, and buy their natural resources on the open market rather than finding them in the environment.
25 29
|
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
Fig 4.3 The artisan’s father
LACQUER IN OTHER STATES CHANNAPATNA Channapatna toys are notable form of wooden toys that are produced in channapatna which is located in Bengaluru rural district in the Karnataka state, India. This traditional craft id preserved as a GI (geographical indication) under World Trade Organization, administered by the Karnataka Government. Channapatna is well known as GombegalaOoru meaning toy town dur to the popularity of these wooden toys. One of the beat characteristics of channapatna wooden toys which make them exceptional is the ecological colours used on them and they are primarily made of non-toxic vegetable colour dyes. The toys are perfect for children since they aren’t dangerous for them and they are basic, bright coloured, safe and captivating. Channapatna wooden toys are made up of ivory wood, which is presentin abundance and is of less weight. Ivory wood is closed grained so it is easy for the artisans to work with it.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR Lathe cum lacquer woodwork is well known in Anantnag and Jammu city. This craft is performed by the artisans of Kana Chak named village about 15 km far from Jammu. Handicrafts department of the state has made efforts to resuscitate this craft. Items made from the lacquer are table lamps, candle stands, flower vases and bowls of various sizes and shape. The characteristic of lathe cum lacquer of Jammu that makes it exceptional from others is that the artisans use hand- driven lathe machines locally known as kharadi.
RAJASTHAN Rajasthan is popular for its wooden lacquerware craft. Udaipur, Jaipur and Bassi in Chittorgarh district are the centers for lacquer toys. In Bassi, a majority of the village is engaged in the making of lacquer products. The craftsmen use doodhia wood because it is soft and it can be easily shaped. To give a superior look and increase the durability of the wooden toys, they are lacquered and polished with flowering cactus’s leaves. In Rajasthan, there is a great variety of toys that comprises of kitchen sets, cradles, lanterns, small vehicles, gramophones, clock tower and many more.
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
|
26 30
ETIKOPAKKA, ANDHRA PRADESH Etikopakka is a village situated in Vishakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh. Lacquer toys are made at this place and are generally known as Etikopakka toys. ‘AnkudiKarra’ (Wrightia tinctorial) tree’s wood which is soft in nature, is used in the making of wooden toys. Etikopakka toys have been registered as Geographical Indication from Andhra Pradesh by the GIR (Geographical Indication Registry). Natural dyes are used to colour the wooden toys. The natural dyes are acquired from lacquer which is mixed with vegetable dyes to give the colourless lac colour. Items made in Andhra Pradesh are canon toys, bullock carts, god and goddess toys, cooking vessels, table lamps, table top accessories and candle stands.
PUNJAB Hoshiarpur, BatalaQuadian in Batala district and Jullunder are the main centers of Punjab where skilled artisans of wooden lacquerware are found. Initially, Punjab was popular for ‘arbi’ (cloud work) on wood but now the work is finished in nakashi style in Jullunder.
27 31
|
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
The nakashi work includes engraving with the help of needles so that the design is displayed in various different colours. Purple- coloured lac was popular earlier, nowadays white, black, yellow and red coloured lac are frequently used. They create products like boxes, containers, chairs, stools, legs for beds and many more.
BIHAR In Bihar, lacquerware is very unique due to its ritualistic connotation. Large quantities of shell and raw lac are produced in forests of Bihar. Kusum, bararey and palash are three kinds of lac produced and out of which the best lac is kusum. The Laher is community of bihar makes special vermillion oval or round shaped containers called sindurdans which are widely used in marriages. Also, round conical nose ring boxes are also given to the brides at their wedding with fertility and longevity symbols engraved on the body. Other ceremonial objects include bangles, dry fruit and chapatti boxes which are mainly of red and black colour.
MAHARASHTRA Sawantwadi is a taluka in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Sawantwadi is a place which is long established for its popular lacquerware craft. Pangara and hale wood are used in making vegetables and fruits which looks entirely natural. A great variety of products are made which includes chess sets, little dolls, board games, candle stands and fruits and vegetables.
GUJARAT
WEST BENGAL The bright coloured lacquer toy is popular all over in the state of West Bengal. For lacquering, articles are revolved on the lathe and the lac stick is pressed against it. For polishing, leaves of flowering cactus are used. Sometimes oil is also used for better polishing. Either a single colour is applied all over the article or bands of different colours are applied. Sometimes minute details are also given using a fine tip brush.
The lacquerware of Gujarat has its own specialities. Lacquer work in Kutch region has zigzag pattern illustration. You can see colourful waves beautifully blending into each other creating an exquisite piece of art. Sankheda lacquer work has its own distinct style due to its unusual designs and colours. After turning, violet cast is given and then the designs are painted with Kalai or tin emulsion. Then a coating is given with akik (hard stone) for a glazing effect and then a final coating is given with transparent lacquer which makes Kalai work underneath gleam giving fiery yellowish golden effect. Generally geometrical and floral patterns are used.
LACQUER CRAFT IN NIRONA
|
28 32
“
Crafts make us feel rooted, give us a sense of belonging and connect us with our history. Our ancestors used to create these crafts out of necessity, and now we do them for fun, to make money and to express ourselves. - Phyllis George
5 RAW materials 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5
INTRODUCTION DESCRIPTION OF RAW MATERIALS PREPARATION & STORAGE OF RAW MATERIALS LOCAL NAMES & SOURCING MATERIAL PROCUREMENT & PROBLEMS IN OBTAINING
INTRODUCTION The production of lacquerware through the lac- turnery process involves both natural and synthetic materials which are: 1. Wood 2. Lac 3. Colours 4. Coal 5. Oil 6. Cloth
is only used as it is easy to carve and work with. Babul tree is a medicinal tree which is found all through sandy and dry parts of India. The wood these artisans use is either harvested from farm or brought from the market. The wood used for smaller articles are light brown in colour and the wood used to make bigger articles like stools etc. are dark brown in colour which they bring from market. Both the wood used are babul tree wood.
DESCRIPTION WOOD
(Babul ka Lakda)
Wood is the main ingredient of the lacquerware in Kutch. Mainly babul wood is used as it is hard and locally available. For turning process, hard wood
31 35
|
RAW MATERIALS
Fig 5.1 Wood (Babul)
LAC Lac is a natural resin secreted by an insect known as the lac beetle or the Laccifer Lacca. Only the female bug produces lac and intake one lakh bugs to make 500gm of lac. Lac or scale insects live on a particular variety of trees that grow in India usually found in places like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Lac is obtained in flake form as it has to be scrapped off from the trees. When heated, it melts at a low temperature and hence is moldable which is further combined together to obtained a desired form. The secretion which forms a tin crust on the bark of the trees is scrapped off and processed to obtain lac. Lac is nontoxic. The colour of lac varies from type to quality. The highest quality lac is reffered to a button lac. It is light and golden coloured and can cost a lot. Second is the medium brown colour and the third, which is the poorest quality of lac is dark black in colour. Lac is not absorbed by the wood but it settles in the grains of the wood to give it that polished finish. It is a very good natural polishing agent.
Fig 5.2 Lac
RAW MATERIALS
|
32 36
COLOURS Natural and chemical dyes can be mixed with lac when it is in its semi solid state to give it the desired colour. Mostly natural and herbal colours are only bought from the market which are: multani (brown), kesari (orange), peelo (yellow), kala (black), laal (red), leelo (green), safed (white). These colours are safe for usage.
Fig 5.3 White powder
Fig 5.4 Yellow powder
33 37
|
RAW MATERIALS
Fig 5.5 Green / Blue powder
COAL
(Coalsa)
Coal is a hard rock which can be burned as a solid fossil fuel. Coal is used for the fire purpose which is used in the heating of lac. After heating, lac gets softer and then combines with colour to get the desired shade. In the process of combining the lac and colour, it is re-heated again and again. Fig 5.6 Coal
OIL
(Tel)
Oil is basically used for giving the shinny coat once the lacquerware is made. Any kind of oil can be used for this purpose. Fig 5.7 Oil
CLOTH
(Kapada)
Cloth is used for the providing the finishing touch to the lacquerware at the end stage. It is also use to smoothened the lacquer colour and to create zigzag patterns by rubbing it against the wood when it is turned.
Fig 5.8 Cloth
RAW MATERIALS
|
34 38
LAC
SUITABILITY OF RAW MATERIALS WOOD In case of wood, the criteria to check whether the wood was fit to be used was to check if the wood is hard wood or soft. Most suitable wood used for making lacquerware is the hard wood of babul. The sizes of wood to be used depends upon the size of product made.
35 39
|
RAW MATERIALS
Before using the lac sticks, one needs to check if the perfect desired colour is obtained and that the colour is uniformly mixed up. To check if the lac is fit to be used, it has to be checked at the time of mixing the colour in the lac, when it is in semi solid state. The maker takes the lac and stretches it out in sunlight to check is the perfect colour is obtained. With every dash of colour, the lac is suspended in the sunlight to see if no colour blobs are formed and to see if the colour is dark or light enough.
STORING RAW MATERIALS WOOD Wood is stored away from heat and sunlight in a location with good air circulation as the wood is not supposed to be sun dried because direct heat of the sun crack ups the wood. The wood is kept outside of the house in the corner of veranda under a shade. While it is humid, the wood is not placed outside as it has a tendency to absorb water and swell up.
LAC Lac is stored in the form of sticks. The hot coloured lac is rolled and cut into sticks. These sticks are stored. The lac can be damaged by water but not by humidity. Also the sun may cause the lac to lose its colour so it should not be stored in sunlight.
RAW RAWMATERIALS MATERIALS
||
36 40
SOURCING OF RAW MATERIALS LAC Lac is an deposite produced by the insect technadria lacca. It is found on a number of forest tress particularly kusum (schleichera oleosa). Currently it is collected in bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, uttar Pradesh and west Bengal. Lac is cultivated in the states of Jharkhand, chattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Places which are either very hot or cold and where the annual rainfall is about thirty inches are suitable for lac cultivation. Moisture is a necessity for the successful development of the insect, but if its excess it affects the crop injuriously. Lac secreted by the insects covers the branches of trees. The coatd branches of the cut and processed as ‘sticklac’.
37 41
|
RAW MATERIALS
After being scraped the lac is thoroughly dried in the shade. It is ground with an ordinary hand mill and soaked in water for twenty four hours. In India these are the main trees which are hosts for lac bugs: - Peepal - Babool - Kusum
Fig 5.9 Coloured Lac
WOOD Two kinds of wood are used in carving process: one is light coloured babool wood which they harvest from their farms and cultivate it near river where the water level is more. Another babool wood is dark in colour which they source from Bhuj market which grows on land. For the production of bigger products like the legs of charpai, stool etc they mainly use the dark colour wood as it is bigger in size.
COLOURS Colours used in lac are found in the local market in the powdered form but they are also available in the form of solid chunks, which are easy to crush. The prices of the colour vary depending on the quality of the colour.
Fig 5.10 Wood
RAW MATERIALS
|
38 42
MATERIALS PROCUREMENT AND PROBLEMS IN OBTAINING The production of lacquerware through the lac-turnery process involves both natural and synthetic materials. The industry is therefore totally dependent on forests for the primary raw materials. These forest-based products are the wood of the Babool (Vachellia nilotica, commonly known as gum arabic tree, babul, thorn mimosa, Egyptian acacia or thorny acacia) is a tree in the family Fabaceae. Lac is produced by the insect Technadria lacca and the leaves of the talegiri (Pandanus odoratissimus). Synthetic materials include paints and pigments.
39 43
|
RAW MATERIALS
Fig 5.11 Photograph by Janvi Shah
Babool wood is the basic raw material of lac-turnery. It is extremely close grained, moderately hard and easily turned into fine shapes by hand or machine. This species occurs in tropical and sub-tropical regions of India. In its natural range the absolute maximum shade temperature varies from 400C to 47.50C. It has a very low moisture and oil content. The latter helps ensure an excellent finish and translucency after polishing. the wood can be found in many regions like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab Rajasthan, etc. A number of synthetic substances are used for colouring the finished products. These include lithophone, a compound of barium sulphate and zinc sulphide which is a white pigment that enables lac to lose its transparency and become opaque. Lithophane is imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany, and costs around Rs 50/kg locally. Equally important are aniline colours which are used to prepare lac sticks.
RAW MATERIALS
|
44
“
The beauty of a finely worked object points to the beauty of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the craftsmanship points to the beauty of the name which was the source of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the name of the craftsman’s art points to the beauty of the craftsman’s attributes manifested in that art. - Said Nursi
6 WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND
MACHINES 7.1 6.1
WORKSPACE AND ERGONOMICS
7.2 6.2
TOOLS
7.2.1 6.2.1
SIZES AND LOCAL NAMES
7.3 6.3
TOOL MAINTENANCE
WORKSPACE AND ERGONOMICS
Fig 6.1 Home of the artisans
43 47
|
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
The workshop we visited belonged to the family of Jayanti bhai and popat bhai who had started working in this craft from 15 years. The artisans make products in their workshop as per the demand in the market. Only two artisans work in this workshop which was right next to their home. One artisan makes at least 3-4 products per day. It also depends on the amount of work to be done in the product. The workshop was around the size of 9Ă—8Ă—7.4 feet, with the two opening of entry one was from entrance of the house and one from the house.
The entrance of the workshop was around the size of 6.5×2.2 feet. The workshop was raised on a platform of a height of 1.5 feet. The work space was only for two people, each leaned against the corner of the longest wall. They start their work from morning 9 a.m., lunch timing is not fixed. They resume their work after having lunch till 5 a.m. They don’t continue working after sunset because there is not light in the workshop and it is not convenient for them to work. The artisans work on lathe machine inside the workshop for carving the wood while it is turning and apply coloured lacquer on it. The process of making colour lacquer happens outside the workshop. There are individual tools for each artisan and are kept in a box at the corner of their working place. Due to bow string (khaapta) which is responsible for the rotatory motion of the workpiece, the workshop seems so small. There is barely place to walk.
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
|
44 48
TOOLS The basic tools used in each step for making a lacquerware includes axe, carving tools, files, cloth, oil, hammer, etc.
CARVING TOOL It is a tool consist of a long metal piece attached to a wooden handle. They are applied to the revolving piece of wood, so that thin continuous strips are scrapped off. Skilled crafts people are able to uniform thin layers of wood to create desired shapes. These tools have different metal tips to give different shape to the wood which are: Flat tip (Maathana) U- shaped tip (Neau)
45 49
|
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
Fig 6.2 Filer
Fig 6.3 U-shaped carving tool
KHAAFTA The lathe is manually powered using a stick and rope arrangement. A rope is wound around the object to be worked on and is pulled with the help of a stick attached to it. This generates a rotating motion on the object, which can then be manipulated further. Fig 6.5 Hammer
SAND PAPER Once the desired shape of wood in obtained, it is sanded with sand paper while it is still turning, until the surface is smooth and uniform.
Fig 6.4 Khaafta
HAMMER (Hathoda) Hammer is a handheld tool used to strike another object. It consists of a handle to which is attached a heavy head, usually made of metal with one or more striking surfaces.
Fig 6.6 Sand Paper
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
|
46 50
AXE It is a hand tool used for chopping, splitting, chipping and piercing the workpiece.
WAAVLA Mainly it is used for the chipping off extra wood after the application of lac colour.
KUHADI Mainly used for chopping the bigger pieces of wood.
Fig 6.8 Axe (Waavla)
CHHAINDI This tool is used for splitting the wood into two halves by hammering on it.
Fig 6.7 Axe (Kuhaadi)
47 51
|
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
Fig 6.9 Chhaindi
SAW This tool consists of a sharp metal blade which varies in sizes with a wooden handle. It is used to cut the wood in different sizes or shapes.
KARWAT It is used to cut smaller wooden pieces.
PAMBHA It is a tool which is made by the artisans to ease their work. It gives the finishing to the colour of lacquerware by applying it to the revolving piece of wood where the colour is applied. This tool is made from the wood of date palm tree. The friction produced between the woods causes heat which causes the lac to melt and spread uniformly over the area on which it is applied.
Fig 6.10 Chhaindi
AARI It is used to cut the bigger pieces of wood which are directly bought from the market or brought from their farms.
Fig 6.11 Aari
Fig 6.12 Pambha
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
|
48 52
LATHE MACHINE (Sanghada) Lathe machine is the only machine used in this craft. The lathe is manually powered by khaapta. Each lathe is demarcated by two sharpened iron rods which are bent toward each other at ninetydegree angles and fixed in the ground. The distance between them is dependent upon the length of wood the artisan is turning because the wood must be held firmly between the rods’ pointed ends.
particular distance and then pushing the colours into each other on the lathe. This creates the peculiar kaleidoscopic design with vivid motley colours.
Fig 6.14 Lore Wood
FILE
(Rawat)
When the rough shape of the product is obtained, files are used to remove fine amounts of material from the workpiece. Fig 6.13 Lathe Machine (Sanghada)
LORE WOOD It is the unpolished lacquer stick on which each lacquer colour band are present at a particular distance. It is rubbed on the turning wooden workpiece to form straight number of lines at a
49 53
|
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
Fig 6.15 Filer
TOOLS
MAINTENANCE Artisans work using simple tools, even the lathe is portable, and they do not use any electricity in the process. Sometimes in manual lathe machine, artisans do oiling at the place where the wood is attached for proper rotatory motion. If the machine gets gammed then they dismantle the parts as the lathe they are using is very easy to dismantle and assemble it again. They also do this to remove the dust particles. The tools which the artisans use are usually bought from the junk yards commonly chisels/ carving tools. They buy the old blunt tools and fix them and reuse the tools. The continuous use of lathe tools makes them blunt after a period of time, so they rub the tools against the emery stone to achieve the sharpness. Artisans make the components themselves.
WORKSPACE, TOOLS AND MACHINES
|
50 54
“
Our appreciation of folk art will strengthen our identities, our pride in belonging to a community. People trained in the creative use of their hands soon acquire skills, excellent craftsmanship which will be the most important measure of how well we can industrialize.
7 PROCESS 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4
PREPARTION PROCESS SEQUENCE OF STEPS AND TIME DEVOTION GENDER BASED ANALYSIS
product is decided and then accordingly the wood is cut using axe and roughly filed at the edged.
PREPARATION To make the product, a number of things have to be done beforehand. These include:
Fig 7.1 Wood
WOOD CUTTING The wood which is locally available is sourced and before using the wood for carving, the size of
53 57
PROCESS | PROCESS
Fig 7.2 Wood kept for cutting outside the artisan’s house
COLOURED LAC STICK MAKING The preparation of lacquer from lac begins with heating and softening. Lac is stuck on to the ends of identical sticks, which are heated until the lac becomes plastic and malleable. The heating process is repeated occasionally to maintain plasticity. When the consistency is achieved, base colour which is yellow is added to the lac and uniformly mixed. On this base colour any colour can be layered to give the desired colour. A small portion of powdered dye is mixed with a bit of water. The mixture is then beaten again until the correct shade evolves. The lac then begins to assume the consistency of rubber. It is reheated and before solidifying it is removed from splinters by hand and then repeated stretching with hands is done in order to mix the colour and lac thoroughly. A long thin stick of coloured lacquer 0.5cm thick and 3cm wide is shaped and cut into 15-20cm lengths. Four to five sticks of one colour are prepared at a time. These sticks have a shelf life of only one month before they become hard and unfit for lacquering.
PROCESSS PROCESS
|
54 58
TURNING OF WOOD
PROCESS The process of turning the wood differs according to the product made. Each artisan is expert in a particular range of products. Lac turned wood is practiced using simple tools, a selfmade lathe, a string attached to a bow, and sticks of coloured lac. The process of making lacquerware starts with the following steps:
This piece of wood now has to be fixed onto the lathe which is manually powered by bow string (khaapta). Each lathe is demarcated by two sharpened iron rods which are bent toward each other at ninety-degree angles and fixed in the ground. The distance between them is dependent upon the length of wood the artisan is turning because the wood must be held firmly between the rods’ pointed ends. Oil is applied at the end of the wood piece where it is to be held with the rods of lathe for the smooth rotation.
BABUL WOOD LOG First the wood is cut to the approximate required size using a small hand-held tool axe (karwat). The wood pieces are usually cut according to the size of desired product. The resulting size of wood log after cutting is only used to make one product without any attachments.
55 59
PROCESS | PROCESS
Fig 7.3 Wood being given shape
ROPING OF BOW STRING The rope of bow string is wound around the object to be worked on and is pulled with the help of a stick attached to it. This generates a rotating motion on the wood piece, which can then be manipulated further. The carving tools are then applied on the surface while the wood is turning to chip off the extra unwanted wood. Once the desired shape of wood is obtained, it the then filed using a file (rawat) to enter the first finishing stage which is then followed by sand paper.
on it. The first colour is a base upon which the artisan adds layers of colours. The colours are applied directly from the coloured lac sticks. Once the colours are applied, a cloth is pushed against the turning wood on the colours to give it a nice smooth finish and the edges gets merged with the next colour making it immensely beautiful.
Fig 7.5 Coloured Lac being applied on the wood
Fig 7.4 Use of bow string to keep the wood rotating
APPLICATION OF LAC One the wood is carved into product, artisan apply lac on the wood to create colour patterns
Fig 7.6 Coloured Lac being applied on the wood
PROCESSS PROCESS
|
56 60
FORMATION OF MOTIF On the base colour, using the lore wood, on which the unpolished lac colour band is present at different lengths is rubbed on the workpiece to make several coloured lines. Once the targeted area is fully covered with the lines, the work piece is turned on which the small portion of cloth is rubbed horizontally. The direction of rubbing the cloth is in zigzag direction which creates the peculiar kaleidoscopic design resulting in the formation the famous motif of zigzag on the lacquerware. For the final touch, a tap of oil is applied followed by rubbing of cloth which polished the lac colour portion.
Fig 7.7 Forming the motif on the coloured or bare part of wood
57 61
PROCESS | PROCESS
Fig 7.8 Forming the motif on the coloured part of wood
FINISHING Once the application of lac is done, the final finishing of the product is done by chipping the extra wood followed by sand paper. The wood is chipped by wavla (axe) by continuously striking it on the wood.
Fig 7.9 Motif formed on the form
SEQUENCE OF STEPS DIFFERENT PROCESSES
TIME TAKEN
Cutting of wood into small required sizes
A few mintues to hours depening on the amount of wood needed.
Mounting the wood piece onto the lathe
5 seconds
Turning of wood
5 minutes
Shaping the wood
10-20 minutes
Filing
5-10 minutes
Application of lac
5 minutes
Creating the patterns and motifs
10-20 minutes
Finishing processes i.e assembling, sticking, etc
10 minutes
PROCESSS PROCESS
|
58 62
GENDER BASED ANALYSIS The craftsmen are believed to be practicing lacquer lathe work for seven generations now. The whole family is involved in this craft, with men doing the heavy work of cutting and shaping of the wooden articles and women applying finishing touches to them. Women are also responsible for making colour lac sticks while men doing the carving on wood. Since in making the colour, the hands are directly in contact with the hot lac which happens to give birth to ulcers on their hands. Since the women of the family doesn’t perform the carving and wood cutting process, they help the artisans by making colour lac because if men and women both indulge in making the colour lac, it will damage both of their hands.
59 63
PROCESS | PROCESS
PROCESSS PROCESS
|
60 64
“
Here is a community that depends on handicrafts for a living. Where men double as cattle rearers and artisans; where people like Umra can turn a piece of leather into artistic footwear. Behind the handicrafts village is the private living quarters of the people -- although they are hospitable, it’s best to let them be.
8 product analysis 8.1 7.1 8.2 7.2 7.3
PRODUCT RANGE COMMON MOTIFS AND INSPIRATION EVOLUTION OF DESIGN AND MOTIFS
A good product is always functional, economic, easy to manufacture, aesthetically appealing and which sells in the market. A good product is always made after crossing many failed attempts to make it good. Tops: - The perfect top The top was supposed to begin its rotation on its tip by pulling the rope tied on top of its stick which goes through a handle. - Failed product In failed product, the axis of the top was inclined hence it was wobbling while rotating, it was also not completing its full rotation. - Why was it a failed product? Faults in the production process because it was manually made with approximations.
Fig 8.1 Spoons
63 67
PRODUCTANALYSIS ANALYSIS | PRODUCT
Spoons: - The perfect spoon The perfect spoon has a certain depth to hold the edibles. - Failed product In failed product, the amount of depth was not achieved because of which only a small amount of liquid or semi-liquid foods can be lifted. - Why was it a failed product? It was failed because of not using the proper tool to carve out the spoon.
PRODUCT RANGE
Spatula 5.8 cm x 26.2 cm (approx.) (ranging to 5.8 cm x 29.5 cm approx.) Product Name :
Dimensions :
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
|
64 68
Rolling Pin (Belan) 4 cm x 39.5 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
Mortar and Pestle 7.9 cm x 8.7 cm (approx.) Dimensions of Pestle: 2.5 cm x 13.5 cm (approx.) Product Name :
Dimensions of Mortar:
65 69
PRODUCTANALYSIS ANALYSIS | PRODUCT
Bangle Holder 10.7 cm x 35.4 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
Bowl 13 cm x 15.7 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
|
66 70
Stand (Belan) 7.8 cm x 13 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
67 71
PRODUCTANALYSIS ANALYSIS | PRODUCT
Spoon 6.1 cm x 24.2 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
Embroidery Thread Holder 3.4 cm x 32.5 cm (approx.)
Product Name : Dimensions :
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
|
68 72
COMMON MOTIF AND INSPIRATION STRIPES There are no specific motifs in this craft. The primary feature of this craft is block colours. This most common feature is stripes. There are colourful stripes on many articles. Stripes of different colours and widths are common, the strips are the most easily attainable design on the lathe and hence they are very popular.
Fig 8.2 A closer look of the motifs on the products
69 73
PRODUCTANALYSIS ANALYSIS | PRODUCT
ZIG-ZAG MOTIF The main motif of this craft is the zig- zag motif. The horizontal lines of different colours are mixed so as to form the zig- zag pattern. Once the targeted area is fully covered with the lines, the work piece is turned on which the small portion of cloth is rubbed horizontally. The direction of rubbing the cloth is in zigzag direction which creates the peculiar kaleidoscopic design resulting in the formation the famous motif of zigzag on the lacquerware.
Fig 8.3 Product range
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
|
70 74
“
There are two things that define the Rann of Kutch -- the flat snow-white salt marsh and the Kutchi people, who are among the most artistic in the world.
�
9 LIFE OF ARTISANS
ARTISAN
AGE 26 years
Jayant Bhai Vekyawada (Youngest brother)
EDUCATION 10th pass He started this craft in his early age when he was in 8th std. he liked doing it and left the school because he wanted to do this craft so that he can contribute to earn for his family. Earlier his father and his elder brother use to work in his family and now total 10 family members work. Ladies contribute to makes rajais and makes lac colour. For 4 months (November February) they do this craft and rest of the year they work in their farms ( khetivadi majuri kam) . He wants his children to continue this craft. These people work for 8 hours per day. He is okay with work space because of poor conditions but has a desire to have more space so that they can increase the no. of people to work and equipment’s. Yes there is a lot of difference in this craft (from when his father use to work till now). According to him the demand of the product in from all over India like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi,
73 77
LIFEOF OFARTISANS ARTISANS | LIFE
Rajasthan everywhere he goes to sell his products. Government sends them letter to come down for exhibitions. Sometimes the products get sold and sometimes they have to pay more then they can afford from their pockets like 30,000 to 40,000 excluding food expense. People from different countries also come over to buy the products. its good for them if people gets to know more about it. There are 40 people who know and can work in this craft but because everybody can not afford the raw material so only some of the people work and those who can’t afford they indulge in farming (khetivadi karine kaam chalave che).
LIFE OF ANALYSIS ARTISANS PRODUCT
|
74 78
ARTISAN
AGE 32 years
Popat Bhai EDUCATION
10th pass He started learning this craft when he was of 10 years. He use to sit and see his father working. He makes velan, dandiya, sofa set etc. he likes to work in this craft only and doesn’t likes to do anything else and want his children to learn this craft. Works from 10-4. He desires for a big space/house or if he gets loan he would use that money to buy colours and wood and save some money for food and other household expenses. He would also like to have electrical machinery for making lacquer products to increase the production in the same time. As they work on ground for so many hours continuously they have a lot of health issues. They have pain in their whole body cant sleep properly at night. When he goes for exhibitions most of the time they spend a lot on tickets for travelling to different cities which they cant afford but still manages somehow where only sometimes he makes money
75 79
LIFEOF OFARTISANS ARTISANS | LIFE
from these exhibitions. They have also got help from government once. His father got loan from gov from which they bought lac and wood and colors. He gets the raw material from his waadi, there are many other woods like seasam, pako but they are very costly which they cant afford to buy so they use this wood. Babool and lai is the best quality of wood particularly for the lacquer products. The lac color (powder) is brought from the market (bhuj).
LIFE OF ANALYSIS ARTISANS PRODUCT
|
76 80
“
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed finibus eleifend In neque. India, the crafts have never est, been laoreet divorced from art. enim The Indian homesinterdum have a placedolor. and Maecenas tellus dictum a, dapibus value for articles of crafts involving art. Art is found everywhere in India. Nam ut enim commodo, scelerisque orci at, pretium arcu. Aenean ac vehicula elit. Praesent congue, ex non posuere ornare, massa purus pellentesque leo, nec accumsan est risus sed turpis.
10 primary analysis 10.1 10.2 10.3
SWOT ANALYSIS ISSUES AND CONCERN INTERVENTION
SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH Craft heritage of India. The distinct art form of making product i.e. turned wood work. The skill and expertise of the craftsmen is immense. Potential market national as well as international. Handcrafted things as always appealing and portrays Indian culture. Kutch, due to the diversified craft that exist there, has the potential for industrial investment. Aesthetic and functional qualities.
79 83
| PRIMARY ANALYSIS
WEAKNESS Lack of infrastructure and communication facilities. Inadequate information of current market trends. Still confined to rural areas and small cities and untapped market. Lack of promotion of products. Attrition rate is low mainly amongst women. Lack of machines and proper tools and inadequate facilities. Inconsistent quality and finishing of products. Example: chipping of the wood. Dependency of middlemen. Lack of encouragement of traditional art and crafts.
OPPORTUNITIES Risking demands of handicraft products in developed countries and international market. Expansion of product line from traditional to utilitarian. E-commerce channels to increase reach. Government funds/ NGOs and self-help groups have started spreading awareness and helping the artisans more. Contemporary designs can be introduced. The skills and expertise of the craftsmen is immense and can be explored more.
THREATS Vinus colour lacquerware sell more as they are cheap. Balance between high demand and supply. Profits made by middlemen. Lack of encouragement in the artisans due to low wages and hard work. Absence of perennial source of raw materials and their high price.
PRIMARY ANALYSIS
|
80 84
ISSUES AND CONCERNS The main issue faced by the artisans of this craft is the financial issue. They are not able to make a profit out of the products they make which results in the problem in paying the instalment back to the government who provide the loan for their craft expense. Another issue which comes in between their path is related to the marketing of the lacquerware. The artisans find it expensive in participating in any of the government affiliated exhibition or programme as they have to pay Rs. 30,000- 40,000 from their pockets in order to get a stall in that exhibition.
81 85
| PRIMARY ANALYSIS
On top of it, 11% of the income is also need to be paid as per the rule which results in zero profit or no money in their hands. The income made through selling the articles of lacquerware is merely enough to buy the raw materials for next slot buy it is not enough for the household expense along with it.
INTERVENTION 1. In today’s market, a lot of fancy products with intricate patterns and different motifs are made which is more appealing to the people. This takes away the charm of wooden lacquerware of Kutch. Contemporary products, different motifs along with the zig-zag pattern and designs should be encouraged so that the products sell more. 2. Rather than using different colours to mix in lac, the basic knowledge of colour theory can be provided to the artisan to come across many different colour ranges just by mixing the three primary colours i.e. red, yellow and blue which can be later mixed with the lac to produce many different colour lac sticks. 3. As Vinus products are taking over the market, these lacquerwares are unable to compete with those products. So, expand their market and increase sales they should venture into making products other than utensils such as lifestyle and home accessories.
Fig 10.1 Children of the family
PRIMARY ANALYSIS
|
82 86
“
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed finibus eleifend neque. Maecenas tellus est, laoreet dictum a, dapibus interdum dolor. Handicraft is not Art, it is the transmission of feelingenim the artist has experienced. Every Nam ut enim commodo, scelerisque orci at, pretium arcu. Aenean ac vehicula decade needs its own manual of handicraft. elit. Praesent congue, ex non posuere ornare, massa purus pellentesque leo, nec accumsan est risus sed turpis.
11 Limitations in research
11.1
GAP ANALYSIS
11.2
PRESENT SCENARIO
GAP ANALYSIS
Fig 11.1 Dai Dai
85 89
| LIMITATIONS IN RESEARCH
GAP analysis is performed to acquire a gap between the actual performance and the desired performance. The outcome of the analysis is that the performance of artisans can be boosted if the working conditions are improvised by providing electricity to the artisans in low prices and proper shelter for storage of the wooden logs. The raw materials required in this craft is very basic but sometimes the wood used in this craft which is babul is not available. The wood available are seasam and pako which is very expensive for the artisans to afford and there are no wood depots in the village. The colours available to the artisans are expensive. The artisans make repetitive designs and are afraid of making new designs. They believe that introducing new products can lead to market failure and material wastage. But if there is more variety in products, it will increase the sale of lacquerware. If the above mention steps are taken into account, it will increase the productivity of craft.
PRESENT SCENARIO Since Nirona is the hub of handicrafts of Kutch, which is the main reason of importance given to lacquerware. The process by which the beautiful lacquerware is produced is totally manual. Compared to the other crafts of Nirona, the awareness of this craft is very less among the common people. The awareness of the contemporary products is also lacking in the artisans which can lead to increase in sales of their lacquerware. Sometimes the artisans also find difficulty in obtaining the raw materials sometimes because of low income or the unavailability of raw materials.
Fig 11.2 Women of the family busy cooking
LIMITATIONS IN RESEARCH
|
86 90
“
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed finibus eleifend neque. Without Maecenas tellus est, inspiration laoreet dictum dapibus dolor. craftsmanship, is a mereenim reed a, shaken in theinterdum wind. Nam ut enim commodo, scelerisque orci at, pretium arcu. Aenean ac vehicula elit. Praesent congue, ex non posuere ornare, massa purus pellentesque leo, nec accumsan est risus sed turpis.
12 ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATIONS
Government provides the artisans an opportunity to put up exhibitions and stalls in different cities. They are given chance to conduct workshops, through the government. Certain NGO’s give these artisans a chance to put up stalls in exhibitions all over india, though no NGO is dedicatedly working towards this handicraft. All these initiations by government organisations and NGO’s have helped the artisans expose to the outside world which can help them in conducting the business better. The government helped them in building their houses and it gave a lone for their craft expenses from which the artisans only bought wood and lac as their raw materials.
89 93
ROLEOF OFGOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTAND ANDORGANISATIONS ORGANISATIONS | ROLE
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATIONS
|
94
“
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed finibus eleifend neque. Maecenas tellus est, laoreet dictum enim a, dapibus interdum dolor. An artist who works with his hands, his head and his heart at the same time creates a Nam ut enim commodo, scelerisque orci at, pretium arcu. Aenean ac vehicula masterpiece. elit. Praesent congue, ex non posuere ornare, massa purus pellentesque leo, nec accumsan est risus sed turpis.
�
13 BRANDING concept
OBJECTIVE In an attempt to promote the deep rooted beauty and cultural values of the traditional craft: Lacquer Wooden Work, we tried creating a brand identity that refelected the nature and style of the craft. The ojective for creating the identity was to promote the craft and spread awareness about it in a way that the present generation is more familiar with, and also to centralize and integrate the craft under one umbrella, one image.
VISUAL IDENTITY CONCEPT There were several ideas and thoughts behind the creation of the logo, and the ones we worked upon here were: We wanted to depict the only main motif of the craft, which the artisans in Kutch used - the zi-zag combining of the lines made by lac colours. Keeping this in mind, we formed the patterns used below, by reducing them down to basic symmetrical form, giving it a very minimal look. We’ve kept the logo in a straight long- lined structure as it then depicts a peice of wood which the products are made of, and also two of the main products that the artisans create: The belan and the spatulas, taht are their most selling products. Also, the negative space behind
93 97
BRANDINGCONCEPT | BRANDING
the patterns, overall gives it a very wooden- ish look, whis turned out to be just right as it resembled the craft as well as the materials used in it The colous we used here are the main colours that our artians used: Orange, blue, red, yellow, green. The patterns and its usage balanced the colours completely so that it did not turn out to be too bright and eye- hurting. The type we’ve used here gives it the finishing touch that it needed, making it look earthy, rustic and handmade.
FINAL LOGO
LACQUER WOODEN CRAFT
EXPLORATIONS
LACQUER WOOD CRAFT
LACQUER WOODEN CRAFT
LACQUER WOODEN CRAFT
BRANDINGBRANDING CONCEPT
|
94 98
ELEMENTS USED
COLOURS USED The colours used are the main 5 colours that the artisans use on their products, and also for it to look more dynamic. They were chosen keeping in mind the look and feel of the brand, as bright colours are the craft’s speciality. #f05325
TYPEFACE USED We used this specific typeface becuase it facilitates the visual language of the brand, and also becuase it gives a very rustic, raw and wooden/ handmade vibe. VETERAN TYPEWRITER A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The colour used is brown depicting earthy, rustic and handmade. #492c1d
95 99
BRANDINGCONCEPT | BRANDING
#077fad
#ee3132
#f9e33d
#0db14b
VISITING CARD
BRANDING CONCEPT BRANDING ||
100 96
BROCHURE
97 || BRANDING 101 BRANDING CONCEPT
CD
BRANDING || BRANDING CONCEPT
98 102
“
The beauty of a finely worked object points to the beauty of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the craftsmanship points to the beauty of the name which was the source of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the name of the craftsman’s art points to the beauty of the craftsman’s attributes manifested in that art. - Said Nursi
14 CONCLUSION
In our three days visit to the village of Nirona, we were introduced to the artisans, their famlilies, their work and their lifestyles. The craft of Wooden Lacquer work has been able to survive for more than 7 generations and often runs in families as tradition. To see this tradition in person, was an experience in itself. Watching the making of the Lacquerware was unlike watching another production process. We saw the craft taking shape. in front of us. What made this a unique encounter was not so much of the variety of products but the artisan. To make such a piece of craft requires a lot of skill. One needs to master one's body and mind to multitask. Every product is close to its creator as the artisans have given shape to each product from scratch. The objective of this visit was to get to know the people working on this craft and to do a diagnostic study: included studying and collecting information about the craft practiced there and the lifestyle of the artisans, and coming up with interventions for the artisans’ issues. During the visit we interacted with the artisans and came lace to face with their joys and grievances while working with this craft. We learnt the basics of the production of the process right from the procurement of raw material to the creation of finished and smoothness of the products. We got
105
|
CONCLUSION
to know about the recent situation of the market and also what kind of products they make. We got a clear understanding of the entire process and became familiar with the kinds of problems the artisans faced in sourcing the raw materials. We were also able to interview the artisans and gain knowledge. Observing the workshops of the artisans was like reading a story. The artisans are skilled and high in spirit and they try to create products of amazing quality and value, but their hard work does not receive the due rewards in terms of the price they get for their products. Due to lack of awareness and knowledge of the market, they have a hard time competiting with other products and gets taken advantage of. We experienced empathy towards the craftsmen, something we have never done before. As students of design we knew the kinds of efforts that went into making products and so we also understood the relevance for the eye of detail and the obstacles that the artisans faced. It was saddening to see was that the artisans faced various problems like lack of education, harassment by the middle man, lack of economic stability, and little or none government support. The craft history of Lacqer work goes down two centuries, but its eventual end is a real possibility.
We tried studying the problems that they are facing and gave them suggestions for the betterment of their craft, products and market. Having a huge limitation like language, as they only spoke Kutchi, we still did not let the spirits get low and tried learning as much as we could. Overall, this experience was one of a kind and we were glad we got to be part of it. It was an invaluable lesson for us. We now have a better understanding of the craft , the artians involved with it and we are now also aware of the current market situation and a clear understanding of the processes, trends and setbacks faced by the artisans. This has truly been an enlightening experience.
CONCLUSION
|
106
Fig 14.1 Our team with the artisans and their family. From Left to to Right : Stuti Jain (Accessory Design), Janvi Shah (Accessory Design), Anjali Darbha (Communication Design), Avinash Nair (Moving Images), Shreya Yadav (Communication Design), and Tanaya Khadke (Moving Images).
107
|
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
|
108
http://www.khamir.org/crafts/lacquered-wood http://gaatha.com/kutch-lacquer-lathe-work/ https://madeinkachchh.wordpress.com/tag/lacquer/ http://craftroots.org/product/lacquer-craft/ http://www.craftcanvas.com/blog/tag/kutch http://www.gidb.org/pdf/kutchdevelpmntfinalreport2005GIDBVOLI.pdf https://kachchh.nic.in/handicraft/ http://charukesi.com/itchyfeet/2014/01/30/the-crafts-of-kutch/ https://creativeyatra.com/culture/magestic-land-kachchh/
109
|
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nirona, was just like another Indian village - rustic, unpretentious, with narrow lanes leading to a cluster of houses with mud walls, and freshly painted, vibrant doors. But behind these colourful frames were stories of hands crafting magic. Some with nimble fingers and some aged with wrinkles, but all excelling in the art passed on by their forefathers to them over centuries. We had arrived at Nirona, as a part of our Craft Documentation. Nirona is a prominent craft hub in the Kutch region of Gujarat, with three traditional art forms as the cornerstone of the village - Wooden Lacquer Craft being one of them. The craftsmen are believed to be practicing lacquer lathe work for seven generations now. The whole family is involved in this craft, with men doing the heavy work of cutting and shaping of the wooden articles and women applying finishing touches to them. This book tires to document their work: the means of their living that they’re really proud of, its process, the problems they face and tries to spread awareness about the craft and the Vadha family.