The art of hand embroidery has been integral to households in all parts of world since ancient times. A technique used for decoration of apparel, home textiles, homewares as well to mend fabrics/apparel. The craft of hand embroidery can take many forms depending on the type of stitch used. An uniquely diverse nation India where a local proverb best describes the cultural diversity, kos kos pr paani badle, char kos pr vaani. A concept of harmony in diversity where this needlecraft can take many forms, as variations are adopted by communities within a span of few miles.
The rich diversity of India makes hand embroidery a part of people's life where not only stitch technique varies but motifs and their significance gets new meanings as well. Thread embroidery can range from zari/zardozi (using gold and silver threads) to aari, chikankari, phulkari, kantha, banjara to material work like gota-patti, rabari, mirrorwork, mukaish, patchwork, applique and many more.
Every technique of embroidery is unique in ways where the inspiration can come from nature, folklores, mythology, travels, and community. What sets them apart is the use color as well. Banjara (nomadic herders) embroideries made on bright backgrounds, rabari (jats of kutch) on darker and black backgrounds where these two nomadic tribes are native of same state however they differ in their cultural values so does the reflection in their art forms. Mirrorwork is also integral to these embroideries. These nomadic embroideries are an amalgamation of various stitches as the herders keep moving from place to place, they pick up certain stitches and improvised them into their craft like aari (chain stitch-originated from the word wood saw), kantha and satin.
Phulkari (phul-raised, kari-work) done with a mix of bright and subtle thread, using a loose satin stitch with less pressure to give a raised effect. Originated in Punjab region where weather is usually cool, it was made for making the woolen scarves and shawls look more richer and warmer. The raised effect allows for trapping of air which acts as insulator from cold weather. And the use of bright colors makes it full of fun and festivity, a trait of people of Punjab.
Zari/zardozi -a lakhnawi (from lucknow)-art form, originally utilizing a unique way of embroidering with gold and silver threads has always been associated with royals of the country. A labour intensive work which always required highest level of craftsmanship from drawing of the gold/silver threads with accuracy to utilizing it for bringing motifs alive on silk fabrics. The finesse of this artisanal work can be imagined from the weight of the garment made. An exquisite workmanship would result in fairly lighter garment with intricate embroideries.
Chikankari another lakhnawi (from lucknow) beauty is a tonal embroidery originally made on white voile/cambric base with white thread having geometrical and floral motifs. The beauty is in the intricacy and delightful delicate touch it leaves on its wearer. A summer must have in northern India this art work is done with an impeccable artisanship which results in the delicate details that are to behold.
A single running stitch embroidery, Kantha, is prominent across the country and majorly seen in eastern states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Kantha work can take a multitude of forms from simple running stitch to intricate filling, making patchwork and applique, or highlighting borders of other crafts. The most versatile of the artisanal works, it finds beauty with colored threads on white base however it takes varied forms as one moves from one state to another.
Mukaish/muqaish work is another luxury craft from Lucknow. A variation of baadla embroidery where tiny dots of flat wire are spangled across the fabric or motifs formed with same. Mostly done on light weight fabrics like georgettes and chiffons, this artisanal work enriches the surface like glistening stars.
Gotta-patti, a prominent hand work of Rajasthan finds its value in royal heritage. Painstakingly done this artisanal craft make use of metallic borders/fabrics hand sewn into various motifs (butta, butti) and hammered (peetan) with a wooden hammer to set onto fabric. Usually made on chiffons and georgette in bright colors, can also be seen on bandhani dyed fabrics. the subtle glistening of this work under the night sky of the desert brings out the exquisiteness of the meticulously crafted piece.
The master artisans of these needle crafts are mostly women in small communities where the art has been passed on from their mothers and grandmothers. The beauty of this artisanal work is in the details that are raw, skewed but generous, resulted from the hand movements of these artisans. For some the craft is their source of livelihood and others involve for the love of doing it. The aesthetics come alive with most important element of 'touch' where these crafts are cherished and passed on to generations. A complete wedding trousseau can be made by a banjara girl by the time she attains her marriage age, as all these hand needle-works are painstakingly time taking. The emotional connect these artisans have with their work is not merely limited to way of earning a livelihood but an attachment a mother feels when she does vidai (farewell on wedding day) of her daughter.