Coppersmith Craft ~ ...
Palpora, Sonwar Bagh, Srinagar...
Zardozi embroidery has been in existence in India from the time of the Rig Veda. Timeless embroidery hand crafted authentically by the artisans, the word zardozi is a combination of two urdu words ‘zar’ means gold and ‘doz’ means hand-work/sewing or embroidery; zardozi is an embroidery done with a gold thread. This beautiful metal thread embroidery once used to enrich the attires of the Kings and the royalty in India. The treasure of Akbar included wide range of stitched garments, which were embellished with metal embroidery. The way Zardozi is known now, is the process of sewing embellishments on fabrics using a metal-bound thread. The work involves making elaborate designs, using gold and silver threads. Studded pearls and precious stones often find a place in between the meandering golden streams. Shimmery pieces of spangles, stones and sequins are also sewn in to create resplendent patterns on cloth. The pieces created using it are timeless, passed down through generations, just like this craft. Bhopal is one of the places in India where this craft is still practiced in its traditional and authentic way. It can be found in the narrow alleys of this old town and is its signature embroidery art.
zardozi is embroidery done with a metal-bound gold thread.
Zari is gold and zardozi embroidery is the glittering and heavily encrusted gold thread work.
The embroidery is done using a variety of custom made needles like the Ari needle. Gold and silver threads are looped in the lengths of the fabric and embellished with beads, stones, sequins and pipes.
Zardozi is very expensive, due to the expensive materials used for the process, and also the artisans take hourly wages for constructing raised-motifs in gold and silver zari, for doing the detailed work.
The 6th century CE sacred work written in Jain literature, ‘Acharanga Sutra’, has a mention of a gold embroidered material. It says that this kind of material should be shunned by the monks.
Jataka Tales also have evidence of this craft in the form of golden turbans and trappings made for the elephants, which were made using gold thread. In the cave no. 17 of the Ajanta Caves, the paintings have a depiction of this type of embroidery done on the clothes.
Historical evidences point out that needlework and embroidery has been practiced in India from very early times. Bronze needles excavated from the site of Mohenjo Daro (2300-1500 BC) of Indus Valley Civilization, along with figurines speak of drapery that are of the embroidered type.
From just being used by the royals, Zardozi has developed over the years and now everyone can use it. Earlier it was also used by the royalty to adorn tent walls or in their courtrooms as tapestries, wall hangings and was also used to ornate the royal animals like elephants and horses.
Traditionally used to adorn Lehengas, Turbans, Dupattas and Sarees, zari-zardozi work now extends to accessories like purses, footwear, caps etc. The versatility of this craft has led to its implementation on many surfaces for decorative and embellishment purposes. As people are getting to know more about this craft they are making it the part of their lives like the royals used to do. Along with using it on products like clothes, footwear, cushion covers, they are also using it in their interiors as a part of their home decor. It is done on the sofas, table runners, curtains and many more things. This can give the interiors opulence and make it feel like the royals.
It has also become a part of wedding decor to make them magnificent and lavish. It has also become favorite among the brides who want to look extravagant and elegance on their wedding. So it can be seen on the bridal outfits like lehengas, saris and anarkalis. It’s also an important part of Indian couture and is thus used by a lot of designers.
The fashion houses are including this craft in their creations and the artisans also showcase this craft at exhibitions like that of garments and home decor products. Due to this craft is reaching people and local artisans have maintained the tradition and authenticity of this craft.
This craft requires high levels of skill and expertise. The dexterity of the craftsman is a measure of his speed and judgment. All the stitches should ideally be of one size. Zari work is done using the ari needle and zardozi is done using the varieties of embroidery needles.
This craft evolved when the women of the household used to sit and work on fabric after the daily chores. They used to meticulously work on the minute details and churn out elaborately beautiful patterns.
Zardozi constitutes an import part in the export of handicrafts in India. Its export has increased to 16.83% since 2007.
Once a mosquito found the entrance to a king’s head, went inside and gave him a severe headache. All the options to get rid of the mosquito failed. Finally, God himself appeared in Hakim’s (doctor’s) dream and told him the cure for the king’s headache. It was to hit the king in the area of the pain with a shoe. The Hakim told the king about this dream. The king ordered for a shoe embroidered with gold and silver threads for this purpose. The shoe helped to kill the mosquito and cured king’s headache. The king admired the details on the shoe and patronized the artisans as the Zardoz.
(mentioned in the book ‘Zardozi Glittering Gold embroidery’ by Charu Smita Gupta)
Historical evidences point out that needlework and embroidery has been practiced in India from very early times. Bronze needles excavated from the site of Mohenjo Daro (2300-1500 BC) of Indus Valley Civilization, along with figurines speak of drapery that are of the embroidered type.
The Greek explorer, Megasthenes in 300 BC records the zardozi type of embroidery in his Indian travelogue. He describes robes or flowered muslin garments worked in gold and ornamented with precious stones.
In Vedic age, we can find the presence of this craft. Some words like Atka, Drapi, Pesas indicating sewn garments, have been mentioned in the Rig Veda. Here the term Atka means a garment embroidered and adorned using gold thread. This was also known as the ‘cloth of gold’.
In the ancient Indian epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, there is a mention of embroidery done using gold thread, which suggests the use Zardozi during that time. Like in Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was presented with various clothes and products, by the king of Kambuja. These were made of animal skin as well as of wool and were embroidered with the thread of gold.
The 6th century CE sacred work written in Jain literature, ‘Acharanga Sutra’, has a mention of a gold embroidered material. It says that this kind of material should be shunned by the monks.
Jataka Tales also have evidence of this craft in the form of golden turbans and trappings made for the elephants, which were made using gold thread. In the cave no. 17 of the Ajanta Caves, the paintings have a depiction of this type of embroidery done on the clothes.
Several products like clothes and footwear embellished using gold and precious stone are mentioned in the texts, ‘Harshacharitamanas’ and ‘Kadambari by Banabhatta, the biographer of King Harshavardhana of Kanauj.
In ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’, the Italian explorer Marco Polo, mentions the coverlets for bed and cushions adorned with gold and silver embroidery, which he saw during his visit to the then kingdom of Guzzerat, located on the western side of the Indian Sea.
Works of Sanskrit literature of the 14th century speak of products like the Svarnopanad (shoes embroidered in gold and inlaid with jewels), and the Suchipalki (narrow piece of embroidered silk).
The matured form of the craft of Zardozi came to India during the Tughlaq dynasty, a Muslim dynasty of the Turkish origin founded by Muhammad bin Tughlaq. It became a popular embroidery used for the royal costumes. Though it flourished during the times of Firoz Shah Tughlaq who succeeded his cousin Muhammad and became the ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty. In fact, he is the one who coined the term zardozi, as it was mentioned for the first time in his memoir ‘Futahat-I-Firozsahi’. In it there is a mention of some new kinds of clothes worn during this time. He also identified these different kinds of clothes, their uses and made them as well as the term Zardozi famous among the masses. Workshops or Karkhanas, as they were colloquially known, were developed and the zardozi embroidery started being developed in them. This began the institutionalization of this form of embroidery. Though according to shariyet, despite of this, he wanted to make this craft one of his own and thus implemented rules and restrictions on the designs and patterns and restricted them to just a certain kind. All these limitations became a hindrance in the development of this craft.
Later in the 16th century, this craft reached the Vijay Nagar Empire, which was under the reign of Hindu king Krishnadev Rai and Achyuta Rai during that time.
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Mughal Period:
With the onset of the Mughal era, zardozi saw great patronage. It was at its peak of development, usage and reached a high degree of sophistication. As, floral motifs were embroidered with a thoughtful use of gold and soft colored threads. Pearls and precious stones were also used along with these for the outfits, to increase their magnificence. They also introduced a change in textile surface ornamentation and designs. Now multi-colored designs combined with gold and silver thread were made.
The patterns of these textile designs took inspiration from the Mughal court paintings.
The geometrical and floral motifs of the hashiya (border) of these paintings were the main source for the textile designs. The karkhanas developed during the Tughlaq dynasty were transformed to a new trend of Court Karkhanas. The culture of having these in the royal court was developed in places like Delhi and Agra. The royalty and nobility during this time donned the outfits having Zardozi embroidery. This is also found documented in some of the literature of that time like,
Zardozi received a fresh impetus under Shahajahan. Royal robes decorated with all over floral designs were the height of fashion, as the motifs on them were outlined with embroidery done using gold thread and were similar to the fine minakari (enameled) jewelry worn by royalty. Shah Jahan’s reign was famous for the highly gorgeous costumes decorated with gold and silver embroidery. Patka, a long cloth band essential to bind the long and heavy garments like the jama. It was fastened around the waist in such a way that both the ends of it loosely hanged down reaching up to the knees. They were generally made with ‘double layer’ weaving technique which facilitated the decoration of ending panels. They were highly decorated with silver and gold embroidery and were made with large flowering plants motif on the short end-panels hanging in front. These patterns were highly influenced by the motifs used in the authentic Mughal ornaments and were in vogue during that time. Earlier the designs only consisted of floral, bird and animal patterns. The Mughal period introduced the use of floral designs with geometrical patterns and it gained a lot of prominence.
There was an extensive use of gold and silver during this time which can be seen represented in the paintings belonging to it. The development of textile designs during the reign of Shah Jahan was the result of his keen interest in the development of decorative art. He made the arrangement of motifs very intricate. These floral motifs were arranged in a more delicate manner with high ornamentation of zari wire. Plants, foliage, sprays, blossoms and floral scroll all began to be presented in a more delicate manner. In the 19th century, two distinct types of gold and silver embroidery developed. Zardosi came to be the heavy gold inlaid work upon velvet or satin. The other branch was Kalabattu which was light and delicate embroidery in gold and silver thread, wire and spangles upon fine silk, cotton and muslin. The early Mughal style of the design finely embroidered in silks with the entire background filled with gold threads became rare after the 18th century due to the expense in both material and labor.
Under the reign of Aurangzeb this royal patronage stopped and the craft of Zardozi embroidery faced a decline. The artisans started migrating to different places. Thus, the art of Zardozi suffered.
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The dispersal of the craftsmen from the workshops in Agra and Delhi during the decline of Mughal power brought the skill of the men trained in the royal workshops or Karkhanas to the Hindu royal courts. These crafts quickly adapted to the imaginative tastes of the Hindu state. The artisans migrated into different parts, many of them went to Lucknow. Nawab Shujaudaula of Lucknow took interest in this craft and promoted it. His son, Nawab Asaf al-Daulah followed his father’s footsteps and soon Lucknow became the center for products decorated using the Zardozi embroidery.
After the Awadh dynasty ended, the proximity of this craft with the ordinary folks increased and it got immensely popular among the masses. Domestic Karkhanas took over the culture of court karkhanas.
Bhopal is known for its rich heritage of crafts and this art of zari-zardozi too has been predominant here for almost three hundred years. The influences are from the western parts of the country. It is said that the Begum of Bhopal invited the artisans here, the rulers of Bhopal being great patrons of art and culture. They educated and motivated the artisans about the intricacy of this craft and kept the tradition of making it alive. Their passion for grandeur and extravagance drew them to the zari-zardozi craft. The members of the royal family were dressed in the exquisite zari creations. The Royal dresses of the Begums of Bhopal were made using the delicate work of zardozi on opulent fabrics.
Zardozi designs are so unique that apart from their monetary value, the fabric also looks rich and royal. To make these unique designs different types of Zari threads are used. Depending on the intricacy and the type of the design, the Zari thread used is divided in the following categories,
Different types of stitches are used to create the Zardozi embroidery. Some of them are,
Due to the intricacy involved in it, this embroidery is mainly done on the lush and heavy materials like,
In zardozi embroidery, the patterns are given a dimension and thickness using stones and spangles, whereas in zari the chain stitches form elaborate and intricate designs. Motifs used in the Zardozi embroidery are mostly inspired from the nature, like flowers, leaves, trees, animals and birds. Other than this, the geometrical and abstract motifs, inspired from Persian art are also commonly used.
Some of the basic designs done are,
Various types of thread work is done in this craft. A few are as follows:
In order to make sure that this craft reaches to everyone, the materials used in went through a lot of changes from pure gold and silver to copper. On the basis of this, zardozi can be divided into three categories,
The creation of this embroidery is meticulous and laborious, though the exquisite outcome makes it all worthy. The process involves transforming tracing the design on the fabric after which the fabric is fixed on a wooden frame. The artisan has to sit and work in such a way that everything he needs for doing the embroidery like needles, threads, sequins etc., is at his hand’s reach. The embroidery is done using a variety of custom made needles like the Ari needle. Gold and silver threads are looped in the lengths of the fabric and embellished with beads, stones, sequins and pipes. The designs created can be very intricate which might take the artisan around ten days to complete one product, depending on the size of the design and the product. The traditional way of crafting the Zardozi is known as ‘Kalabutan’. Even though modernization has taken over this traditional process, the basics of it still remain the same.
The artisans do their puja in the morning before starting their work.
Artisans sit on the floor around the wooden frame, keeping it at a table height. This allows them to work both on top of the fabric while guiding the thread below the fabric. The size of the wooden frame is such that, at a time five to seven people can sit around it and each can work on a different portion of the design on the fabric, if the size of the fabric is big. This also increases the production.
Making the Zari thread:
Framing the fabric:
Tracing the design:
Transferring design to fabric: Sodhan
Creating the embroidery:
Adding embellishments:
Bhopal is said to have been originally called Bhojpal and was established in the 11th century by King Bhoja of the Parmara dynasty. It was a small village in the Gond kingdom by the 18th century, during which the Mughals had captured and ruled. The Afghan soldier - Dost Mohammed established the princely province of Bhopal in 1723 by warding off the Rajput rulers. He transformed the village of Bhopal into a fortified city, and acquired the title of Nawab. Bhopal came under the British protectorate in 1818 and was subsequently ruled by the famed Begums - Qudsia Begum, succeeded by her only daughter Sikandar Begum and then Shahjehan Begum. Bhopal flourished into a well established city under their just rule, excelling in art and infrastructure.
In 1926, the son of Jehan Begum, Hamidullah inherited the throne. During the rule of Nawab Hamidullah, the Bhopal State signed the 'Instrument of Accession' and became the part of the Indian Republic in 1947.
Bhopal is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh on the Malwa plateau. It lies at an elevation of 500 meters. The landscape is uneven and specked with small hills. The city has two beautiful lakes namely the Upper Lake and the Lower Lake, collectively known as the Bhoj Wetland. The city is lined by the Vindhya ranges to its south.
By air: The Raja Bhoj Airport of Bhopal is 15 km away from the heart of the city. It is connected to Mumbai, Indore, Gwalior and Delhi as well as international flights.
By rail: Bhopal Railway Station is a major rail-head in Mumbai - Delhi broad gauge. It has connecting trains to all major cities in India. The railway station is near Hamidia road. Major trains going from Bombay to Delhi via Itarsi and Jhansi also go through Bhopal.
By road: Bus facilities, both public and private are available in Bhopal. All cities in the state are connected to Bhopal by bus services. There are numerous daily buses to Sanchi (46 km), Vidisha, Indore (186 km), Ujjain (188 km) and Jabalpur (295 km).
Bhopal has a humid subtropical climate. The summers are from April to June and the winters span from November to February. Summer temperatures peak to about 47 degrees Celsius and in winters it falls to 8 degrees Celsius. Monsoon season is marked by moderate rainfall from mid June to October, but isolated rains are experienced by the city all through the year. Bhopal receives an annual rainfall of 1200 mm.
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