Handmade in India

PIPILI APPLIQUE
Production Clusters
Puri district:
Pipili
Ganjam district:
Kanchana
Cuttack district:
Cuttack
Products
Trasa-banners
Chandua-canopies
Chhatti-umbrellas
Cover for shrines
Animal puppets
Wall hanging
Lantern
Parasols
Bags
Pouches
Cushion covers
CONCENTRATED IN PIPLI village of
Puri district,the applique work of Orissa
is district in style and
imagination.Banners,canopies,umbrellas
made in patchwork,and applique with
embroidery stitches,are related to
religious festivals processions and the
Jagannath cult.
Bold stylized forms of birds,lotus,elephant,lion,the sun and
moon,are appliqued on to a base cloth and outlined with
embroidery stitches.The central lotus motif is distinctive of Orissa
applique,constructed with concentric rows of traingles,tips of
which are filled with cotton,giving the petals an extra
dimension.The demand for traditional banners and canopies having
declined,the craftsmen have adapted their vocabulary for tourists
and pilgrims which has brought changes in designs,motifs and led
to the diversification of products.
Inset Detail of a
mouse appliqued on
to a base cloth with
chikana,chain
stitch,distinctive of
Pipili applique.
1. Contemporary
canopy with
rhombic forms
done in
patchwork,and
elephant
figures,circular
forms and
triangles
appliqued on.
2. Wall hanging
with the motif
of Jagannath
whose face has
been outlined
with chain
stitch.Rows of
traingles are
characteristics
of Pipili
appliquerepresenting
petals of a
lotus.Here the
triangles
decorate Lord
Jagannath`s
face.
3. The chhatti,a
contemporary
version of the
ceremonial
umbrella has
two cloth
covers,one on
the outside and
the other
inside
ornamented
with
patchwork and
applique.The
central mast
has a cover
made into a
cylindrical
form with leafshaped
edges.
Tools
Sewing machine
Scissors
Needle
Measure Tape
SHOLA PITH CRAFT
Production Cluster
Puri
Products
Ornamentation and
backdrop of idol
Sculptural objects
THE SOFT STEM of a wild-growing water plant,shola(Aeschymene
aspera),is used to craft statuettes and three-dimensional sculptures.The
objects,made from the pith,weigh little, contracting and expanding with
changes in temperature.since the 11th century,the craft has its tradition
in the Jagannath Temple,where the adornment of the idols and their
decorations are done with shola pith.The material is also used for
making ritual decorations and sculptures of Hindu deities.The most
common colours used by the craftsman are reddish-brown and
white.The products are made with intricacy and the ornamentation
requires skill and experience.The flexibility of the material allows great