Pithora paintings are ritualistic paintings done by the Rathwa tribe. These paintings depict the main deity called Pithora and a procession displaying his accomplishments. When kept in homes, they are believed to bring peace, prosperity and happiness. These are also believed to be an old method of cartography.
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Thewa is a 400 year old art of creating gold filigree on a coloured molten glass base. The patterns in this slender latticework of gold are inspired from nature and mythology. This inbred art is exclusively practiced only by the Sonis or goldsmiths of Nathulal Soni family.
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Rogan painting, locally called Rogani Kam, is an intricate and skillful painting done on inexpensive textiles using a thick paste of castor oil and color. The technique with which it is done has lent a unique identity to this seemingly basic craft. The artwork becomes more beautiful with time and compliments the fabric texture. The […]
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The prints from the villages, locally known as ‘gaam’ of India, are called as the ‘Gaamthi’ prints; vibrant colors, contrasting shades, varied patterns being their characteristic features. Originally done with natural dyes extracted from plants and other source, they are now also being done in artificial colors.
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In the Amreli district of Gujarat, women use mirrors, shells and bright colors to create beautifully embroidered patterns. Geometric patterns and scenes taken from everyday rural life or mythology are embroidered on decorations for domestic purposes. This type of embroidery is also prevalent in nearby regions, collectively known as Saurashtra or Kathiawar.
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Tucked away in a village near Jaipur is the world’s largest center of hand-made paper. India’s diversity expands from its people, cultures, languages, and topographies to the crafts sector, in abundance. A wide range of raw materials, such as bamboo, wood grass, rice and wheat straw, jute, rags and waste paper are made available for […]
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Mashroo is a woven textile craft form with a purpose stemming from religion. ‘Mashroo’ meaning ‘permitted’ in Arabic lends credibility to the textile since wearing pure silk was prohibited. The Mashroo method made it a fabric ‘permitted by the sacred law of Islam’. Mashroo fabric has a silk facade and a cotton layer on one […]
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The craft of making earthen pots is one of the oldest known crafts. It’s design and efficiency is time-tested. These earthen pots are living testimonies of design which has undergone very less or no rectification. The Gundiyali pottery earthenware is characteristically adorned with patterns using different colors, like white and red, without any paint content.
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There are some crafts which are made just for the purpose of decorating or identifying cattle. One such craft which originated with cattle rearing is the craft of metal bells, or ‘Ghantadi-, as known locally in Kutchh, Gujarat (India). The craft is believed to be over a thousand years old, originated in Sindh, (currently in […]
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The complexity of creating the Patola fabric contributes to its exquisite nature. Woven in a double ‘Ikat’ weave, with the yarn threads pre-dyed for the desired pattern, one Patola fabric takes about a year to complete. This does not stop the patterns from being intricately elaborate. Patola is exclusively produced from Patan in Gujarat.
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