NEWSMAKERS, OPINIONS THAT MATTER, PLUS THE LATEST IN ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGNperspective

This handcrafted plaque was created by New Delhi-based interior and product

design firm Viya Home, headed by Vikram and Divya Goyal. The words

were hammered on the brass base using repousse and chasing techniques.

If manners maketh the man, crafts maketh his culture. Perhaps no country in the world is as blessed as India is with the diversity of its local, handmade heritage. takes a closer look at five crafts and how contemporary designers

are reinterpreting them to ensure the legacies imparted by master craftsmen live on

Writer Leena Desai

would like to thank

Jaya Jaitly, founder, Dastkari Haat Samiti • Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and honorary director, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum • Abha Narain Lambah, principal architect, ANL Associates • Isla Maria ‘Loulou’ Van Damme,

designer • Pradyumna Vyas, director, National Institute of Design • Aditi Ranjan, author Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts • Ritu Sethi, chairperson, Craft Revival Trust • Vinita Pittie, designer • Feroza Mody, owner and managing director, Contemporary Arts and Crafts • Laila Tyabji, founder, Dastkar • Ayush Kasliwal, founder,

AnanTaya AKFD • Ratna Krishnakumar, Gopi Shah, managing committee members, Paramparik Karigar

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INLAYThe time-honoured

tradition of embedding objects on a surface is

getting a lease of life

THE INNOVATORSA few brands and designers who incorporate traditional crafts into their work are contemporizing inlay and bringing it into the 21st century. Scarlet Splendour’s Vanilla Noir collection boasts of pure resin inlays, while their Nesso and Mandala collections sport a mix of brass and resin inlays. “We saw inlay as a craft from India that could be taken to a global level,” says Ashish Bajoria, co-founder of Scarlet Splendour. “We looked at various inlaying techniques and realized that, apart from curios, there was no demand for inlay work anymore. So we decided to take the same techniques of inlay, but use them in a completely contemporary way, making extremely luxurious furniture with it.” Architect and designer Rooshad Shro� ’s latest collection also explores inlay techniques. “Working with inlay was just a continuation of the work I’ve been doing for the last fi ve years,” he says. “We’ve taken white Makrana marble and inlaid it into black marble. It’s all monochromatic. I’m also doing a new range of bulbs, where we will do inlay on a curved surface. It’s taking the traditional know-how of inlay, but pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with the craft.”

Scarlet Splendour’s ‘The Kid’ bedside table, from their Vanilla

Noir collection, is inspired by bone-and-horn inlay work and is made with resin inlay and wood.

More than six centuries after it was built, the Taj

Mahal still enthrals. People run their hands over its marble walls and wonder at the impossibly detailed and intricate designs carved therein; smooth to the touch, it seems like the marble came naturally embellished. Pacchikari or pietra dura—the technique of inlaying semi-precious stones in marble—was the technique used to create the beautiful designs on the Taj. And as a craft, it is part of the long heritage of inlay work in India that involves embedding materials like horn, bone, metal, mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones into a surface. Traditional inlay work—like bone, resin and mother-of-pearl of Jodhpur; tarkashi (metal inlay in wood) of Jaipur; and marquetry of Surat—features a profusion of patterns, one of the reasons why inlaying isn’t seen in too many contemporary products where minimalism is de rigueur. “We constantly tell the inlay craftsmen we work with that people prefer a restrained aesthetic. But they continue to make objects with elaborate, busy designs,” says Ratna Krishnakumar of Mumbai-based crafts organization Paramparik Karigar. There are some brands, however, that are using techniques of inlaying in new and imaginative ways. C

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Master craftsmen• OMKAR DHAWAN: New Delhi-based Dhawan has won the Shilp Guru award for bone inlay. D-97, Phase 4, Opposite Shiv Mandir, Aya Nagar, New Delhi; 09312664264, 09213706833 • RAMSINGH KUMAVAT: Known for creating everything from tiny objects to entire chests of drawers, Kumavat is a tarkashi legend.Plot 171-A, Baraf Khana Road, Indira Colony, Bani Park, Jaipur; 0141-2282467, 09314104106• RAKESH PETHIGARA: The Pethigara family from Surat has been practising marquetry for generations.A1 Swaminarayan Chawl, Main Road, near Lal Darwaja, Rughnathpura, Surat; 0261-2442333, 09374542424

CARPETSInnovative new weaves o� er a contemporary

take on traditional kaleens, dhurries and razais

Bengaluru-based Ira Studio’s collection of ‘Tekku’ stools features crafted brass strips inlaid on cross-sections of teak planks.

A Warangal dhurrie made by master craftsman Srinivas Mitukula.

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The kind of ornamental carpets that constitute one of India’s most popular exports were not made in the

country till the time the Mughals brought the Persian carpet here around the 15th century. The classics, like the kaleen (knotted carpet), the gabba (embroidered rug), the namda (felted rugs) and the khabdan (pile carpets)—all from Kashmir—are the mainstay of India’s carpet industry and an invaluable part of its tangible heritage. India’s indigenous, homegrown fl oor coverings like dhurries and razais also continue to be made today. The panja dhurrie from Punjab (a type of dhurrie made with a metal beater), the Warangal dhurrie from Andhra Pradesh, the Navalgund dhurrie from Karnataka and the razais made locally in almost every state are not just popular, but have even seen a resurgence in recent times. A shortage of space and modern, often geometric, designs make the dhurrie ever popular.

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Where to buy• BONE INLAY, RESIN AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL: CAC (Mumbai), Essajees (Mumbai), Furnspace (furnspace.com), Scarlet Splendour (scarletsplendour.com)• TARKASHI: Gaatha (shop.gaatha.com), Curocarte (curocarte.com), Ira Studio (irastudio.net)• MARQUETRY: Mahendra Doshi (Mumbai); Moorthy’s (Mumbai)

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THE INNOVATORSFrom Ashiesh Shah to Tarun Tahiliani, many designers have contemporized and glamorized the humble dhurrie. Designer Rooshad Shro� combined technology and the labour-intensive techniques of hand-knotting and weaving to make his Tessellations collection for Cocoon Fine Rugs, Shah worked with goldsmiths from Rajasthan to make an intricate carpet with 92 per cent pure silver wires. Used to making small panels and tourist souvenirs, it was the fi rst time the craftsmen were working on a large piece for prominent use in a home. Designer, hotelier and stylist Isla Maria ‘Loulou’ Van Damme thinks being inventive is the only way to sustain Indian crafts. “India is one of the countries with the most crafts. But to sustain them, the main thing is to make the craftsmen work so that we do not lose them and the craft,” she says. She takes the example of Sumeet Nath. The managing partner of Panipat-based Raj Group, Nath runs a mammoth operation that makes carpets, dhurries, mats, pou� es and wall decor for brands like Ligne Roset, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Coach, Jonathan Adler, Muji and more. “Sumeet is doing amazing things with carpets. He is making traditional and modern carpets with very contemporary machinery and hand-weaving techniques. This, I fi nd, is the way forward. You need imagination and art; you need to be skilled to make beautiful things. He is an example of how you can do things well.”

Contemporary hand-knotted 100 per cent white wool dhurrie from Jaipur Rugs.

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Master craftsman• SRINIVAS MITUKULA: Andhra Pradesh-based Mitukula is an expert Warangal dhurrie weaver. His dhurries bear distinct geometric and tribal motifs.House No 11-22-691/92, Thilak Road, Kashibugga, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh; 09849475007, 09619849123

WHERE TO BUYJaipur Rugs (jaipurrugsco.com), Imperial Knots (imperialknots.com), Shyam Ahuja (Mumbai), Rugs and Beyond (New Delhi), Carpet Cellar (New Delhi), Cocoon Fine Rugs (Mumbai), Qaaleen (New Delhi), Obeetee (Noida)

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Ashiesh Shah commissioned a family of goldsmiths to make this carpet, which took four artisans four months working 10 hours daily to make. C

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perspectiveBASKETRY

There is a sculptural quality about modern

basketry which makes it more than simply storage

A craftswoman from Anegundi in Karnataka

makes banana-fi bre baskets for New Delhi-

based brand en Inde.

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I f one were to investigate the craft that’s most

ubiquitous in India, basketry and other products made with natural fi bre would probably top the list. Every region of the country makes its own unique products—whether mats or screens, stools or baskets—made from natural fi bre. “All basketry is adaptable beyond just baskets,” maintains Jaya Jaitly, founder of crafts institution Dastkari Haat Samiti. “I have a particular fascination for products made with natural fi bre because, as a material, it is so versatile. It can come in fabulous colours, shapes and sizes; and it’s very light.” It’s in the north—east where the true potential of basketry and natural fi bre can be seen. Entire houses made from natural fi bre, and variations of basketry—unlike any seen in other parts of India—are found here. Standout pieces include the nesting storage baskets, reed mats and coiled cane products of Assam; the bamzis (lidded boxes) and storage baskets of Arunachal Pradesh; the kophi (cane) baskets of Nagaland; the phingaruks (baskets with dome-shaped lids) of Manipur; the thuls (bamboo dowry baskets) of Mizoram; and the traditional bamboo baskets of Tripura. In the south, Tamil Nadu’s Pattamadai is famous for its korai (reed) mats that are likely to get their own geographical indication (GI) tag soon.C

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THE INNOVATORSContemporizing a craft like basketry is tricky, because unlike other Indian crafts, it is inherently minimal, simple and bears an innate elegance that scarcely needs updating. New Delhi-based en Inde’s in-house studio Maison works with female artisans from the Anegundi region in Karnataka to make baskets using the macramé technique to knot dried banana fi bres. “Containers used daily to store and transport objects and materials were the fi rst forms of functional art,” says Anupama Sukh Lalvani, founder of en Inde. “Fine craftsmanship was valued in the construction of these baskets and showed the intelligence of the creator. We try to celebrate the art of basketry as well as the humble pot (black Longpi pottery from the north-east of India). This is truly a measure of our earth.” An initiative to empower women from the region, en Inde’s collection is a designer interpretation of the traditional technique of basketry.WHERE TO BUY

• BASKETS AND NATURAL FIBRE PRODUCTS: CAC (Mumbai), Fabindia, en Inde (eninde.com)

En Inde’s storage baskets are made using the

macramé technique of knotting fi bre.

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METALWAREFrom the bidri work of Andhra Pradesh to the

brassware of Moradabad, India’s virtuoso craftsmen work wonders with metal

What porcelain is to China—a primary material for storage—

metal is to India. Like most Indian crafts, metalworking is a time-honoured tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. And although every Indian state practises it, there are clusters in the country that do it better than others. Both Kashmir and Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) are popular centres churning out copper and brassware, respectively, with distinct Mughal infl uences—fl oral arabesque designs on jugs, plates, paan boxes and tumblers. In Kashmir, copper and brass are used extensively by the Ladakhis to make prayer wheels, butter lamps and chang pots. Typically, metal is melted and sandcast, then beaten into the desired shape, the joints welded, and then polished using mud, tamarind and sandpaper and sometimes engraved with intricate designs. Andhra Pradesh’s famous bidri-ware—black copper or steel objects with silver- or gold-thread inlays—likely came to India in the 14th century, but is still popular. Manasa Prithvi of Ira Studio has a range of trays that are contemporary takes on the craft. “Birdri is an extremely unique craft with a GI tag due to its process, as it is popular only in parts of the Deccan region in India,” she says. “But today, bidri craftsmen largely make decorative objects such as vases and small boxes and there is very little relevance for the craft today. Like many crafts in India, bidri is also seeing a decline in patronage and the number of artisans taking up the craft is decreasing. For us, the craft is extremely unique in its process and striking in its aesthetic. Giving the craft a modern touch, whilst making it functional for today’s homes, was the intent behind our bidri collection.”

The bidri trays by Ira Studio are made using

traditional bidri process in which the base is

entirely cast out of zinc and embellished with

silver threads.

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THE INNOVATORSNew Delhi-based sculptor and designer Alex Davis works magic with metal. Davis deals primarily with stainless steel, brass, copper and bronze. “In all my collections, I work extensively with craft, but not in the classical sense,” he says. “I use craft because of the fl exibility it o� ers me, which machines don’t. It allows me to sculpt a one-o� piece with a few skilled craftsmen. We work together, and we mould and change things, which you can’t on a machine.” Tableware made of metal is gaining favour again. “Copper and bell metal are undergoing a revival,” says Feroza Mody of Mumbai store Contemporary Arts and Crafts. “People are realizing the health benefi ts of using utensils made from these metals.” Bell metal—known as kansa—is a copper alloy produced in many pockets of the country, like Sarthebari (Assam), Nayagarh (Madhya Pradesh), Ganjam (Odisha) and Mannar (Kerala). Good Earth’s latest collection features tableware exclusively made of bell metal. British designer Tom Dixon is known to get his lights made in Moradabad. Valay Gada of Cobalt has reimagined the traditional Indian sectional thali in gorgeous beaten copper and brass. Spandana Gopal of Tiipoi has an entire range of copper and brass storage jars, pourers, trays, trivets and bowls.

Other Kingdom’s solid-brass-and-copper ‘Hammertone’ trays feature a brushed

texture and contrasting industrial fi nish.

Padma Shri Brahmadeo Ram Pandit works on a ceramic pot at his workshop in Mumbai.

POTTERY

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The oldest craft known to man is also popular with a new generation of master ceramicists

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• SURAJ MAHARANA: Nayagarh-based Maharana crafts beautiful bell-metal tableware that’s retailed at Good Earth.C/o MC Patna, PO Kantilo, Nayagarh, Odisha; 09937312107, 0674-2542870

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

Usually made using terracotta, pottery, like objects derived from natural fi bre, is practised in almost

all regions of India. From the black clay pottery of Nizamabad—which gets its distinct hue when ingredients like mango tree bark and bamboo leaves carbonize when the clay is fi red—to the celebrated Longpi pottery of Manipur (which is also black, but gets its colour from powdered black serpentinite stone), pottery in India takes on myriad forms. It even extends into architecture, as seen in the clay houses of the Kutch region in Gujarat. Here, walls made from clay and bamboo chips and plastered with lipan (a mixture of clay and dung) are decorated with elaborate bas-relief made using just the thumb and index fi nger. The terracotta roof tiles of Bargarh in Odisha are a favourite of Jaitly’s. “The terracotta tiles of Bargarh have tiny terracotta fi gurines atop them,” she says. “These fi gurines—usually a monkey, mouse, lion, elephant or bird—have mythical allusions and are portrayed with vivid expressions, which almost bring them to life. It’s a fascinating architectural and decorative use of terracotta and whimsical at the same time.”

Where to buyTom Dixon (tomdixon.net), Tiipoi (tiipoi.com), Ira Studio (irastudio.net), Good Earth (goodearth.in), Cobalt (cobaltdesigns.in)

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perspectiveA small army of terracotta horses greets customers to Sanjay Garg’s Raw Mango outpost in Mumbai. Designer Ashiesh Shah designed the horses that resemble the famous terracotta horses of Ayyannar in Tamil Nadu.

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THE INNOVATORSThe versatility and durability of terracotta and clay have also made it a favourite with many young brands and designers. New Delhi-based graphic artist, illustrator and sculptor Aman Khanna, through his brand Claymen, designs extremely minimal, monochromatic tableware and sculptures. “I just love clay as a medium,” he says. “The fl exibility, forgiveness and freedom it allows cannot be compared to another medium. I am glad traditional crafts like pottery have sustained and are gaining due recognition with new design interventions. The right kind of sustainable design can rejuvenate and bring crafts back into the contemporary space.” Lalvani and co-founder of en Inde, Sonal Sood, are also contemporizing pottery. They have a range of tableware in unusual sizes made in New Delhi by Longpi artisans. Made using the same black serpentinite stone used for traditional Longpi, en Inde’s collection is a simple and chic interpretation of the old craft.

• BRAHMADEO RAM PANDIT: Mumbai-based Pandit is the winner of the Shilp Guru for pottery and has also been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the craft.Kalakar Nivas, Pandit Art Ceramic, Panchal Udyog Nagar, Goddev Phatak Road, Bhayander East; 022-28194811, 09892530062 • AS TAMREIPAM: New Delhi-based Manipuri artist Tamreipam is one of Longpi’s most noted practitioners.B–327, Vasant Kunj Enclave, New Delhi; 011-26123083, 09910027483, 09811421102

MASTER CRAFTSMEN

En Inde’s Longpi tableware made by Longpi artisans. Right: Brahmadeo Ram Pandit’s collection of ceramic pottery.

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Designer Aman Khanna’s collection of hand-moulded tableware explores the simplicity and

functionality of ceramics.

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WHERE TO BUY• LONGPI POTTERY: Curocarte (curocarte.com), Handikart (handikart.co.in), en Inde (eninde.com)BLACK POTTERY OF NIZAMABAD: Handikart (handikart.co.in)• CERAMIC: CAC (Mumbai), Claymen (New Delhi)• CLAY RELIEF PANELS: Engrave (engrave.in)