RAJASTHANI EMBROIDERY
Embroidery of Rajasthan brings new character and dimension to any article that it graces. It is an ancient craft, which has changed over time to reflect the prevailing social, material and sometimes even the political mood of the times. The needles on different cloths do the `embroidery` work. The women of Rajasthan are expert in this field and can make very attractive embroidery works on various clothes like in quilts, skirts (gharries), shawls, bed covers and in many more others.
The most particularly ornamented fabrics and articles found in
Rajasthan are often those for personal adornment. In Rajasthan, some
form of embroidery invariably embellishes the three garments worn by
women, the kanchli, ghaghra and odhni. Similarly men`s garments like the
angarkha, achkan and jama also display certain elements of embroidery.
It is also used to beautify the household items, like bedspreads, wall
hangings and animal trappings. Where embroidery is done for domestic
use, it is by custom a feminine occupation. Rajasthani Men,
traditionally, were involved in embroideries like zardozi and danka.
These crafts receive the patronage of royal families even today.
Embroidery of Rajasthan brings new character and dimension to any article that it graces. It is an ancient craft, which has changed over time to reflect the prevailing social, material and sometimes even the political mood of the times. The needles on different cloths do the `embroidery` work. The women are expert in this field and can make very attractive embroidery works on various clothes like in quilts, skirts (gharries), shawls, bed covers and in many more others.
Social threads of embroidery
As in many traditional societies, Rajasthani women lead somewhat restricted lives. With the exception of a few pastoral and tribal communities, their interactions are usually limited to the confines of their homes and villages. Embroidery, thus, becomes the expression of a woman`s artistic temperament. In fact, activities focused within the household have led to development of a variety of arts and crafts. Often leisure time activities, after the daily chores are done, around the home, in the fields and any other area that falls within their domain. It is then that the needles come out and ply busily until sundown.
Thus, embroidery of Rajasthan becomes the expression of girls, who usually never learn to read or write. These young artists begin their training at the early age of seven or eight, thus learning to create exquisite patterns on plain fabric. Initially working on simple designs, they gradually master their skills, acquiring the daintiness and refinement of accomplished needlewomen. They work as apprentices to their mothers and grandmothers, sisters and aunts, who pass on to them designs, patterns and a heritage that has evolved over the centuries. A wide variety of techniques are used in the embroidery of costumes and textiles. Some of the popular styles are, among others, metal embroidery, gota work, and sufbharat. Embroideries of rajasthan can be groped as Folk, Religious and court embroideries
Folk embroideries-
Also known as Bharat Kaan, means filling work. The main stitches employed in folk embroideries are:
Mochi Bharat
Mochi Bhara is a chain stitch prevalent in Barmer district .The
cobblers prepare leather footwear by chain stitch and expertise in
decorating these goods with embroideries which gradually evolved into
the textile decoration. Hand –spun and hand woven khaddar is the base
material for the articles. Coarser fabric is used for having ghagras and
cholies and finer and lighter variety for odhanies .The base colors
were blue, red and black. Green color is very rarely used as a base
.Embroidery is worked with either cotton or silk untwisted thread called
‘Pat’.
The needle used for Moch Bharat is Called Ari or Katharni, Which is very fine awl, having a small notch just above the point to form a hook. The main motifs come from bird, animal and, floral kingdoms
Raw material
The fabrics used for Bandhani are muslin, handloom, silk or voile (80/100 or 100/120 count preferably). Traditionally natural dyes were used but today chemical dyes are becoming very popular. Various synthetic fabrics are also highly in demand. Mostly synthetic thread is used for tying the fabric.
Popular dyes used in bandhani
Vat dyes: Vat dyes are an ancient class of dyes based on the original natural dye, indigo, which is now produced synthetically. Cotton, wool, as well as other fibers, can be dyed with vat dyes.
'Vat dyeing' means dyeing in a bucket or vat. It can be done whenever a solid, even shade, i.e., the same color over the entire garment, is wanted. It can be done using almost any dye, including fiber reactive dye, direct dye, acid dye, etc. The opposite of vat dyeing is direct dye application, for example, tie and dye.
Direct dyes: Also known as hot water dyes, direct dyes can be used with hot water and require no binding or exhausting agents. They are convenient but lack in color fastness and wash fastness. They are used on cotton, wool, silk and nylon. The colors of direct dyes are duller than those provided by reactive dyes. They can be found in powder form as well as in the form of a liquid concentrate. They do not require any form of 'fixing'. Napthol dyes: These are two sets of chemicals which, upon reaction, produce a third chemical, essentially colorful in nature. The fabric is dyed with one and later printed with the other. The chemical reaction produces a third color. However, the biggest drawback of this process is that there are just a few chemicals available which produce colors upon reaction.
Procion dyes: Procion fiber reactive dyes are specially formulated for cellulose fibers like cotton, linen and rayon. They also work well on silk. They are considered 'cold water'" dyes making them great for solar dyeing, tie and dye and batik. As for the auxiliary chemicals, all you need is salt and soda ash. Synthrapol is optional but very helpful for rinsing out excess dye. Procion fiber reactive dyes can also be used on protein fibers but different auxiliaries are needed and the dye bath must be simmered.
Heer Bharat is embroidery where design is filled with thread work. This filling is done either by button hole stitch or long and short (double satin) stitch. Heer Bhart Marwari community of Rajasthan traditionally engaged in Appliqué art. The work is similar to the path work of Kathiawar the ‘Katab’.For this mill made medium weight white cotton cloth forms the base on which Patches of various tints ,shades ,sizes and shapes are arranged in a pictorial pattern later trimmed, slip stitched ,whipped sometimes and finished with running stitch and button hole. Now commercialized the art has been prevalent in Jaipur Udaipur and Barmer district.
Embroidery of Rajasthan brings new character and dimension to any article that it graces. It is an ancient craft, which has changed over time to reflect the prevailing social, material and sometimes even the political mood of the times. The needles on different cloths do the `embroidery` work. The women of Rajasthan are expert in this field and can make very attractive embroidery works on various clothes like in quilts, skirts (gharries), shawls, bed covers and in many more others.
The most particularly ornamented fabrics and articles found in
Rajasthan are often those for personal adornment. In Rajasthan, some
form of embroidery invariably embellishes the three garments worn by
women, the kanchli, ghaghra and odhni. Similarly men`s garments like the
angarkha, achkan and jama also display certain elements of embroidery.
It is also used to beautify the household items, like bedspreads, wall
hangings and animal trappings. Where embroidery is done for domestic
use, it is by custom a feminine occupation. Rajasthani Men,
traditionally, were involved in embroideries like zardozi and danka.
These crafts receive the patronage of royal families even today. Embroidery of Rajasthan brings new character and dimension to any article that it graces. It is an ancient craft, which has changed over time to reflect the prevailing social, material and sometimes even the political mood of the times. The needles on different cloths do the `embroidery` work. The women are expert in this field and can make very attractive embroidery works on various clothes like in quilts, skirts (gharries), shawls, bed covers and in many more others.
Social threads of embroidery
As in many traditional societies, Rajasthani women lead somewhat restricted lives. With the exception of a few pastoral and tribal communities, their interactions are usually limited to the confines of their homes and villages. Embroidery, thus, becomes the expression of a woman`s artistic temperament. In fact, activities focused within the household have led to development of a variety of arts and crafts. Often leisure time activities, after the daily chores are done, around the home, in the fields and any other area that falls within their domain. It is then that the needles come out and ply busily until sundown.
Thus, embroidery of Rajasthan becomes the expression of girls, who usually never learn to read or write. These young artists begin their training at the early age of seven or eight, thus learning to create exquisite patterns on plain fabric. Initially working on simple designs, they gradually master their skills, acquiring the daintiness and refinement of accomplished needlewomen. They work as apprentices to their mothers and grandmothers, sisters and aunts, who pass on to them designs, patterns and a heritage that has evolved over the centuries. A wide variety of techniques are used in the embroidery of costumes and textiles. Some of the popular styles are, among others, metal embroidery, gota work, and sufbharat. Embroideries of rajasthan can be groped as Folk, Religious and court embroideries
Folk embroideries-
Also known as Bharat Kaan, means filling work. The main stitches employed in folk embroideries are: The needle used for Moch Bharat is Called Ari or Katharni, Which is very fine awl, having a small notch just above the point to form a hook. The main motifs come from bird, animal and, floral kingdoms
Raw material
The fabrics used for Bandhani are muslin, handloom, silk or voile (80/100 or 100/120 count preferably). Traditionally natural dyes were used but today chemical dyes are becoming very popular. Various synthetic fabrics are also highly in demand. Mostly synthetic thread is used for tying the fabric.
Popular dyes used in bandhani
Vat dyes: Vat dyes are an ancient class of dyes based on the original natural dye, indigo, which is now produced synthetically. Cotton, wool, as well as other fibers, can be dyed with vat dyes.
'Vat dyeing' means dyeing in a bucket or vat. It can be done whenever a solid, even shade, i.e., the same color over the entire garment, is wanted. It can be done using almost any dye, including fiber reactive dye, direct dye, acid dye, etc. The opposite of vat dyeing is direct dye application, for example, tie and dye.
Direct dyes: Also known as hot water dyes, direct dyes can be used with hot water and require no binding or exhausting agents. They are convenient but lack in color fastness and wash fastness. They are used on cotton, wool, silk and nylon. The colors of direct dyes are duller than those provided by reactive dyes. They can be found in powder form as well as in the form of a liquid concentrate. They do not require any form of 'fixing'. Napthol dyes: These are two sets of chemicals which, upon reaction, produce a third chemical, essentially colorful in nature. The fabric is dyed with one and later printed with the other. The chemical reaction produces a third color. However, the biggest drawback of this process is that there are just a few chemicals available which produce colors upon reaction.
Procion dyes: Procion fiber reactive dyes are specially formulated for cellulose fibers like cotton, linen and rayon. They also work well on silk. They are considered 'cold water'" dyes making them great for solar dyeing, tie and dye and batik. As for the auxiliary chemicals, all you need is salt and soda ash. Synthrapol is optional but very helpful for rinsing out excess dye. Procion fiber reactive dyes can also be used on protein fibers but different auxiliaries are needed and the dye bath must be simmered.
Heer Bharat is embroidery where design is filled with thread work. This filling is done either by button hole stitch or long and short (double satin) stitch. Heer Bhart Marwari community of Rajasthan traditionally engaged in Appliqué art. The work is similar to the path work of Kathiawar the ‘Katab’.For this mill made medium weight white cotton cloth forms the base on which Patches of various tints ,shades ,sizes and shapes are arranged in a pictorial pattern later trimmed, slip stitched ,whipped sometimes and finished with running stitch and button hole. Now commercialized the art has been prevalent in Jaipur Udaipur and Barmer district.
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