Handmade in India

CLAY RELIEF WORK
BHUNGA,THE CIRCULAR
huts prevalent throughout
Kachchh,are made of clay
alone or bamboo chips
plastered with lipan,a mixture
of clay and dung,and have
wood based thatched roofs.
The lipan on the
walls,partitions,doorways,lintels,niche,and the floors of
the bhunga sport elaborate bas relief decorations that
consist of okli-textures created by the impressions of
fingers and palms-and sculptedd forms that are inlaid
with mirrors.These patterns are usually made by the
women of the house while the men perform the task of
diggingd the clay and carrying it from its source to the
worksite or storage hut.After the preparation of the
surface and of the lipan mixture ,bamboo sticks are
cut,bent and tied to create an infrastructure that once
plastered with a thick bonding mixture serves as a long
lasting foundation.Then strips and pinches of finer
tectured clay are sculpted into intricately detailed floral
and geometric shapes that may be inlaid with small
circles of mirror to create an overall effect similar to that
seen in the local embroideries.
Inset The clay relief is
moulded with the thumb
and index finger;the
sculpting process begins
at the centre of the pattern
and is usually marked
with a circular motif
ornamented with an
embedded mirror.
1. Detail of a clay
relief work studded
with mirrors.
2. A clay relief
worked window.
3. The sanjiro,clay
worked storage
units with doors,are
used to hold the
family valuables.
Production Clusters
Kachchh district:
Ludiya, Gorewali,
Banni, Baniari
Products
Kothola-large storage
granaries
Sanjiro-large store for
valuables and clothes
kothi-cylindrical grain
storage
Dhadablo-seat for
babies
Utroni-clay stand
Chula-portable hearth
Paniyara-clay
platforms
Pedlo-platforms on
which the storage bins
are placed
Decoration on :
Walls,Alcovers,Plinths
Shelves,Windows
Tools
Brushes made from
branches of the baval
tree
PAINTED TERRACOTTA
DESPITE POSSESSING A continuous visual identity that
may be traced to the pottery of the various sites of Indus
Valley Civilizatin in the region,the tradition of hand painted
terracotta is practiced today by only a few artisans in
Kachchh and Surendranagar.Locally available clay is
thrown on the wheel to create pots of various sizes and
shapes while an extensive array of toys are created from the
same material through the technique of hand moulding.The
ornamentation of these forms is then executed by the
womenfolk of the potter communities.A dark terracotta
coloured slip of watered down geru,red clay,is applied as a
base coat;bamboo stick brushes are then utilized to create
dramatic patterns in black and white clay based
colours.Althoughd the end product is deceptively simple,the
craft process requires extreme dexterity and skill as the
artisan is required to manipulate the pot with one hand
while painting it with the other.
The patterns are generally based on either geometric forms
or stylized motifs that represent
humans,birds,animals,plants and flowers.The shape of the
vessel and the design painted is determined by the
community for whom the pot is intended.
Production Cluster
Bhuj
Lodai village
Khavda
Products
Maatio-water pots
Gallo-money boxes
Pots
1. Painted water pot
from Hodko.
2. Painted terracotta
ware.
A craftswoman selling an assortment of terracotta products
in Bhuj.