The Wonderful Artisan II: Through the lens of Shivashanker Narayan

After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions.
This is a continuation of a series called The Wonderful Artisan, a set of photographs contributed by Shivashankar Narayen in 1870 to the book – “People of India”.
You can see Part 1 here.

09 Women preparing cowdung cakes for fuel, Ahmadabad
Cow dung is collected and made into flat round ‘patties’ which are dried on walls and roofs and then sold as fuel and used extensively on cooking fires and for heating. It has many other uses, including fertiliser and as a flooring material when mixed with mud and water.

10 Gold and silver wire and thread drawers at work

11 A goldsmith’s shop, Bombay
This is one of a series of photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the 19th century, in order to gather information about the different racial groups on the sub-continent. Photograph of a group of goldsmiths (Sonars) seated round a low work table at Bombay in Maharashtra. John Forbes Watson writes: “The Sonar or gold and silversmith is an indispensable member of the Indian social condition of life; and he is to be found in every village, almost in every hamlet, as well as in all towns and cities.

12 Cloth stamper, Western India
Photograph of a cloth stamper seated at a low table on the verandah of a house in Western India. The craft of block printing cotton fabrics is particularly associated with Gujarat. The motifs include flowers, animals, people and abstract designs. The wooden blocks, carved with the design to be printed, have a handle on the back. They are made from woods that are light in weight, gurjun (Dipterocarpus Turbinatus-Gaert) or seasoned teak (Tectona Grandis-Linn); the former wears better when used as a block. Fabrics are still printed this way in India to this day.

13 Preparing sheepskins for tanning, Ahmadabad
A description in John Forbes Watson states, “The process of tanning consists in soaking the skins in lime water for some days to loosen the hair and surface of the skin; the hide is then scraped, and after washing is sewn up in the form of a sack, which is filled with babool bark (Acacia arabica); it is then exposed to a constant stream of water, which forces the astringent matter into the pores of the hide very rapidly; but to make the process still more rapid the hide is taken out, wrung, and refilled every four or five days. While still damp the skins are spread on the ground and rubbed on both sides with a wooden block or mallet furnished with a handle.”

14 Lacquer worker, Western India
The object to be lacquered is turned from hard wood, usually shisham [Dalbergia]or box. After being smoothed and cleaned it is again fixed in the turners’ frame (a kind of lathe worked by hand), and made to rotate. The sticks of lacquer colour (“batti”) consisting of a mixture of lac, resin, colouring matter, and, it is said, a certain proportion of sulphur and bees’-wax, are then applied to the rotating object; the heat produced by friction is sufficient to soften the lacquer composition, which attaches itself to the wood, producing however, a dull and streaky appearance. When sufficient colour has been applied, the surface of the article is skilfully rubbed with a piece of bamboo having a fine edge, by which the colour is evenly distributed, and a polish produced, which is finally completed with oiled rags.

15 Work-box makers, Bombay
The three box makers are shown with examples of their trade, including carved and inlaid boxes and an album cover. A certificate of honorable mention awarded to Framjee Heerjeebhoy at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 is placed in the centre of the photograph. This photograph was probably shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 where Framjee Heerjeebhoy sent many examples of his work. The work exhibited included ivory inlaid inkstands, portfolios, cribbage boards, pocket books and watch cases. He also sent carved sandalwood and ebony work as well as album covers and glove boxes adorned with Delhi pictures, pocket books, paper cutters and watch stands.

And finally an interesting photograph, taken around the same period by Photographer Michie and Company, showing carpet weavers from Karachi jail in Sindh.

Guess who just got a new logo?

The Wonderful Artisan I: Through the lens of Shivashanker Narayan

Old photographs are my favorite.
While researching for an exhibition, I recently stumbled upon a whole lot of photographs taken by the photographer Shivashankar Narayan, c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. He submitted these images to the book “People of India” published by the ASI in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.
They are available today at the British Library.
What a wealth of history!

I am sharing a few of them here, each one beautifully traces back the history of handwork and craft practices from western India.
They are worth our attention.
We have as much to learn from them today as we did before.

01 Worker preparing thread for sari weaving
This image showing a worker crouching beside a spinning wheel [charkha] and paying off thread to a reel at the right, is probably one of the series of views of cotton manufacture shown by Narayan at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873.

02 Sari weaving, Western India
This image shows the process of the manufacture of cotton fabrics shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. The weaver sits on the verandah of a house with his legs in a type of hole which contains the lower portion of the machinery which he works with a pedal at his feet. The combs are supported by ropes attached to beams in the roof. In his right hand the weaver holds the shuttle, which contains the thread which passes through the spaces created by the combs, forming the pattern. The principal comb is held in the left hand.

This type of handloom weaving is still practised here in Kachchh, view an article from the village of Bhujodi here.

03 Gold embroiderers
This image of embroiderers seated at sewing frames was probably an exhibition photograph. These craftsmen are working with thread which has been mixed with gold wire made from gold leaf and then melted onto silver bars and forced through small holes in a steel plate to form very fine gauge wires. The thread is used to embroider a wide range of garments; shawls, scarves, sari and turban borders, shoes, purses, tablecloths and many other items. It was held that metal threads from India were less likely to tarnish than similar products from other sources.

04 Gold and silver tape beater at work
The worker here is beating gold and silver wires (tinsel) into flattened tape on a low anvil with a small hammer. The work is carried out extremely quickly and without missing any sections of the wire drawn off the holding reel. The tapes are used as decoration on a wide range of garments and may be sewn onto or threaded through woven fabrics. It was held that metal threads from India were less likely to tarnish than similar products from other sources.

05 Silk design knotters
These silk workers are tying pieces of silk fabric into multiple pleats and knots before dyeing to produce intricate patterns. This process, which is known as ‘tie and dye’, may be repeated numerous times to produce multicoloured lines, spots and rings on the fabric. In India this traditional technique is known as Bandhani, from the Sanskrit word bandhana, which means ‘tying’, and is the origin of the word bandannah.

06 Dyers at work, Western India

07 Bhattia turban folders at work
This image is of a group of workers folding turbans on wooden model heads.

08  Bombay potters at work
This image, of two potters at work at their wheels, surrounded by their finished work was probably an exhibition print. The kumhar (potter) makes unglazed terracotta or earthenware pots for the storage of grain, spices or pickles, and for transporting and storing water. The potter also makes bricks and tiles for housing. Vessels for eating and drinking are usually made of metal or glass. However, small disposable drinking vessels, that are used once and then thrown away, are made of terracotta.

Ultimate Frisbee as a Weapon of Mass Collaboration

It has now been three months since we started a small team of Ultimate Frisbee at Bhuj in Kachchh, Gujarat with young people from the city between 13 to 19 years. Despite their unshakeable passion for Cricket, they were quickly captured by this game.

We are; Siddharth (a young architect from Mumbai and working in Bhuj for the past 2 years), Satish (an engineer who fled from the madness of IT companies in Mumbai to start a new life here), Matt (American, very attached to Kutch after a year of volunteering in a local NGO in Bhuj and is now back for a few months) and me (Jeremie).

I am not going to hide that one of the reasons for our motivation to make this project happen is the need to MOVE, so we can play a sport and get some physical exercise. However, this experience has gone far beyond the simple ” Sunday Afternoon Sports ” and turned into a true training ground for young people like us.

I don’t think I can make a better definition for you than wikipedia :
Ultimate is a team sport played with a flying disc. The objective of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or the in-goal area in rugby. Players may not run with the disc, and must keep a pivot while holding the disc.
Basically it is a mix of rugby (there goes the ball until it exceeds the line of opposing camps) and Basketball: no contact and no right to proceed with the frisbee in hand … Another important detail: there is no referee, it is “self-balance”!

Maybe you begin to understand the title of the article and the obligation to “really” play as a team since a player cannot do anything alone!
Young people with whom we play, as I said earlier, are fans of cricket. For those who do not know the rules of cricket I let you discover them here because this is not really the point of this article, but it is important to have an idea of ​​what it is to understand the “cooperative” nature of this game as compared to Ultimate Cricket that is based so much on individual performances.

During the first sessions, young people had no idea what it was like to play “together.” They spent their time yelling and trying to find someone responsible for errors.

At the first meeting they insisted that they be given a frisbee “to train” during the week.
The transition between the first and the second session was dramatic! They realized that the only way to score a point is to observe colleagues, to position depending on the game and other players, to involve everyone. And more importantly, they realized that if one of them had “technical” difficulties, it was their responsibility to help.

It is now almost three months we started this and frankly, it’s been fantastic! The kids really hung in there and are even insisting that we now play 3-4 times a week! It is not easy to keep pace!

Our next step: an “inter-city” match with teams from Mumbai and Ahmedabad. We will tell you soon!

Voices of the community Part II : The Badli Brothers

Aziz and Suleman Khatri are a terrific team. They are artists and brothers in the business of Bandhani, a craft that has remained in their family for nearly seven generations.
They live in a town called Badli in the district Nakatrana of Kutch.

“We need to give bandhani a modern look. People already own the old bandhani designs, they are sitting in their cupboards, so we need to do something different.” says Suleman.
The brothers have a zest for experimentation. Both graduates from the artisan design school in Kutch called Kalaraksha Vidyalaya, they have together set new standards in design and expression of this traditional art.

The family has also developed new ideas and color schemes for their products by working with designers from other Indian cities. While Aziz is the brain between the development of new concepts, designs and colours, Suleman handles product development and marketing.

“Artisans need help understanding their consumers, markets, colors, designs, and materials that sell,” says Aziz, “That is what the government and the NGOs can do. Many artisans do not know what sells and are not aware of market trends, so once they have this understanding, they can advance their craft.”

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From September 2012 to February 2013, a team of us have been travelling around Kachchh searching for stories of Bandhani artisans. We spoke to a small handful in each region to get a glimpse into their lives and histories. We found stories of hope, risk, creativity, determination and passion.

Voices of the community is a collection of all these creative people across Kachchh and what they have to say. Visit Bandhani : Ties, Dyes and Bumpy Rides for more.

Voices of the community Part I : “I want to keep on learning”

“Two thousand years! Can you Imagine?” says Dawood, “During all these years the art of making bandhani has changed and changed and changed and eventually with their own minds and their own discretion, people have brought down the quality of it!”.

Dawood is a tie and dye artisan. He learned this craft from his maternal grandfather when he was 7 years old. “As a boy, I liked working with dyes but I also developed an interest in fine tying work.” he says. He is from the little town of Mundra in Southern Kachchh, a once flourishing port famous for its salt and spices. A narrow alley lead us down to a quaint little house where he lives with his wife Sarabai.

After receiving his training in Jamnagar (Gujarat) early in his career, Dawood and Sarabhai returned to Kachchh and shared their knowledge with other artisans in the town. Dawood’s work has remained very true to his beginnings. He still works mainly with traditional designs.

“The best piece I made is the one for which I won the National Award. I have never made another piece like it. The tying work was all done by the women of our house, and they put their heart into their work. After it was complete, everybody unanimously agreed that we cannot sell this piece, we will keep it in the house.”

Dawood Khatri believes that it makes a difference when someone really puts their heart into their work. “I was able to come this far only because I was interested in it and wanted to keep learning. Even now, I want to keep on learning.”

From September 2012 to February 2013, a team of us have been travelling around Kachchh searching for stories of Bandhani artisans. We spoke to a small handful in each region to get a glimpse into their lives and histories. We found stories of hope, risk, creativity, determination and passion.

Voices of the community is a collection of all these creative people across Kachchh and what they have to say. Visit Bandhani : Ties, Dyes and Bumpy Rides for more.