The Beauty of Indian Embroidery - Kathi embroidery of Gujarat

Vivid and vibrant would be an inadequate term to  describe  this lovely embroidery technique . Bold and colourful motifs blend with each other in harmony ,  complementing and decorating the  plain and simple abodes of the Kathi community of Gujarat. A hardworking and industrious community , the kathis are landowners. Having a natural inclination  towards art , these creative people churn out one of the most popular ( to the world ) and beautiful  Indian embroideries.

      Believing in beautifying their surroundings , the women toil lovingly over the threads and needle and embroider unique pieces of art like door panels , door hangings , seat covers ,baby  crib covers , canopies , and not to be forgotten even decorations for their domestic cattle like camels , cows , bullocks and carts, to personal clothes like the women`s skirtcommonly known as ghagra

    Taking inspiration from the surrounding ,the themes in  embroidery are based on everyday life. Hindu God Ganesha , Sun  ,  Radha Krishna , Hanuman are all depicted in their embroidery  . Popular   motifs like peacock , parrots , elephants , camels , flowering plants ,etc are used ,  and , sometimes women filling water , women churning butter , wedding processions , Raas lila , hunting scenes are used.

  The embroidery is done with Silk floss  called Heer ( untwisted and lustrous thread ) in bold colours. .  Purple , magenta , electric blue , parrot green , lemon yellow , golden yellow and  red. fill the large areas while white or black are sometimes used to add an outline in  motifs . Stitches used are predominantly herringbone - open as well as closed ,  Fishbone stitch occassionally used and open chain stitch for outline . Mirrors are sometimes added to enhance the look of the embroidery.  Most embroideries are done on a dark and thick handwoven cotton fabric and the bright color luster of heer threads makes the embroidery come alive .

 There are two predominant type of design formations in these embroideries - one where geometric patterns are used such as the eight pointed star and boxed panels are filled with the embroidery - or- the second style where the motifs are drawn free-hand and usually have flora and fauna with animal and human figures. The arrangement of all these motifs  is so well  , that it makes the embroidered article a masterpiece - an inspiration to embroidery enthusiasts and a collectors item to all art lovers .

     And here`s my project inspired by the art loving Kathi community that I have done on my dress  a few years ago .

 Hope you found this article interesting . Do write in you comments and keep dropping by to read the continuation of this article : Motifs in Kathi embroidery !

motidana.

   

Shimmer-n-shine Shisha necklace

 Here`s another necklace using the Shisha mirror as the focal from my Shimmering shisha collection here . The mirrorwork embroidery is slightly different from the previous one and the necklace too has different embellishments.

 Lusturous royal blue medallion is surrounded with faceted crystal and embellished with beads. The vintage brass flowers scattered around are enhancing the peacock feathers that I have added to give it a royal look. The  metal flowers are backed with silk fabric to keep the look distinct yet subtle . An antique finish chain , and a toggle clasp complete the necklace .

  Though the materials I have used do speak for themselves , I have added a fringe of antique chain and iridescent glass beads that shimmer and shine with movement .

       A perfect depiction of the beautiful Peacock ! Don`t you agree?

I have tried my best to capture the shimmering colors in these photos and hence the lusturous silk back ground . 

So what do you think of this one ? Don`t you agree that the Peacock is nature`s most unique inspiration?

(  My previous posts on  Peacock - nature`s most unique design  inspiration !  )
Part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

Peacock ! A designer`s eternal delight ! Part 4

   Knowing my penchant for the traditional motifs used in Indian designs , my mother gifted me with this beautiful pair of embroidered peacock applique motifs that she picked in a local crafts bazaar .

 Wow ! so beautiful ..... , and though I would love to create a piece of embroidery by maybe adding a few details, I shelved the project for another time.
   For now , in  continuation to the  previous posts on  Peacock - nature`s most unique design inspiration , I thought of sharing  a post on  the  different forms of this beautiful bird and it`s use in  Indian Jewellery .

  Indian Jewellery is different and unique to each region of India. Techniques of making it also vary  from hand chiseled , embossed, enameled , to filigree and stone setting. The variety of traditional motifs and designs used is limitless and Indian craftsmen excel in trying to produce unique designs ,when they handcraft these masterpieces.
Peacock , the most frequently used motif  is an ever favourite of Jewellers and  women alike and here are some jewellery  pieces that  have are made into jewellery  from  different regions of India.

                                              a beautiful silver set with peacocks from rajasthan

a closeup of the intricate detailing.

                                              minakari peacock pendant from Rajasthan

                                                     A pair of  jadau kadas from Rajasthan

                                  Tribal necklace with peacock pendant in silver from Gujarat.

            a vintage saree pin from Nathdwara in Rajasthan. Though the enamel has worn off , notice the beautiful shading in the enamel.

another peacock pin from Karimnagar , Andhra Pradesh. This place is known for its beautiful filigree craftsmanship in Silver

These lac filled peacock earrings from Rajasthan are made by fusing a thin layer of enamel on a base of lac. The intricate design is hand created and stones are set in the heated lac to create this type of delicate jewellery.It needs  very experienced hands to fuse such a fine layer of enamel

made using the same technique , these pieces can be strung into  five row collar or necklace.

               peacock hair accessory in pachikaam a technique where uncut stones are set in bezel technique.

another vintage hair accessory , this piece has a slightly embossed enamelling done . Wonder how they did that!  

       a vintage enamelled peacock key holder . The tiny bells tinkle softly when worn , tucked in the saree waistline.

a delicate ruby neckpiece with kundan peacock pair .

            my Mahalakshmi necklace ,with a  vintage sample of peacock motifs used for temple jewelry

                                                  a pair of tribal earrings in silver with onyx

Though there are still a few more  pieces in my collection that I would love to share with you , I`ll limit the post with these for now.
 Don`t you share my opinion that there is such a vast variety of the same motif  but in different forms in Indian Jewellery? Do drop in a line .


Signing off for now , but will be back with more !

Motidana.

my article

The Mahalakshmi Necklace.

At Indian weddings , there is always , without doubt , an ocean of ideas and inspiration for a keen observer. And what more do I want! Always the one to enjoy wearing  a  piece of  recreated and redesigned jewellery , I was full of  ideas to make something new when I attended a South Indian wedding . Drooling over the Kanjeevaram sarees , the traditional jewellery  , I could`nt wait to get back home and make something.

Mahalakshmi , the goddess of wealth.

  Rummaging through my jewellery box I found the perfect Temple Jewellery necklace that I wanted to redesign .

the necklace that I dis-assembled

Using ruby beads that I had , I made the necklace in square stitch .

Attaching the pieces to the finished necklace , I found a Mahalakshmi hair ornament to match the peacock pieces . And my necklace was ready .

 Looking at the assembled necklace I found that each of the peacocks are of a different pattern , and the hair ornament also doubles over as a pendant and can be worn seperately. But the backing of the pendant is silver and is filled with lac ( a type of resin ) to hold its shape .

Each peacock is designed slightly different from the other , beautiful artistry is`nt it ?

( Temple Jewellery , a traditional style of  South Indian jewellery , is handcrafted in the repousse technique of jewellery making. For an in depth article on this jewellery making technique visit this link )http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/repousse.htm

so what do you think of this necklace , Is the name Mahalakshmi ( The Goddess Of Wealth ) befitting this creation?

Looking forward to your comments

Motidana.

Peacock ! A designer`s eternal delight !

The most exotic Nature`s gift , Peacock , the national bird of India has been a source of design inspiration for art lovers , designers, craftsmen , and artists for centuries. The play of colour , the grace of the bird , the rhythm of movement and the proud dance of the peacock in the light drizzle of rain , has evoked many poets to write about it`s glory !
         For any Indian , the bird is synonymous with Lord Krishna proudly displaying a feather in his hair, playing the mellifluous flute. Mughal paintings, Rajasthani miniature paintings , Gond paintings, Kalamkari , or madhubani , all have different forms of  Peacock as a motif form. The Indian Textiles are also not far in using this Natures gift as a source of inspiration !

        When I was writing my previous post on the jewelry of Lord Krishna , I was struck with the idea to find out where all the peacock motif has been used in Indian crafts . I came up with the idea of trying to find out different motifs which are in my own collection, and beginning with textiles (a subject  of my most favourite interest ) this is what I came up with  !!!

Printed , Painted and woven Textiles from  India.

A prize possession , this vegetable dye ,block printed kalamkari vintage saree  from Masulipatnam (ANDHRA PRADESH ) is printed using Manjisht or the Indian madder which gives it the typical pomegranate red. The 8' gold border adds a beautiful highlight to the print.

Another beautiful block printed kalamkari dress material from Andhra Pradesh with a beautiful pair of peacocks.

   Not to be left far behind , the typical peacock motifs in the hand painted Kalamkari from Sri Kalahasti are a visionary delight ! Each stylized bird , unique from the other,is`nt it?

A beautiful saree with two pairs of peacocks in the pallu and skirt (shown below)

Taking inspiration from the traditional kalamkari , textile designers have replicated the age old style in this screen printed fabric. Though it is not a genuine kalamkari , I love it none -the -less , as it has a gorgeous look.

Whew ! Isnt that  a lot of motifs ?  Guess the WOVEN WONDERS  will have to wait till my next post !