Indian Horizons Volume 63 No. 2 April-June 2016 Indian Horizons Indian Horizons Contents Volume 63 No. 2, April-June 2016 Foreword 5 Amb. C. Rajasekhar From Our Archives 6 Editor Vastrakala: The French Connection with Subhra Mazumdar Embroidery in India 12 Malavika Embroidery: A Woman’s History of Kutch 22 Judy Frater Kasuti: Karnataka Kashida 36 Published by the Director General, Sunita Shahaney Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Azad Bhavan, Indraprastha Estate, Chikankari from Lucknow: Origin of a Legend 47 New Delhi-110002. The opinions expressed or implied in this magazine Paola Manfredi do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the ICCR. No part of Photo Essay: Embroidery for the Home 62 the magazine may be reproduced Sreoshi Chatterjee without the prior permission of the Editor. Kantha 71 Contributions for consideration may Shabnam please be sent in dupliate – typed in double space, with a minimum Bagh, Phulkari and Sainchi: The Punjabi of footnotes to the Editor, Indian Women’s Creativity 82 Horizons, Indian Council for Cultural Jasleen Dhamija Relations, Azad Bhavan, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi-110002. Chamba Rumal: Embroidered Paintings 88 E-mail : [email protected] Purnima Rai Website: www.iccr.gov.in Indian Horizons is also available on website Designed and printed by M/s Sita Fine Arts Errata: In the Article “Through theEyes of Vasily Vereshchagin” published in the Indian Horizon, Vol. 63, Pvt. Ltd., A-16, Naraina Industrial Area-II, No. 1, January-March-2016, the writer name is published Savita Devi. The correct name of the Writer New Delhi-110028. www.sitafinearts.com is “Dr. Savita Kumari”. Editorial he current issue owes its beginnings to penned an elaborate account of Punjab’s Ta telephone conversation with a perfect signature needlework tradition in her essay on stranger. Usha Hooda, the voice at the other Phulkari. Her vast research has given readers an end, I gathered was a keen trekker and that was insight into the many varieties of the phulkari reason enough for her to relocate in Himachal, chadar and the significance behind every motif I reasoned. But no! It was Aari work, a form of that is created on the base cloth. Besides giving needlework done with fine needle-like hooks and us readers an in depth knowhow, it was also a which had select band of collectors. Her findings discovery of sorts to learn of the nomenclature led me into discovering the many styles of needle of the finished product. art prevalent and thriving countrywide and which have been a defining component of our culture. Travelling south in this journey of threads and One of the first researchers in this field has been needles, I learnt of the tradition of making Kasuti Judy Frater, whose work with the tribal women work, an art form practised by generations of in Kutch, has received accolades widely. She women to adorn trousseau wear and special was gracious enough to pen a complete saga wear. I was specially impressed to learn of the of her findings, her bonhomie with the women generational bonding this work has led to, where makers, and the economic resurgence which the eighty-year-old grandmothers sit along their simple tools of coloured threads and needles granddaughters plying this art, for the elitist have brought into their lives. Judy’s article also market. The motifs, one can see, are culled from updates readers about their graduation from associations round their homesteads and their handwork to machine work, all the time keeping aspirations, and adorn the cloth so closely that the creativity angle paramount. one can barely see the background. Though each one of us has had at least one Back in the hills once again, one was introduced brush with the art of Chikankari either as a to the tradition of making rumaals or large personal garment or as an item of linen, prior to pieces of embroidered cloths as ritual covers for Paolo Manfredi’s exhaustive research reflected in the carrying offerings to temples or for special her contribution in this issue, I had given scant thought to the historicity of the art. Laced with occasions at home. What struck as eye opener catchy anecdotes and backed by photographic was the closeness between the miniature painters specimens of exquisite finery in the Chikankari and these specimens for what the women had mode, I am now better informed, particularly created was a throwback to the figures and about the different levels of finesse that settings one can identify in a Pahari painting. Chikankari can be classified into. This closeness, one gathers in Purnima’s Rai’s account was due to the royal patronage that the A veteran guru in the matter of Indian textiles two groups had received from the royals of the and weaves, Jasleen Dhamija has graciously kingdom. 4 Indian Horizons Volume 63 No. 2 My special takeaway from the issue was the a cooperative enterprise that runs a flourishing account of the growth and development of two school for children of the village and a kantha major needlework enterprises based in two making outfit where every worker is employed different regions of the country. In Alwarpet in in an aspect of kantha that she is best suited Chennai, is a thriving needlework outlet under for. Thus the end product that comes forth is the Vastrakala logo, which has been making a coveted item of export to the West as well needlework as an unbroken tradition, for elitist as Iran and elsewhere. In the midst of a kantha clients the world over, recreating specimens of centred bonhomie, irt is not uncommon to needlework culled from portraits of Napoleon see baklava and cookies passed around as buyers 1, embroidering the hanging, upholstery and bring gifts that everyone shares. curtains of the Ashoka Dining Hall at Rashtrapati Bhavan and innovating fresh specimens based on Sreoshi Chatterjee’s shots of vintage items the Zardosi tradition to simulate a Nizam-era commonly in use in middle-class Indian homes, bedroom. More than just propagating an Indio- narrates a lifestyle around needlework, dating French needlework connection that goes back to back a few decades. One learns of how in 1860, this venture is a role model in craftsmen’s her grandmother’s time, the convents made welfare initiatives as staff are not migrants but needlework a part of school curriculum and dedicated workers from a traditional needlework trained their charges with the characteristic community, who enjoy social and economic forms of European embroidery prevalent in their benefits, health insurance as part of their native countries. employment terms. All this and more has gone into making this issue Shabnam’s enterprise around the Murshidabad a colourful read of success stories hemmed and kantha is more than a success story around adorned by generations of women across the needlework. It is a saga of social upliftment not country. of the individual woman worker but an entire community, who are now the proud owners of Happy reading. Editor Subhra Mazumdar Foreword Amb. C. Rajasekhar Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations his volume of Indian Horizons is dedicated Besides documenting various styles and their Tto a study of Indian embroidery, a long-time methodology of production, these essays integral aspect of Indian culture, which is visible strive to give a glimpse of the economic and in every corner of the country. The outlay of social derivations that are hinged to that this issue has been an attempt to portray how form of embroidery production. Noteworthy Indian embroidery has now become a continuous observations include how embroidery has success story for its makers. While the tools for brought dignity and pride among its makers as its perpetration continue to be basic and rooted, also stemmed the migration of workers to menial notably needles, hooks and threads, the outcome options at the cost of neglecting these age old of its production has triggered a revolution of heritage productions. The economic benefits that sorts in the country. At a time when some craft accrue, as embroidery becomes a lucrative item forms are seeing a setback, the progress of of export, is given due importance by our writers. embroidery in India is unearthing fresh outlets and innovative uses for both domestic and The volume also contains exhaustive pictorial international consumption. evidence of embroidered varieties garnered from the various regions. The contents are thereafter To document this transformational role the rounded off to a delightful tinge of nostalgia volume records the findings of persons who by the inclusion of a few archival shots of ICCR have been dedicated researchers and workers happenings over the years, in the starting pages with a hands-on engagement with their chosen of the issue. form of embroidery,. All of them have kindly and exhaustively recounted the saga of development, The attempt to provide a well researched and the trials on the way and the onward vision viable reading experience has remained paramount they have envisaged for their chosen forms of in our minds all through this production process. needlework. The ICCR is grateful to all of them This dedication has enabled us to present a truly for their painstaking effort to share their know- iconic salute to Indian embroidery through our how with our readers. efforts, into your hands. Amb. C. Rajasekhar 6 Indian Horizons Volume 63 No. 2 From our Archives Scene from Alladin puppet play performed by Calcutta Pupper Theatre during their visit to Poland in May, 1980. Indian Horizons Volume 63 No. 2 7 Yaksgana : Sonar Chand Troupe visited F.R.G., Holland, U.K., Czechoslovakia, Belgium and France in June, 1980. 8 Indian Horizons Volume 63 No.