THE METAL CRAFT WORK IN INDIA
INDIAN ARTISANS KNEW THE ART OF METALWORKING SINCE 3000 B.C. THE BEAUTIFUL FIGURINE OF THE DANCING GIRL BELONGING TO THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION INDICATES THE HIGH LEVEL OF WORKMANCHIP ATTAINED BY ANCIENT CRAFTMEN. THE OTHER HIGH POINTS REACHED BY THE CRAFTMEN IN THE FIELD OF METALWORKING ARE BRONZE SCULPTURES BELONGING TO THE CHOLA RULERS AND THE IRON PILLAR ARE MEHRAULI, IN DELHI, WHICH WAS MADE DURING THE TIME OF KING ASHOK.
METAL CRAFT IN INDIA : IN INDIA CRAFTMEN USE DIFFERENT METALS LIKE IRON, COPPER, SILVER AND ALLOYS LIKE BRONZE, BELL METAL, WHITE METAL ETC. TO MAKE A VARIETY OF ITEMS SUCH AS POTS, PANS, UTENSILS, PHOTO FRAMES, SCULPTURE OF DEITIES, MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES AND ANIMALS ETC. ITEMS LIKE DOORKNOBS, TAPS, KEY CHAINS, BOXES ETC. ARE ALSO MADE, USING DIFFERENT METALS.
👀
GOLD & SILVERWARE : THE PRINCELY STATES OF INDIA DEMANDED NOT ONLY ENAMELLED JEWELLERY BUT ALSO ENAMELLED UTENSILS SUCH AS WINE-CUPS, FINGER BOWLS, PILL BOXES ETC., IN BOTH GOLD AND SILVER REPOUSSE, SOMETIMES STUDDED WITH JEWELS. THE CRAFTSPERSONS OF INDIA EXCEL IN THIS ART. WITH THE EVOLUTION OF NEW TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS, THEY ARE NOW BETTER EQUIPPED TO CATER TO MODERN TASTES.
BRASS & COPPERWARE : INDIA IS THE LARGEST BRASS AND COPPER MAKING REGION IN THE WORLD WITH THOUSANDS OF ESTABLISHMENTS SPREAD ALL OVER FOR ARTICLES MADE OUT OF ONE OR MORE PIECES OF METAL. THE COPPER OR BRASS SHEET IS FIRST MARKED OUT BY A PAIR OF COMPASS AND THE PIECE OR PIECES CUT OFF BY A SCISSOR CALLED KATARI. THE REQUIRED SHAPE IS MADE BY ALTERNATE HEATING AND HAMMERING, AND IS FINALLY TURNED ON THE LATHE. THE FINAL POLISH TO THE ARTICLE IS GIVEN ON THE LATHE ITSELF. MORADABAD IS FAMOUS FOR UTENSILS, BOTH UTILITY AND ORNAMENTAL, MADE OF WHITE METAL AND ELECTROPLATED BRASS AND COPPER. THE ENGRAVING IS EITHER SADA (PLAIN ) OR SIA KALAM. MODERN STREAMLINED ARTICLES OF SWEDISH DESIGN IN POLISHED BRASS OR BURNISHED COPPER ARE ALSO MADE HERE, SATISFYING AND DEMAND FOR MODERN ACCESSORIES AND SOPHISTICATED INTERIOR DECORATION. VARANASI, IN UTTAR PRADESH IS THE FIRST CITY IN INDIA FOR THE MULTITUDE OF ITS CASE AND SCULPTURED MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGES AND EMBLEMATA IN BRASS AND COPPER AS WELL AS HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS. IN RECENT YEARS MIRZAPUR HAS ALSO EMERGED AS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT BRASS INDUSTRIES OF UTTAR PRADESH. GOODS PRODUCED HAVE AN ALL INDIA MARKET, WITH A PORTION BEING EXPORTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES. SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING METALWHERE OF INDIA FOR DAILY AS WELL AS FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES ARE CRAFTED IN KASHMIR, BIHAR, WEST BENGAL, ASSAM, ORISSA. TAMIL NADU AND KERALA.
👀
METAL ORNAMENTATION : METAL ORNAMENTS HAVE BEEN A RAVE IN ALL AGES, AND TIMES. THE ATTRACTIVE CONSTRASTS IN COLOURS AND TEXTILES OF METAL HAS LED TO THE EVOLUTION OF MENTAL ORNAMENTATION THROUGH TECHNIQUES LIKE INLAY, OVERLAY, APPLIQUE, FIXING OF COLOURS ETC.
BIDRI : BIDRI, A FORM OF SURFACE ORNAMENTATION, TAKES ITS NAME FROM THE CITY OF BIDAR SITUATED NORTH-WEST OF HEDERABAD. THE WORK IS IN BLACK COLOUR WHICH NEVER FACES AND IS RELIEVED WITH SILVER AND GOLD INLAY.
IN LUCKNOW THE ART OF MANUFACTURING BIDARI IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED FROM THE TIME OF THE NAWABS OF AVADH. THE EMPEROR AT DELHI BESTOWED ON THEM THE DIGNITY OF THE FISH (MAHI MURATTIB) LUCKNOW BIDARI, THEREFORE, ABOUNDS IS FISH MOTIFS, FLORA & FAUNA AND VINE LEAF PATTERNS.
ENAMELLING : ENAMELLING IS THE ART OF COLOURING AND ORNAMENTING THE SURFACE OF THE METAL BY FUSING OVER IT VARIOUS MINERAL SUBSTANCES. THE BEAUTY OF THE ARTICLE DEPENDS ON THE SKILL AND RESOURCES OF THE WORKER AND THE EXCELLENCE OF THE MATERIALS EMPLOYED. THE RANGE OF COLOURS OBTAINED TO GOLD IS MUCH GREATER THAN THAT ON SILVER, COPPER AND BRASS. THREE FORMS OF ENAMELLING ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. THESE INCLUDE THE CLOISONNE OF JAPAN AND CHINA, THE CHAMLEVE PATTERN EXTENSIVELY PRACTISED IN LUCKNOW AND VARANASI. AND JAIPUR SPECIALISES IN ENAMELLED TRAYS AND TRINKET BOXES.
IDEAL PLACES TO SHOP : LUCKNOW, VARANASI, HYDERABAD, JAIPUR, BIHAR.
👀
THE VARIETY OF INDIAN ORNAMENTS
IN INDIA THERE ARE ORNAMENTS FOR ALMOST ALL PARTS OF HUMAN BODY. SOME OF THESE ARE WORN REGULARLY WHILE OTHERS ARE WORN AT SPECIFIC OCCASIONS, SOME ORNAMENTS ARE WOVEN FOR RITUAL AND CEREMONIAL PURPOSES. FOR THE RITUAL AND CEREMONIAL ORNAMENTS EVEN MATERIAL IS SPECIFIED. THE USE OF ORNAMENTS BY WOMEN IS UNIVERSAL BUT IN MANY COMMUNITIES MEN ALSO WEAR THEM. MEN WEAR THEM ALSO FOR RITUAL AND CEREMONIAL PURPOSES.
ORNAMENTS USED FOR THE HEAD ARE OF THREE TYPES. THE FIRST IS WHAT WAS CALLED TURBAN JEWELS. THESE WERE NOT IN COMMON USE AND WERE USED MAINLY BY ROYALTY AND CHIEFS IN THEIR TURBANS. THESE ARE CALLED JIGHA OR SARPATI. OTHERS TWO HEAD ORNAMENTS ARE USED BY WOMEN. OF THESE ONE IS FOR THE FOREHEAD (TIKA). THEY COME IN VARIOUS FORMS AND SHAPES. THE OTHER ONE IS FOR HAIR. THIS ALSO COMES IN VARIOUS SHAPES AND SIZES. IN SOME REGIONS THEY ARE WORN REGULARLY WHILE IN SOME OTHERS THE HEAD ORNAMENTS ARE WORN ONLY ON CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS LIKE MARRIAGE.
👀
ORNAMENTS OF EAR AND NECK ARE MOST COMMON. THE EAR ORNAMENTS ARE OF VARIOUS TYPES. THE MOST COMMON ARE SMALL TOPS AND THE DROPPING TYPES WITH SPECIAL BANDS OR STRINGS TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT. THESE ARE GENERALLY WORN IN EAR LOBES BUT WORN TOGETHER.
NOSE IS OTHER PART OF BODY WHICH IS POPULARLY USED FOR WEARING ORNAMENTS. SMALL NOSE STUDS AND A CIRCULAR BIG RING (NATH) ARE TWO COMMON TYPES. THE DIFFERENT REGION HAVE VARIATIONS IN SHAPES AND SIZES. THE LARGE RING TYPE ORNAMENT IS GERENALLY WORN ON THE OCCASION OF MARRIAGES AND OTHER CEREMONIES. IN MANY COMMUNITIES ONLY MARRIED WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED TO WEAR NOSE ORNAMENTS.
NECK IS ADORNED WITH A VARIETY OF ORNAMENTS. THE MOST COMMON ORNAMENT CALLED NECKLACE IS THE ONE THAT HANGS IN THE NECK THROUGH A GOLD COIN OR A THICK THREAD. ANOTHER VARIETY IS THE CHOCKER (GULUBAND) WHICH FITS TIGHTLY AROUND NECK. THE THIRD VARIETY IS THE PENDANT WHICH CAN BE IN ANY CHAIN, STRING OF BEADS OR PLAIN STRING. IN THE SOUTH THE NECKLACE WORN FOR MARRIAGE IS CALLED THALI. WEARING OF GOLD CHAIN WITHOUT ANY PENDANTIS ALSO QUITE POPULAR. THESE CHAINS ARE MADE IN VARIOUS DESIGNS. ONE SPECIFIC NECK ORNAMENT CALLED MANGALSUTRA IS WORN ONLY BY MARRIED WOMEN ALONG HINDUS. IT IS CONSIDERED AUSPICIOUS AND GREAT SIGNIFICANCE IS ATTACHED TO IT. IT IS MADE WITH BLACK GOLD BEADS.
ORNAMENTS FOR HANDS CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES - FINGERS, WRISTS AND LOWER ARMS AND UPPER ARMS. ARMLETS OR BAZUBAND ARE WORN IN THE UPPER ARM. THESE ARE MAINLY OF TWO TYPES, THE ONE THAT IS TIED WITH STRINGS AND THE OTHER WHICH FIT AROUND THE ARM WITH A LOCKING MECHANISM. THE ORNAMENTS FOR LOWER ARM ARE BRACELET, WRITSLETS AND BANGLES. THE FIRST TWO FIT TO THE ARM WHILE THE BANGLES ARE LOOSE. THE RINGS ALSO HAVE A LARGE VARIETY. THERE ARE SEPARATE RINGS FOR THUMB AND DIFFERENT FINGERS OF HAND. THESE ARE MADE AS SIMPLE CIRCULAR RINGS OR WITH FLORAL PATTERN ON TOP OR WITH STONES FIXED ON TOP. BESIDES ADORNING THE HAND THESE ARE WORN FOR THERAPEUTIC OR MAGICAL OR RITUALISTIC PURPOSES OF FOR WARDING OF EVIL INFLUENCES OF PLANETS. IN A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES THE RINGS ARE EXCHANGED BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN ON THE OCCASION OF MARRIAGE.
IN A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES A THICK WAIST ORNAMENT IS WORN. IS IS CALLED KARDHANI (KAMARDHANI). GENERALLY, MARRIED WOMEN WEAR IT. THE ORNAMENTS FOR THE LEG ARE OF TWO TYPES - THE ANKLEST AND TOR RINGS. ANKLETS COME IN VARIOUS SHAPES. SOME CLING TO THE ANKLES WHILE OTHERS ARE LOOSE LIKE BANGLES.
THERE IS A SPECIFIC TYPE CALLED PAYAL WHICH IS WORN AROUND ANKLES BY WOMEN AND MAKES A MUSICAL SOUND WHEN WOMEN MOVE AROUND. THE TOE RINGS ARE WOMEN IN THE FINGERS OF FEET. IN MOST OF THE COMMUNITIES THESE ARE TRADITIONALLY WORN BY MARRIED WOMEN ONLY.
👀👀👀
