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The
fine engravings on brass and bellmetal utensils, bronze
bangles and pots are important aspects of Orissan art.
Artefacts made of metal, particolarly brass, find pride of
place in the homes of Orissa. Beautiful lamps and lamp-stands
are used during the worship of deities. Rice-measuring bowls
made of brass are used in many homes. The artisans also make
elephants and horses from brass and decorate them with
intricate designs.
Containers
of brass for betel-chewers are designed both to be useful and
ornamental. There are household articles and utensils made out
of brass and bell metal and they are of different shapes and
sizes. The brassware of Orissa reveals the high workmanship of
the artisans and their flair for innovation.
These
products are cast in brass by lost - wax - process and display
an intriguing wirework finish. The wax- work is done with
great skill and meticulousness from wires of bees - wax. These
pieces with their antique look go well with interior decor.
The brass fish of Ganjam, with its elegantly decorative form
and intricate pattern, represents a marvel of craftsmanship in
sheet metal.
'Appliqué',
which is a French term, is a technique by which the decorative
effect is obtained by superposing patches of coloured fabrics
on a basic fabric, the edges of the patches being sewn in some
form of stitchery. It is distinct from what is known as patch
work in which small pieces of cut fabrics are usually joined
side by side to make a large piece of fabric or for repairing
a damaged fabric. Though the form is not unknown in other
parts of India, it is Orissa and specially in Pipli that the
craft has a living and active tradition continuing over
centuries.
Giant-sized
umbrellas of appliqué work are produced for use on festive
occasions. Also used as garden umbrellas in sprawling lawns,
they lend grace and colour to any gathering. Heart-shaped
fans, big and smau canopies and wall-hangings are also
prepared out of appliqué work.
The art form typically depended on four basic colours - red,
white, black and yellow to produce a striking effect. in
recent years, green too has been applied vigorously enlivening
the craft even more. Temples and other religious institutions
extensively patronized this art. in fact the basic inspiration
for the art form was mainly religious in nature.
Silverware
of Orissa is very widely known. Her Filigree works
particularly are unique examples of artistic excellence rarely
to be seen in any other part of India. Silver wires, extremely
delicate, are shaped into intricate designs. Forms of animals
and birds, articles of daily use like vermilion receptacles
are also made out of silver wires- Filigree ornaments,
especially brooches and earrings are very popular among Indian
women.
The
work is executied in delightgul folk designs, and form an
important part of a girls' trousseau in Orissa. Among other
beauties of this crafts are the bangles, necklaces and toys,
all of them distinctive and hence in great demand by the
cognoscenti.
Bamboo
boxes are lacquered in various colours and shades. Thse bamboo
boxes in graduated sizes are widely exported. The accompanying
illustrations reveal the sparkle of these boxes. Naturally
these boxes make for attractive presentation items on all
occasions.
Stone
carving is a very major handicraft of Orissa. As is evident
from the innumerable archaeological monuments, rock-cut
sculptures, caves and temples built for centuries and
embellished with most beautiful and intricately carved statue
and other adornments, the art of carving in stone had reached
in Orissa dizzy heights of excellence perfected through
centuries of disciplined efforts of generations of artisans.
The
progeny of these artisans who built the magnificent temples of
Parsurameswar, Mukteswar, Lingaraj, Puri and that wonder in
stone, the temple chariot of the Sun God at Konark, besides
the beautiful Stupas and monasteries of Lalitgiri Ratnagiri
and Udayagiri have kept alive the sculptural traditions of
their forefathers and their deft hands can and do chisel and
carve exact replicas of the original temple sculptures besides
producing a variety of other items.
These
stone images give a touch of distinction to modern décor that
little present embellishment can hope to surpass. They are
timeless reflection of glorious tradition, an unfinished story
in stone.
Horn
articles of Orissa are mystical and are blended with a superb
fashion design. Their lively appearance, dynamism and
animation vie with the real objects of nature - that spells
the names of Parlakhemundi and Cuttack.
There
are artisans in Orissa who are dexterous in providing articles
of daily use like combs, flower vases and pen-stands out of
the horn of cattle. The horn is polished smooth, and then
shaped into various Corms. Cranes, lobsters, scorpions and
birds made of horn are finished to a nicety. Their surface
throws off a dark somber sheen and the catch the attention of
all art-lovers.
The
horns, that are mostly from buffaloes and cows require a high
degree of skill and imagination in application. The artisans
who excel in this art have used the specific texture of this
material t mould all sorts of objects with a marvelous degree
of fluidity in movement.
Papier
Mache skill has been creatively practised by crafts persons
from all over Orissa. Paper, waste cloth and different kinds
of natural fibres are soaked and beaten into pulp, then mixed
with a variety of seeds and gums for strength and as
protection from termites. Special clays and bio-wastes are
added for body and reinforcement.
The
enitre process results in a medium so malleable that it
requirs little skill to be moulded into countless forms.
However, despite its versatility this craft has remained
neglected.
A
painter is a man for posterity. The painters of Orissa did not
confine their bourgeoning talents to common media of
expression. They diversified into patachitras on cloth and
illustrations for palm leaf manuscripts. The result is a rich
reservoir of art forms.
The folk paintings known as 'Pata chitras' (Canvas-picture)
make lovely wall hangings which hand once been a source of
education for the rural folk. The 'Patas' usually have
mythological themes - from Mahabharata, Ramayana and legends
concerning Radha - Krishna and Lord Jagannath. The canvas
prepared by an indigenous method produces a surface of
leathery quality on which the artist paints with earth and
stone colours.
Masks
and Toys of papier mache are made in Raghurajpur, Puri,
Jeypore (Koraput) and some other places. The masks are carved
out of light wood and painted in bright colours by artisans in
Puri, Khurda, Narasinghpur etc. These masks are used by folk
opera groups - who dramatise plays based on epics and puranas.
The
folk toys with detachable limbs - nodding tigers and elephants
or men and women with comic expressions, masks of popular
mythological characters make beautiful wall hangings.
The
ancient craft of palm leaf illustrations, though limited to a
few craftsmen, present delicate and thoughtful mythological
figures often joined together to depict stories from the
scriptures. Romantic figures drawn on small leaves now serve
as bookmarks and greeting cards.
Patta Paintings
Even
the most elementary level Orissan paintings have colour and
vibrancy that are exemplary.The tradition of wall painting is
as old as time in this ancient state.Pattachitras are painted
with bright colours and possess a charm peculiarly their own.
Their pictorial conceptions,unique painting technique and line
formations together with colour schemes make them a remarkably
original art form that is distinct from any other school of
painting either in India or abroad.Palm leaf paintings also
belong to this category of Orissa art where in traditional
patta paintings are done on palm leaves. Product
Catalogue
Dhokra
The
traditional dhokra work is a typical tribal craft in bronze
with its mesh like features giving it a distictive beauty.The
tribal families of Sadeibareni a village near Dhenkanal town
produces this unsusal craft.Metal craft reached perfection in
Orissa with a range os indigeneous designs being created by
its craftsmen , with craftsmen churning out numerous religious
and gift items.
Wooden
Painted Handicrafts
Wooden
paintings are basically pattachitras done on wooden structures
like door frames or window frames etc. and are custom built
items.Beautiful and creative these items decorate and enhance
of beauty of many household and corporate offices all over the
globe.
Wooden
Carvings
Wooden
carving is another important handicraft of orissa.Usually
light varieties of wood are preffered and vegetable and
mineral colours are used.The motifs include various stylised
animals and birds like horse, bull, elephant, lion, tiger,
peacock, nabagunjara etc. Samples of excellence of the wood
carvers of Orissa can be found in temple ceilings, carved
wooden beams and doors.Some temples noted for the
craftsmanship are Biranchinarayan temple in Buguda, Jagannath
temple in Dharakot etc.
Silk
and Cotton Handlooms
The
textiles of Orissa have an individuality of their own. Bold
and unusual paterns, vibrant yet subtle blend of colours,
unique tie and die effects and luxuriant texture characterizes
them.
The typical varieties of Orissa sarees are Khanduas, Saktapada,
taraballi and Bichitrapuri, to name a few, made both in cotton
and silk.
Not only sarees, the weavers of Orissa delved into different
and beautiful tie and die textiles, an intricate process of
dyeing the yarn in segments, to produce the designed pattern
on the loom while weaving. They have satisfied afficandos for
centuries men and women with the most exacting standards in
textiles.
Known as "Ikkat" each ingredient of this captivating
process, are all collected from within Orissa.
The patterns, which range from the ones mentioned by
Jyotisavara in the 14th century to the very latest in
Bichitrapuri motifs, have won acclaim from textile and design
specialists across the world.
Today, the proud descendants of those weavers present an
equally striking range in the widest possible variety of
material such as bed covers, table mats etc. You can ride with
the fashion and maintain that cool feeling in the wealth of
their fabrics.
Handlooms in Orissa today have ushered in exquisite fabrics,
breathtaking in their range. Yet they are durable and
economical. The mastery of the weavers has especially touched
sylvan heights in tassar silk. The tassar cooperatives produe
the finest quality yarn whose brilliance, glaze and texture is
testified to by their popularity.
The dedication to detail from silkworm cultivation to silk
weaving combine centuries of experience and modern known how,
to create silk ties, stoles, and superb sarees that harmonise
the delicate feel with a soothing blend of colours. Elegant
and attractive, exquisite - but comfortable.
Typical
of Orissa is a rich yellowish variety f grass reed "Kaincha"
generally growing in swampy areas and appropriately called -
Golden grass. Beautiful mats owe their origin to the rich
golden luster of this variety of grass.
The villagers, mostly womenfolk, make a variety of decorative
and utility articles of golden grass. The delicately textured
tablemats are woven with the skin of the reed and lend
distinction to any dining table. They are easy store and easy
to clean.
The durability and flexibility of thse grass products are some
of their special features. To lend that exclusive 'style' to
any modern décor, every where these finely woven pieces offer
and irresistible attraction - a quaint charm.
Terrakota
Terrakota
is an art form so universal in its scope, yet emblazoned with
the distinct imprint of the native soil. The art of kiln burnt
pottery ware, graceful and harmonious, provides the perfect
counterfoil to the amazing legacy of stone sculpture.
Terracotta
artifacts demand a very high degree of application and
motivation. The polish on the final figure conceals an
enormous volume of tireless toil and watchful attention.
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