kutch embroidery

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Report

Kutch Embroidery

Shachi Sheth

Foundation Programme. Batch 3



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Table of Content

Title Page Number

Introduction 2

About Kutch Embroidery 5

Different styles of Kutch Embroidery 6

I. Ahri Embroidery 6

II. Rabari Embroidery 6

III. Mochi Embroidery 7

IV. Soof Embroidery 7

V. Jat Embroidery 6

Conclusion 8

Bibliography 9

Appendices 10



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Introduction

³Art is the product of man's natural admiration for beauty awakened by what he sees, feels, and

experiences. Art can be seen in everything that man does, ranging from his everyday duties and

tasks to complex art forms and fields. Embroidery is the fascinating techniques to embellishclothes it involves the use of needles and thread. The earliest forms of embroidery that survived

the tests of time are to be found in ancient Egypt. Embroidery was originally done manually by

hand. It is basically done for decorative purposes by sewing various types of materials into a

layer of cloth or fabric to create patterns and designs that are usually a reflection of the beauty of

nature. It is a laborious threadwork, especially for starters since it requires not only the use of

fingers but creativity and imagination as well. There is a need to critically choose the type of

fabric or cloth, needles and threads to come up with a successfully embroidered product.´1

In India, Kashmir has a long tradition of embroidery introduced possibly during the reign

of Zain-ul-Abdin. The art of working raised designs in threads of silk, cotton, gold or silver upon

the surface of woven cloth with the help of a needle has been known here since very early time.From 16th century a professional style of courtly and trade embroideries emerged from Gujarat.

Intricate art of embroidery adds hue to the dusty deserts of Rann of Kutch. An indispensable

element of Gujarati culture, embroidery is an art of perfection and detail. Region from

Bhavnagar to Rajkot is well known for embroidery work. Artisans, mainly women, are wives of

herd¶s men, nomads and farmers working for an extra bite. Embroidery done in metal wires by

kalabattu or zari as it is popularly called is in a class by itself.

Kutch, a generous state of India, and the largest district of Gujarat. It is a drought-porn

area situated at the border of India and Pakistan. A great range of ethnic communities live in the

region, most maintaining traditional dress and crafts of many sorts, including weaving, dyeing,

printing, bandhani (tie-dye), embroidery, leather work, pottery, woodwork, and metalwork. This

district is famous for its heritage monuments and also its traditions and rituals. Kutch embroidery

was practised from the 16th and 17th

century in Patan, a little town in the state of Gujarat. It is

believed that this art was taught to the Mochi¶s by a Muslim who came from Sindh. The

embroideries of Sindh, Kutch and Kathiawar are very similar and almost identical. The

embroidery is very pictorial and original, the mirror work and interlacing stitch set it apart from

any other kind of embroidery. Some of the really famous embroidery styles are Mochi

embroider. It is a style of embroidery done by mainly Mochis2, they have developed the art of

embroidering with fine silk chain stitch using ari. Some of other famous embroideries are Banni

embroidery, Jat work, Rabari

3

embroidery. The aim of this report is to understand differenttypes of Kutch embroidery

1Text quoted from http://ezinearticles.com/?An-Introduction-To-Embroidery&id=251578 2Mochis are traditional cobblers, who work for the courts, merchants and landowning castes.

3Rabari is a tribe in Kutch, whose men or male members are mainly shepherds and herders.



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About Kutch Embroidery

Kutch is world renowned for its mirrored embroideries. Most of these were traditionally stitched

by village women, for themselves and their families, to create festivity, honour deities. While

embroideries contributed to the substantial economic exchange required for marriage andfulfilled other social obligations which required gifts, unlike most crafts, they were never

commercial products.

Embroidery also communicates self and status. Differences in style create and maintain

distinctions that identify community, sub-community, and social status within community. The

"mirror work" of Kutch is really a myriad of styles, which present a richly textured map of

regions and ethnic groups. Each style, a distinct combination of stitches, patterns and colours,

and rules for using them, was shaped by historical, socio-economic and cultural factors.

Traditional but never static, styles evolved over time, responding to prevailing trends. All these

embroidery styles belong to different tribe or community. Each style has a distinct combination

of stitches, patterns, colours and motifs. There are many different types of stitches that exist inthe Kutch embroidery. Some of the famous ones are chain stitch, buttonhole stitch, Rabari

tanka4; herringbone stitch, feather stitch and double feather stitch etc.

The kind of material that these Kutch embroiders used is mainly cotton, as it a natural

fibre which provides coolness to the body in the dry and hot regions of Kutch. Other materials

like silk, wool, fabric with tie and dye5 are also used. As mentioned earlier, colours play an

important role in India, hence it also has importance in embroidery. In the Kutch embroidery

colours such as yellow, purple, red, orange, brown, green on black cloth are mainly used. The

reason of choosing such colours is mainly because in Kutch area people believe that these

colours protect them from evils. There are many other reasons as to why these embroider chose

such colours.In the Kutch embroidery not only do colours have symbolism but also the patterns.

The motifs which are used in Kutch embroidery are mainly considered to bring fertility or

prosperity, or protection from evil spirits. Here many of the motifs relate to the Hindu beliefs.

Basically Kutch embroidery is mainly associated with symbolism in colours and patterns, where

each of the tribe doing this embroidery has different combinations of these colours and patterns.

These embroideries have also played a huge role in transforming the western clothing of India.

There are several different styles of Kutch embroidery which are discussed in detail as the report

progresses.

4Tanka is a Gujarati word for stitch5Tie and dye is a technique in which thread is tied to the cloth and then dipped in dye.



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Different styles of Kutch embroidery

Several different casts with their distinct styles of embroidery are habituated in the region of

Kutch. These casts pass on their skills from generations to generation, but still the style remains

unchanged. The color, range of stitches and distinct styles form the major visual part of thecaste¶s cultural identity.

Ahir Embroidery

The Ahirs, who migrated from Gokul Mathura settled mostly in Kutch and

Saurashtra. They are mostly engaged in agriculture. Women of the Ahir

community do needle work, when they get time from the work the house

and fields. This embroidery resembles Rabari stitches but only round

mirrors are used with geometrical and floral motifs. Their dresses are

embellished with embroidered articles. Kotay, Dhori, Sumraser, Habai,

Lodai, Dharempur, Padhar, Dhanette, Mamuara, Nagor, Cheperedi are

main centers of Ahir embroidery. They embroider in white, yellow, green, and red and

sometimes a little blue, mainly in cotton on red, orange, white, black, or green cotton or satin.

Motifs are mostly floral with accompanying parrots or peacocks, although human and animal

figures are represented with women dancing, churning butter or carrying water pots on their

heads.

Rabari Embroidery

Rabaris are mainly settled in postural Kutch. Rabari women are known

for their gorgeous and very impressive embroidery that is emblematic

of their nomadic life. Ornamentation in Kutch is done by using minute

close chain stitches whereas in the Mehasana district cross stitches

using "Abhla" are used. Their embroidery is similar to Saurashtra

style. The Rabaris liberal use of mirrors of various shapes triangular,

round square and almond shaped for example. The embroideries when

completed are given to the groom as dowry. The Rabaris are a

wandering group of people who are recognized for their extraordinary capacity for endurance

and adaptation in the arid areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan. They are also widely recognized for

their distinctive arts, particularly embroidery, mirrored mud sculpture and beadwork. However,

amongst all these, Rabari Embroidery stands apart boasting of a class of its own. In fact,Rabaris embroider an extensive range of garments, household decorations, bags and animal

trappings. The objects that these people embroider highlight significant events, rites and values

of their lives. Girls of Rabari community traditionally embroider skirts, veils, blouses, wall

hangings, purses, pillows and Kothalo-the dowry sacks.

Married women adorn children's clothing as well as cradle cloths. These embroideries



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usually reflect the primacy of children. Besides that, the mirrors which are embroidered also

guard their children against evil spirits that are believed to inhabit their world.

Some of these Rabari Embroidery emphasize particular customs. Elaborately embroidered

kothaliya, purses in which the bridegroom carries traditional gifts of supari and pan, symbolize

the significance of exchange in maintaining familial ties. Rabari Embroidery done on ludi veils

showcases the importance of laj, the conventional modesty that the women of Rabari community

observe.

The finest Rabari Embroidery with most intricate patterns is created by the needle of the

craftsmen of Mutwa and Jat communities. The Mutwas, staying in Banni, stand out in all styles

of embroidery. They work out the small mirrors with ease. Quality silk and fine handspun cotton

is used in white, golden yellow, blue, black and red to develop patterns and booties which are

interspersed with animal and bird motifs.

Rabari Embroidery Technique is even thankful to the ladies from Lohana community in

Banni. These expert women craft fantasy with silk thread that are thickly piled in golden yellow,

deep orange, bright black and dark red color. The beautiful bootis are inset with mirrors, with theuse of buttonhole stitch, chain stitch, etc.

Mochi Embroidery

The Gujarati embroidery tradition was maintained for

many years by the Mochi embroiderers of Kutch and

Saurashtra, who worked for the court and for the

merchant and land-owning castes. The Mochis were

traditionally cobblers and leather-workers by trade,

who developed the art of embroidering in fine silk

chain stitch, using the ari. This is a fine awl, whichhas a notch incised just above its point to form a hook,

and is akin to the European tambour hook. The thread

is held below the cloth to be embroidered and the

point of the ari is pushed through the fabric to pick up and pull through to the surface a loop of

thread. The point of the ari is then again inserted into the fabric through this loop and the process

is repeated, so that a continuous line of chain stitch is formed. The ari is an adaptation of the

cobblers¶ awl and the Mochis would appear to have developed their methods of ari-work

embroidery from the craft tradition in Sind of embroidering leather belts, shoes and bags.

Until recently, the ari was being used for domestic embroidery by the Lohanas of Banni

Kutch. The embroidered silk was imported from Europe or China, and the satin embroidered on

was again either imported or produced nearby, in Surat, Mandvi or Jamnagar.

The centre for Mochi embroidery was Bhuj, the capital of Kutch, but some Mochis

worked elsewhere in Kutch and others moved to Saurashtra to work for the Kathi landowners

there. The Mochis produced ari work for gaghra (skirt) pieces, chops (bodices), borders,

childrens caps, chaklas (embroidered squares) and torans (pennant doorway friezes). They also



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embroidered the devotional pichhavai hangings for temples, illustrating the Lord Krishna, as

manifested at Nathadwara, Rajasthan. The motifs usually embroidered were buttis (flowers

derived from Persian or Mughal sources) often with parakeets perched on them. These were

interspersed with figures of peacocks or putali (women), sometimes both.

Their embroidery was known as chinai work and they made either garment pieces or

shawls embroidered with fine floss silks, or saris, cholis (blouse), childrens dresses and borders,

precisely embroidered with tightly spun two-ply silk. Long narrow border strips with

interconnecting motifs of birds and flowers, predominantly in white against a colored silk

background, were a favorite of the rich Parsee community, and many examples of this work can

still be found in Bombay.

Soof

Soof embroidery is done by Sodha Rajput and Harijan women who

migrated from Pakistan during the 1971. Indo-Fak war and who settled

in Zura, Sumraser, Fragper and bordering villages of BanaskathaDistrict (Bhabhar). It is also called "Sodha Bharat". Embroidery is

done by using satin thread by inserting the needle from behind the

cloth and the design comes to the front side. The outlined regions are

filled with satin stitches. The designs are mainly geometric, with

preference given to the chevron texture which is locally referred to as

µleher¶ (wave). Stitching in the Soof Embroidery is done by inserting the needle from behind the

fabric, with the designs appearing on the front side. This embroidery is used for adorning

traditional clothes and decorative cloth items.

Jat Embrodiery of KutchJats have migrated from Baluchistan via Pakistan and settled in Kutch.

Chain and inverted chain stitches along with interlacing and button-

hole stitches are common in their embroidery. Mirrors of small

dimension are inset with great care. Only the front of "ABHA" or

"KANJAR uses embroidered designs with refined work. Embroidery is

closely related to their life. Clothes of orange, red, blue and yellow

color are used for this work. Mirrors are embroidered on the cloth in a

grid-like pattern. Covering of the space around the mirrors is done

using the chain stitch and creeper stitch.

The Jat community in the Banni region of this district uses the pattern of medallions on the

border of the clothes. They use red, white, yellow and golden colors in geometrical patterns.

Images of dolls, birds and animals are created in an embossed manner, using interlace of

buttonhole and chain stitch.



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Conclusion

In conclusion, Kutch has several distinct styles of embroidery. These styles and designs differ

from each other because their creators come from different regions around India and Pakistan.

Embroideries were initially done for personal use but now the creators sell the finished products.Fortunately, sophisticated urban markets have welcomed the concept of traditional crafts.

However, traditional work must adapt to the new clientele. In addition, since the market has

expanded, innovations must now be faster and less subtle. While enterprising, artisans do not

always have adequate information about the tastes of new markets. For a myriad of reasons

including social attitudes, they do not have access to the better markets. Commercialization in

this situation has induced a downward spiral of declining quality. In efforts to revive quality, it

has been recognized that new design is needed to make craft sustainable. But conventionally, this

has been perceived as a need for design intervention, in the form of trained designers giving new

designs to artisans. The implication is that designers have knowledge, while artisans have skills.

When design, or art, is separated from craft, or labour, the artisan is essentially reduced to alabourer, reinforcing the low social status of craft. Further, most commercialized craft aims for

quick, standardized and low cost replication. This emulates the factory model. The strength of

hand craft, the personal, handmade quality, is forgotten. The net result is that even when artisans

can earn a living by producing contemporary versions, most do not wish their children to be

artisans. Surely, design input is needed for new markets.



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Bibliography

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