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The Arts
& Crafts of Punjab
Art
is described as a creation or expression of something beautiful
especially in a visual form and Arts and Crafts as a
phrase means
decorative designs and handicrafts. In this field, also, Punjab has the
hoary and distinguished tradition which its people have maintained in
spite of vicissitudes of time.
 Take as simple a thing as mud for
example. Plastering the walls with mud and drawing ferns, plants,
several other fascinating motifs has been a way of life of the woman of
Punjab. They have also been making paper mache utencils for storing
house hold necessities in colourful designs for a long time past, out of
a paste made by mixing paper and various
kinds of earth. A few decades ago,
Sarcanda, a kind of tough; thick
elastic grass used to grow in plenty at places which have now come under
the plough. Out of this grass roofs of all sizes (which provided air
conditioning) were fashioned in circular shapes. After shaving, thin
straws of this grass were woven into beautiful carpets and curtains.
Another useful household contrivance called Chhaj in Punjabi was
manufactured out of sarcanda which is used for separating edible stuff
from .the grain. Screens, used as a parting between wheat and hay, for
instance, were also woven from this stuff. Baskets used for keeping
haber dasbery (pins, cotton, buttons, needles, threads) in different
shapes and colours and covers were contrived by young girls by using
shaved sarcanda and coloured cotton thread which were taken by them as a
part of dowry. In Punjabi these are called
katnees. One wedding song
goes like this.
Punjabi
(Tyari ho gayi patolaya
teri katni nu phul lag
gaye) Arrangement for you have been made O
beautiful
one-Katni has now blossomed forth.
The shavings of
sarcanda chicks and coloured cotton threads were also used to weave
Chiks,
Bohiey,
Pitarian, (useful household articles) and kind of chairs
called
Moorras. Brushes for white washing were also made by hands out of
munjhs. Although these crafts of Punjab are not yet completely
forgotten, yet they are moving fast towards fading out.
 Weaving
of Durries (cotton bed or floor spreads) in myriad motifes and designs
especially by young girls in the villages has been a long tradition in
Punjab. These are also woven in stripes, cheek boards, squares, motifs
of birds, animals and even plants as a part of dowry. Needle work of
Punjab is unique, it has beautiful names because of its associations
with beautiful aspects of life and the beautiful designs which the
dextrous fingers of Punjab's proverbially beautiful women create
have such
a wealth of forms and motifs that they defy enumeration. Some of these
are called
 Baghs, literally a garden,
Phulkaris, literally flower work,
rummals,
scarfs. The patterns of needle work done on the bed spreads,
chunnis, dupattas (these are head covers) and shirts and
Salvars, are
still different. Needle work on phulkaris is done on a deep coloured
cotton cloth with striking silk threads. The threads is pierced upwards
from underneath the cloth into free-hand motifs, while in the Baghs and
Rummals such cloth is worked on the top side only. These were
traditionally used for wear but now are exported as wall hangings and
sewn as jackets etc. Punjabi hands fans like the Japenese are
almost typical
and their
leaves are made in much the same way as phulkaris etc. are
made. The shoes made in different parts of Punjab out of self lured
leather have
 different traditions. Light shoes were considered the best
and to explain this aspect the cobblers used to say that even the
sparrows can fly with them. Earlier shoes which have come to be known as
Punjabi Juttis throughout the world were embroidered with gold and
silver wires all over in different patterns covering every parts of the
pair so that it looked as if it was made of solid gold and silver. Now
even when golden and silver threads are used to embroider these shoes,
the quality of these world famous shoes is still maintained.
The
wood work of Punjab has also been traditionally famous. Artistic beds
with comfortable, skillfully made, back rests fitted with mirrors and
carved colourful legs called
Pawas, low seats called
Peeras, Peerian
were made by carpenters in almost every village. Their skill has passed
into folk songs
(Raati rondi da
bhij gaya Ial
bhangoora) weeping last night my red Swing became
drenched. Furniture designed in Punjab and boxes, toys and decorative
pieces made out of wood are exported. In giving lacqueur finish to wood
crafts, in adorning it with coloured mirror and in engraving wood,
inlaying ivory (now white plastic only) the workmen of Punjab have been
renowned.
The onslaught of high technology is putting a premium
on the arts and crafts in the modern era and it will require special
efforts to preserve them for posterity.
Source
:
Punjab
govt.
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