BeadWork

Heritage    

       Bead work is another handicraft technique which is unique to Gujarat. The work or designs using the beads is accomplished by putting two or three beads together. Beadwork is used to make ornaments, keychains, hair accessories, pen holders etc. The best beadwork is done by the tribals. Different vibrant colours are used to make distinctive patterns and give dynamic texture to the beadwork. Gujarati households usually have door hangings(Toran) made using beadwork. 

       Gujarat is birthplace for quite a number of artistic handicrafts techniques. The art of putting beads together and making different patterns to enhance the looks and features of handbags, clothing, jewellery, hair accessories, home decor etc has made this Gujarati style even more unique in presenting Gujarat as a vibrant state to the world. These different patterns and unique style of presenting the beadwork  has shown the world the value that Gujarat holds for these traditional art work.

Cultural Use

       The beadworks arts is also used in many cultural activities such as use in religious gatherings, as a sign of good luck charm. Also the horse used by the groom for his wedding is sometimes decorated using beadworks. The beadworks art has its presence in the homes of almost all Gujarati families and it still continues to be part of one or the other customary practices in the households.

       Beaded embroidery on fabric is one of the most common form of decorating fabric. The bridal wear often contains rich beadwork. Distinctive and vibrant colours of beads gives magical liveliness to the fabric. This technique of using beads on fabric is popularly know in Gujarat as Moti bharat(bead embroidery).

       Bandhani and block print fabric are usually chosen to complement this beadwork arts.

Use in modern Era

       In this modern age, the art of beadwork has been taken to next level. Beadwork is being used to make exclusive state of art jewellery, such as necklace, pendant, earrings, bracelets etc. Other decorative items such as place mats, table mats, coasters etc are also being made using the beadwork art.

Bandhani - Ancient Indian Tie and Dye Technique

 

 
     Full of life and color, with tiny shapes/dots of square and circle, rectangles & triangles, textured with crease of fabric, Bandhani or Bandhej of Gujarat attracts attention of millions across the world. As the name suggests this tie-dyeing technique is derived from word Bandhana.

History

     History of Bandhani dates back to pre-historic times. It was believed that wearing bandhani sarees brings good fortune to the bride. It is the oldest tie and dye tradition being practiced till today. In the pre-historic times the colours were extracted from plants, flowers, barks, leaves etc. and were applied to fabric to give life and colour to the fabric. These colouring technique was later developed to give a permanent bonding between the fabric and colours. Herbs and plants like turmeric etc were crushed to powder and dissolved in water and this coloured water was then used to give permanent colour to the cotton material. This technique of ancient times is considered to have given birth to the art of dyeing. Southern disctrics of Gujarat such as Jamnagar, Kutch area are considered to be producing the best and richest bandhani fabrics. Most colours used in this tie and dye technique were natural during the olden times, with modernisation now less natural colours are used. Besides Gujarat bandhani form of arts and craft of Rajasthan is also quite famous. It is said that this form of art started mainly from Kutch area of Gujarat and due to proxmity of Rajasthan to that region of Gujarat it was also picked up by the locals of Rajasthan.

Process of Bandhani manufacturing

      The process of manufacturing the Bandhani fabric is very tedious and time consuming. Dyeing is accomplished using the tie-resist method as the patterns are made up of numerous dots and weaves. This dyeing technique is carried out by men and women alike. Men usually performs the dyeing while the women would do the tying. The process of Bandhani includes several stages such as Farma mamking, Transfering design to clothes, Baandhan or Bandhej(tying), colouring(dyeing), removing the bandhan, Drying. If there are more than one colour the Baandhan(tying) and colouring(dyeing) needs to be done again. Usually light colour dyeing is done first and dark colour dyeing is done afterwards.
       Farma is the design used for generating Bandhani patterns on the fabric. The design is first developed either by the craftsmen or the wholeseller. The design is then transferred to plastic sheet using pinholes. These pinholes are then used to transfer the design onto the fabric.

       Once the farma(design) is ready, the fabric is laid open and the plastic sheet with farma is laid onto the fabric.With the help of coloured powder or coloured water the design is then transferred from the farma to the fabric through the pinholes which were formed on the farma plastic sheet. Once the design is transferred to the fabric, it is then ready for the next step of Baandhan(tying).

       Baandhan(tying) or Bandhej is very fine and intricate work and it is usually done by ladies. There are two types of Bandhej namely bandhej for colouring and one for design. The bandhej for colour is done if base colouring of the fabric is needed. If the base colour is not needed then only the bandhej for design is done. Once the design is transferred on to the fabric, fabric is then passed onto the ladies to do the bandhej(tying). The ladies uses the thread and passes it loosly through the pattern formed by the farma. This thread is then pulled to form a knot. This knot will prevent that part of the fabric to be dyed or catch the colour thus maintiaining the base colour. Bandhej is the main part in manufacturing Bandhani fabric. Most of the fabric goes through two rounds of bandhej, one for colouring and one for design.

        Upon completion of bandhej, the fabric is ready for dyeing. If basic colouring is required, the fabric with colouring bandhej is soaked in coloured water for about 2 minutes and then fabric is dried and sent for bandhej again for the design. Once the design bandhej is completed, the fabric is then dyed for the design using other colour solutions. This process is repeated if there are more colours invovled.

      Once the dyeing is completed, fabric is sent for drying. The drying process can take from few hours to 2 days depending on the season. On a hot summer day drying could take 2-4 hrs while during the wet monsoon season it can take upto 2 days for drying.

       After the fabric is dried, the bandhej is opened up and the fabric is full of life and colour. These fabric are used for different purposes from Turban for men to different apparels for women. The women apparel ranges from traditional Indian clothes to the modern design such as skirts and tops of latest fashion. Bandhani fabric is now used along with other crafts such as zari and embroidary.

Crafts of India

     Crafts of India are diverse and rich in history. Each state of India reflects the influence they had from different empires. Crafts is embedded as culture and tradition within the rural communities of India. These variety of crafts are source of inspiration to represent unique India at different global events.
     The traditional handicrafts are made by skillful artisans using simple tools and hands in most of the cases, sometimes mixing creativity with the touch of the heritage and tradition. Artisans mainly prefer using indigenous materials while some artisans prefer using modern non-traditional materials.
      I will talk more about Gujarati Handicrafts in this series of my blogs. Gujarat is a state in the western part of India, rich in culture and heritage. The ancient civilization of  Indus Valley inhabited in this region. Besides being well known for textiles and diamond industries, Gujarat has also given India its "Father of Nation" Mahatma Gandhi and "Iron Man of India" Sardar Vallabbhai Patel.
      Textile productions methods of Gujarat are well known. Paint and other applicants are used to form patterns on fabrics used for dupattas, ghaghras(long skirts) etc. Block printing is one of the most popular method to form patterns on ghaghras. Bandhani is a unique craft of Gujarat, fabric is tied at different sections before dyeing to create patterns. Along with such traditional clothes, the Gujarati women also adorns accessories such as bangles made of ivory and plastic, Conch shell and bead ornaments painted with brighter colors and decorated with glitter have in recent years become an accessory in both domestic and international markets.
     There are quite a few diverse and unique crafts associated with Gujarat, they include the famous Needlework, Bandhani, Beadworks, Patola, Woodwork, Pottery to name a few. In my next posts I will list details of these different and unique crafts of Gujarat. Till then.....