Embroidery Crafts - Indian Handicrafts - Art and Culture Notes
Embroidery craft is an Indian handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Here we will discuss embroidery crafts which are an important part of Indian Handicrafts, that will be useful for UPSC IAS Exam preparation.
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Embroidery Craft
- The skill of creating elevated patterns using threads or wooden blocks is unique among textile crafts. This is known as embroidery, and it is done with the use of needles and gold, silver, silk, or cotton threads on cloth.
- In Pipli village in Odisha, embroidery techniques such as Applique and Pipli work are done.
- It's a sort of patchwork in which embroidered colorful cloth is stitched together to form a single piece.
- This method is used to create lovely lamps as well.
- Another well-known method is Phulkari, which literally translates as "flower-making."
- Darning technique is used in this method to produce colorful flower-like patterns on the textile. Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi produce it.
Applique Embroidery
- Furthermore, innovative techniques exist, such as Bagh from Punjab, which uses silk threads to embroider flower-like designs on green fabric.
- Other methods, such as the Gota (Rajasthan), use gold threads to embroider and make applique-like designs on the cloth.
- Zari’s craftsmanship is particularly well-known in Khandela and Jaipur. Karchobi (Rajasthan) is another Zari-related technique that involves sewing flat threads over cotton stuffing to produce a raised zari-like metallic thread design.
- Lucknow's culture and cloth-making method are defined by Chikankari or Chikan embroidery.
- Flowers and other attractive designs are made using white thread.
- Cotton, mulmul ka cotton, polyester, and voile are among the fabrics that can be used.
Chikankari Embroidery of Lucknow
- Kashmir is well-known for the fine craftsmanship of Kashida embroidery, which is commonly seen on the famous Cashmere Shawls.
Kashida Embroidery of Kashmir
- Banaras Brocade is known for its zari (embroidery) work on sarees in silver and gold. Floral themes are common, and silk sarees are commonly used. They take between two and eight weeks to make.
- The Chamba Rumals (handkerchiefs) of Himachal Pradesh, which show the influence of Chamba Pahari art, are exquisitely embroidered with themes from Krishna's stories in colors of green, yellow, and ochre.
| Other Relevant Links | |
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| Glassware | Tie and Dye |
| Silver Crafts | Clay and Pottery Work |
Famous Embroidery Works
| Embroidery | Produced Mainly in | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chikankari | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Created by first block printing designs on the cloth, then embroidering stitches following the pattern, and then washing the finished item to erase traces of the prints. |
| Kantha | West Bengal and Odisha | Kantha thread is often made from the used cloth's border threads and has a variety of designs. |
| Phulkari | Punjab | Embroidery of floral designs on light-colored cloth with contrasting brilliant colors. On the back of the material, the stitches are embroidered. |
| Bagh | Punjab | It's similar to phulkari, except it features embroidery throughout the entire fabric's surface. |
| Zardozi | Uttar Pradesh | Gold, silver, or copper wire is combined with silver or gold polish and silk strands. |
| Khashdkari | Jammu and Kashmir | Floral designs are incorporated into simple chain stitches. Figures of humans and animals are mostly absent. |
| Banni | Gujarat | The Lohana Community is behind it. Silk floss was used to embroider geometrical designs, which included the usage of glassworks. |
| Banjara | Lambada tribes of Andhra and Banjara tribes of Madhya Pradesh. | A mix of applique with mirrors and beadwork. |
| Khatwa Applique work (GI) | Bihar | Wall hangings, shamianas, saris, dupattas, pillow covers, and other items often have this appliqué and patchwork. |
| Lambani (GI) | Karnataka | Unique needlecraft did by women. |
| Sozni (or suzani) (GI) | Jammu and Kashmir | Dorukha is another name for this form of needlework. The designs are made in satin stitch and are identical on both sides, but the colors are different. |
| Sujni (GI) | Bihar | The foundation cloth is usually red or white in color. The primary motif's outline is accentuated with a thick chain stitch. |
| Aari | J&K and Gujarat | Floral designs are created in delicate, concentric rings of chain stitch using a long hooked needle called the crewel. |
| Mirror Work | Rajasthan and Gujarat | Stitched in between colorful needlework are little pieces of mirrors of all shapes and sizes. |
| Dharaniya | Gujarat | Embroidered wall hangings that may be found in houses. |
| Heer | Gujarat | Silk with bold geometric motifs. |
| Gota | Rajasthan | To create intricate designs, little pieces of gold zari ribbon are put to the cloth and the edges are sewed down. |
| Akshita | Bihar | Similar to Bagh. |
| Kasuti | Karnataka | Kasuti is a technique that includes counting each thread on the cloth using a single thread. The designs are sewn without knots on both sides of the material, giving it a uniform appearance. |
| Rabari | Gujarat | Gujarati Rabari tribe’s embroidered animal decorations. |
| Shamilami | Manipur | It incorporates both weaving and embroidery. |
| Phool Patti Ka Kaam | Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh | Floral petals and leaves are used as motifs in the needlework. |
| Mukesh | Uttar Pradesh | Twisting thin metallic threads to create patterns all over the fabric is what this technique entails. |
| Kharchobi | Rajasthan | Sewing flat threads on cotton padding resulted in raised zari metallic thread embroidery. |
| Pipli | Pipli Village, Odisha | Patchwork is a method of sewing together vividly coloured and patterned fabric pieces on a simple backdrop. |
| Gara | Gujarat | Parsis took this technique from China and introduced it to the world. Gara entails first creating a pattern on paper and then tracing it onto the saree. |
| Kimkhab | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh | Fabric is a rich brocade with silk and gold threads sewn into it. Kalabattu is the name for the gold thread. |
| Dongaria Scarf- Kapragonda | Odisha | The Dongaria Kondh women embroider a kapragonda scarf that they wear over a white sari with a crimson border. |
* GI- Geographical Indication
Conclusion
Embroidery can add color, texture, richness, and dimension to a design in terms of form and aesthetics. When worn on clothes, it can provide information about the wearer's wealth, social standing, ethnic identity, and religious beliefs.
FAQs
Question: What is Kantha stitch?
Answer:
Kantha is a centuries-old technique of sewing patchwork cloth from rags that originated in the Bengali area of the subcontinent - today's eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Orissa, as well as Bangladesh.
Question: Which embroidery is heavy and elaborate?
Answer:
Zardozi is a style of heavy, intricate metal embroidery done on a silk, satin, or velvet background.
Question: Why Kashmir embroidery is so fine and intricate?
Answer:
Nature is typically the source of inspiration for Kashmiri embroidery themes. Kashmiri shawls with embroidery are a must-have ethnic winter item. They have an extremely attractive appearance because to their unusual, detailed decorations. The most common material is wool, with pure Pashmina variations regarded the best.
MCQs
Question: Consider the following statements:
1) In Phulkari embroidery, the use of flower motifs is prominent.
2) In Kashidakari embroidery, human & animal figures are generally preferred.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 & 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) See the Explanation
Phulkari Embroidery (Punjab) - Embroidery of floral designs on light-colored cloth with contrasting brilliant colors. On the back of the material, the stitches are embroidered. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Khashdkari Embroidery (Jammu & Kashmir) - Floral designs are incorporated into simple chain stitches. Figures of humans and animals are mostly absent. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Question: This saree from Madhya Pradesh uses a mixture of cotton and silk yarn. They are famous for their reversible borders and can be worn either side. The name of the saree is:
(a) Chikankari
(b) Maheswari
(c) Jamdani
(d) Chanderi
Answer: (b) See the Explanation
The royal Maheswari sarees of Madhya Pradesh also use a mixture of cotton and silk yarns. They are embellished with golden zari work. They are famous for their reversible borders, which can be worn on either side.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
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