Wood turning involves the use of lathe on which a rapidly rotating piece of wood is shaped with a chisel to create cylinders spheres or cones. The beauty of this craft lies in painting the smooth wooden shapes. Usually, the turned piece is coated with coloured lacquer. Today, lacquer ware Production has diversified in response to changing markets. It now includes jewellery, decorative pieces, household utility articles and educational articles such as skipping rope handles, chess sets, pen holders, paper weights and rubber stamp holders. The softwood lacquer ware toy business is on verge of closure due to government apathy, stringent export norms and rising input costs. The European Union, Australia and the US demand for certifications and eco-friendly compliance markings on this craft. Main clusters: Etikoppaka in Andhra Pradesh is the hometown of lacquer ware. Other important centres are Ernakulam, Chennapatna, Chitrakoot, Davanagere, Medak, Sankheda, and Varanasi Artisans involved: The Etikoppaka Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society comprises 165 artisans63. Raw material used: The industry is totally dependent on forests for the primary raw Materials. These forest-based products are the wood of the hale tree (or other species like teak, oak, ebony, redwood, rosewood, red cedar, pine, etc.), lac produced by the insect Technadria lacca and the leaves of the talegiri (Pandanus odoratissimus). Synthetic materials used are paints and pigments. Lithophone (compound of barium sulphate and zinc Sulphide) is used to give opaqueness to the lac.
Wooden furniture is the biggest component of the Indian furniture market, accounting for about 65% of the total furniture manufactured in India. Main clusters: Although, wooden furniture manufacturing activity is spread across India. Main centres are Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Surat, and Vadodara in Gujarat, Srinagar in J&K, Jalandhar in Punjab, Sikar in Rajasthan, Cooch Bihar in West Bengal, Bareilly and Ghaziabad in UP About 300,000 people are employed in the Indian furniture industry. Wood is the main raw material. Various types of woods are used with popular ones being Walnut, Sandalwood, Teak, Sheesham, Mango, Deodar, Ebony, Redwood, Rosewood, Red Cedar, and Sal. Teak account for 50% of the wooden furniture. Other materials used are adhesives, nails, and finishing materials such as stains, basecoats, glazers, and enamels. Tools used include hand saw, hand planer, sand paper, hammer, nails, hand drill, chisel, brush, etc. In Jodhpur64, manufacturing wooden furniture involves the following processes: Procurement Wood is procured in the form of planks of 4.5 inch width and 3-6 feet length
Stone carving is an ancient art, in which pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. India produces an exquisite range of artistic and decorative stone crafts. The industry evolved from stone carvings for temples and mosques to utility items like candle stands, incense stick holders, jewellery boxes, etc. Main clusters: Stone carving clusters are Agra, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Jaisalmer, Cuttack, Cuddapah, Bankura, Kanchipuram, Patna, Mysore, Rajkot, Gwalior, Puducherry, Mahanandi, etc.
Indian artisans are skilled in making cut, shaped, and polished beautiful objects from odd blocks of stone and marble. One of the Most attractive work of art that comes from various stones is stone inlay work. Marble inlay is one such exquisite art, which is integral part of the cultural heritage of India. Stone inlay can be broadly divided in three categories: Fine inlay â?? This type of inlay is supremely intricate and involves minimal use of machinery. The skill of the craftsmen is rightly put to test in such type of inlay. Medium inlay â?? This is a little bigger than the fine inlay and Hence can involve some use of machinery. The designs of this inlay are not very small and the pieces to be inlayed can be of bigger sizes. Monumental inlay â?? This is the largest type of inlay work and is not practiced in India currently Italy being the hub of this craft. Main clusters: Rajasthan is known for the inlay on table tops, flooring, and wall Decorative. In Jodhpur, inlay is done on yellow Jaisalmer stone. Agra is famous for Parachinar work which is a very minute and precise inlay work.
Filigree is an extremely ancient technique dating back to 4000 years ago. The silver filigree work in India encompasses various steps that are required to give the items a perfect grandeur. Silver filigree work is a style unique in itself. Filigree work is performed on silver and involves significant precision and technicality. The artefacts manufactured comprises alloy that contains over 90% of silver. With changing times, artists have been using new methods to compete in the market. Main clusters: Two major clusters of silver filigree in India are Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh and Cuttack in Orissa. The practice in Karimnagar is about two centuries old. However it is also practiced in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh
The metal crafts of India display intricate craftsmanship and fine art in shaping gold, silver, brass, copper into exquisite designed images, idols, jewellery, and utility items. Different categories of handicrafts that come under metal ware are brass metal ware of Moradabad, metal bidri work and bell metal in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and so on. India is the largest brassware producer in the world. Moradabad cluster alone reports ~INR2, 500 crore annual turnover of brassware. Main clusters: Major clusters of metal ware are Brassware: Moradabad, Murshidabad, Madurai, Salem, Cuttack and Haryana. Whereas, major centres of bell metal ware are Salem, Cuttack, Murshidabad, and Tiruchirappalli. Moradabad cluster has 850 export units and 25,000 metal craft industrial units, and is said to house ~29% of the metalwork- artisans in India73. Bell metal consists of copper, zinc, tin, iron and mercury. Acid. Basic tools required for making brassware include oven, lathe, hammer, tongs, pincers, files, scrapers, hand operated drill, chisel, vessels, crucible, wax, mallet, hand blower, buffing machine, etc
Bidriware is a metal handicraft that originated in Bidar, Karnataka. The term Bidriware originates from the township of Bidar, which is still the chief centre of the unique metal ware? It is a form of encrusted metal ware, where one metal is inlaid on to another. Bidri products include a diverse range of objects including hukka bases, bowls, boxes, candle stands, trays, jewellery and buttons. The craft contains complicated sequences of metal inlay on a zinc and tin alloy base. Bidri has its roots in the Persian technique of inlaying gold and silver on steel or copper. It travelled from Iran to Ajmer in Rajasthan in the 13th century AD, and from there to Bijapur and flourished during the reign of the Deccan Sultanate. Main clusters: The art is mainly practiced in Bidar in Karnataka and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. Apart from these, it is also practiced in Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
Jewellery making is considered as the most distinctive and highly artistic Craft in India. India has well-established capabilities for hand-made jewelry, both in traditional and modern designs. Currently, Indian imitation jewelry market is around INR 8,000 crore, which is expected to reach INR 15,000 crore by 201576. Main clusters: Major centres of handmade jewellery are Delhi, Moradabad, Sambhal, Jaipur, Kohima (Tribal), Nellore, Mysore, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, etc.
Pottery has been called the lyric of handicrafts because of its irresistible and universal appeal. There is a wide range of pottery and clay crafts in India. Some of the most popular forms of pottery include blue pottery, black and red pottery, roulette ware, and dull red & grey ware. The craft faces severe competition from industrial goods made up of aluminium and plastic. India has a rich tradition of clay crafts and pottery throughout the country. Asharikandi in Assam is the largest cluster in India, where terracotta and pottery craft is found. Other clusters are Bhadrawati, Bulandshahar, Nizamabad, Pune, Chandrapur, etc. Potters is the fourth largest amongst the artisanal groups in India. It is estimated that about 10 lakh people79 are involved in this craft. The main raw material for this craft is ordinary clay, derived from the beds of water bodies. One major challenge for the potters is the rapid depletion of suitable clay. Water, catechu, red-soil, cattle dung, firewood, sand paper, hay, wood, ash, bricks for the kiln etc. are other materials used in pottery
Most of India's musical instruments need to be made with precision using very specific materials for different parts of the instrument. Indian musical instruments have high level of structural design and complexities to derive the unique sound for making it rhythmic to extract Indian music. Some of the popular instruments are sitar, flute, shehnai, tabla, sarangi, and ghatam. Jodhpur, Ranchi, Tiruchirappalli, Vishakhapatnam, and Kolhapur are important centres for musical instruments craft. Materials used depend on the type of instrument; however, some basic materials used are wood, leather (sheep skin, buffalo skin, and goat skin), twine or cotton thread, brass, ivory and yarn
Indian Folk paintings are pictorial expressions of village painters which are marked by the subjects chosen from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Indian Puranas as well as daily events. There are several vibrant folk painting types in India in different stages. They are distinctively different. The styles are related to their folk mythology. Main clusters: The Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh is engaged in floor and wall painting. Warli is vivid expression of daily and social events of Warli tribe in Maharashtra. Rajasthan is famous for Phad painting done on cloth. Other types of paintings are Pithora painting in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, Madhubani painting of Bihar, Chitrakar painting of West Bengal, Patachitras in Orissa, and Kalamkari in Srikalahasti (Andhra Pradesh). Artisans involved: Raw material used: All the different types of folk painting mainly use mineral colours and Homemade canvases, if not drawn on walls and floors. Painting on walls and floors is done with help of white rice paste, ochre or yellow earth colours. Different sands are used to prepare the base for the paintings, geru, kali mitti, etc. Pithora art requires clay, and designs made from grains, herbs, spices, etc. The paintings may be made on canvas, paper and cloth surfaces.
Coir is a natural, eco-friendly, water proof and exceptionally tensile Fibre extracted from the nuts of coconut palms. It is found in abundance and is used for manufacturing a wide range of eco-friendly toys, mats, brushes, mattresses, wall hangings, key rings, pen stands and other Home decorative. Coir comes in 2 varieties: Brown and white. Brown coir (from ripe coconut) is less flexible but stronger and used in sacking, upholstery padding. White coir (from unripe coconut) is finer and weaker and used for making fishing nets, strings, and ropes. Main clusters: Craft is primarily produced in Orissa (Sakhigopal, Puri, Pipli, Bhubaneswar Batamangala and Kendrapara). It is also produced in Kerala (Ernakulam) Artisans involved: Theatre, Costumes & Puppet This craft involves making objects related to the festivals and for use in performing arts. Puppet is one of such crafts, which has a rich tradition in India. There are four types of puppets â?? glove, rod, shadow and string. They are differentiated based on the different ways of manipulation of puppets. These types have further varieties under them. Main clusters: Puppets from different parts of the country have their own identity. These are produced in several states including Odisha (Kundhei nach, Kathi Kandhe, Ravanachhaya), Karnataka (Gombeyatta, Togalu Gombe-atta), Andhra Pradesh (Tholu Bommalata), Tamil Nadu (Thol Bommalattam, Tolpavaikoothu), Rajasthan (Kathputli), Bihar (Yampuri) and Kerala (Tolpavakoothu, Pava-kathakali)
Traditionally, natural fibres have been used in all cultures for making utilitarian products. Different parts of the plant are used for preparing various handicrafts such as footwear, basketry, mats, chik, bags, lampshades, and boxes. Fibbers can be extracted from the bark (banana, jute, hemp, and ramie), stem (banana, palm, and bamboo), leaf (palm, screw pine, sisal, and agave), husk (coir), seeds (cotton), and grass (sikki, madhurkati, benakati, munj). Main clusters: Fiber is found in many states including Maharashtra (sisal), Kerala (palm leaf, korai grass), Tamil Nadu (palm leaf, korai grass), Assam (shitalpatti), Meghalaya (shitalpatti), Bihar (Sikki and Munj grass), etc. Major centres of this craft are Almora and Dehradun in Uttaranchal, Goa, Ernakulam in Kerala, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Midnapur in West Bengal, etc
Warli is a dazzling craftsmanship of India that traces all the way back to 2500-3000 years. This ancestral artistic expression has risen up out of the clans dwelling in the mountains and seaside areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The works of art are basic portrayals with mathematical shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. Warli Craftsmanship These shapes are gotten from nature, where the circle addresses the sun and moon while the triangle signifies trees and mountains. Palghar region in Maharashtra is where the fine art is as yet polished and is a wellspring of work for Warli craftsmen
Prevalently known as Kathputli, a type of manikin theater started in Rajasthan a while back. Kathputli comprises of two words Kath and Putli that means a doll made of wood. In any case, the wooden manikins additionally require fabric, cotton, and wires in their development and beautification. Puppetry These manikins are moved with the assistance of a string. Manikin theater is acted in fairs and celebrations and by and large portrays stories for instructive and mindfulness purposes. They make lovely trinkets from the areas of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Bikaner, Udaipur, and so on.
Cover winding around is one more famous workmanship of India. These hand-woven floor coverings are known for their complicated plans. Uttar Pradesh is the center point for the rug delivering industry in India. The city of Bhadohi houses 500 rug winding around enterprises, which makes it a main rug winding around center point in south Asia. Cover Winding around Srinagar, one of the most visited vacationer places in India creates the best quality silk covers that have assembled enormous notoriety all through the world.
Phulkari is a perplexing weaving method, yet the term is additionally utilized for cloaks and scarves weaved with Phulkari. The striking element of this handiwork is the utilization of lively varieties. Having a goliath mass allure, the handiwork is being reproduced in contemporary ways by the creators. Phulkari The spot to buy this impeccable piece of handiwork in India is Amritsar in Punjab where energetic culture is portrayed through the splendid shades of Phulkari strings
Dhokra craftsmanship is a one of a kind type of metal projecting rehearsed in Madhya Pradesh and portions of Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal. This workmanship is known for its straightforwardness and is fit for creating special things each time. Dhokra workmanship The workmanship is utilized to make things like adornments, ashtrays, pen stands, and candle stands
Pashmina wraps are produced using prevalent quality cashmere fleece. The whole course of making the wrap is completed physically and may try and require as long as 10 days. Pashmina Wraps This tremendously well known handiwork in India is delivered in the Kashmir valley and is the exemplification of experienced craftsmanship
Tarakasi is the carefully cut craftsmanship found in Cuttack and different pieces of Odisha. The specialty has acquired gigantic prominence and it is utilized predominantly to make adornments. Tarakasi Silver is beaten and changed into wires, these wires are then joined to shape delightful handiworks
