I thought a bit of historical context of some of the crafts being practiced in Kutch would help those who are a bit curious about Kutch and crafts. Will begin with the weavers, since that is what i have begun my new work in Kutch. Here goes!
CRAFTS OF KUTCH - 1
Weaves
Migrated from Marward in Rajasthan 600 years back , the weavers of Kutch form the Meghwar community in the region. Traditionally coming from the Marwarda & Maheswari community , in the last 40 to 50 years, while the Maheswaris went on to mainstream jobs , the marwarda weavers continue to practice their traditional skills.
These families associated with the various communities of Kutch – the Ahirs , the Rajputs and the Rabaris. The relationship that the weavers had with the communities went deeper than just suppling fabrics. They intermingled with these communities and participated closely in their religious, social and family functions.
Traditionally these weavers wove using the home spun yarn that the rabaris provided. The rabaris are a normadic community whose main occupation was herding sheep and goats. The weavers then wove the fabric and returned it to the rabaris. Each weaver was linked to a group of rabari families and they ensured that the entire production of the weavers would be taken up.
Wild onions were used to starch woolen yarn. These were available between October and November after the monsoons or in June / July when there is dew in the air. The weavers collected these themselves boiled / kept overnight , mash into jelly and starch the warp yarns early morning. Even today the more discriminate weavers use this when weaving wool.
After the 1960’s with the advent of cheaper mill made fabrics and also the access to synthetics which was more durable and maintenance free, local markets dwindled. They had to start looking for markets outside the district. In the 60’s a group of four enterprising weavers came together to look at opportunities outside Kutch at the national markets. Now over 1100 families of active weavers spread over 250 villages’ eek their livelihood through weaving. Selling is done through participation in national exhibitions, cater to tourists from overseas and in the winter months sell woolen and now acrylic shawls to the local community.
Motifs are community specific – working on rustic pit looms, the intricate designs emerge when the weaver hand picks the warp to weave in the weft , keeping the patterns in memory , constantly envisages the final look. A craft that involves intensity of thought, and nimble fingers, sometimes the artisan is not able to weave more than an inch a day!
A take off on the traditional Kutchhi woven shawls have become very popular today in the North & Western parts of India, where urban customers look forward to buying these shawls to keep them warm and cheerful with the bright colours of Kutch.
Among the dyeing weaves are the Kharad weaving done on collapsible, normadic looms – out of 10 families, seven families have shifted to other livelihood options. Mushroo weaving is almost become extinct with local families switching over to synthetic, mill made textiles.
Weaves
Migrated from Marward in Rajasthan 600 years back , the weavers of Kutch form the Meghwar community in the region. Traditionally coming from the Marwarda & Maheswari community , in the last 40 to 50 years, while the Maheswaris went on to mainstream jobs , the marwarda weavers continue to practice their traditional skills.
These families associated with the various communities of Kutch – the Ahirs , the Rajputs and the Rabaris. The relationship that the weavers had with the communities went deeper than just suppling fabrics. They intermingled with these communities and participated closely in their religious, social and family functions.
Traditionally these weavers wove using the home spun yarn that the rabaris provided. The rabaris are a normadic community whose main occupation was herding sheep and goats. The weavers then wove the fabric and returned it to the rabaris. Each weaver was linked to a group of rabari families and they ensured that the entire production of the weavers would be taken up.
Wild onions were used to starch woolen yarn. These were available between October and November after the monsoons or in June / July when there is dew in the air. The weavers collected these themselves boiled / kept overnight , mash into jelly and starch the warp yarns early morning. Even today the more discriminate weavers use this when weaving wool.
After the 1960’s with the advent of cheaper mill made fabrics and also the access to synthetics which was more durable and maintenance free, local markets dwindled. They had to start looking for markets outside the district. In the 60’s a group of four enterprising weavers came together to look at opportunities outside Kutch at the national markets. Now over 1100 families of active weavers spread over 250 villages’ eek their livelihood through weaving. Selling is done through participation in national exhibitions, cater to tourists from overseas and in the winter months sell woolen and now acrylic shawls to the local community.
Motifs are community specific – working on rustic pit looms, the intricate designs emerge when the weaver hand picks the warp to weave in the weft , keeping the patterns in memory , constantly envisages the final look. A craft that involves intensity of thought, and nimble fingers, sometimes the artisan is not able to weave more than an inch a day!
A take off on the traditional Kutchhi woven shawls have become very popular today in the North & Western parts of India, where urban customers look forward to buying these shawls to keep them warm and cheerful with the bright colours of Kutch.
Among the dyeing weaves are the Kharad weaving done on collapsible, normadic looms – out of 10 families, seven families have shifted to other livelihood options. Mushroo weaving is almost become extinct with local families switching over to synthetic, mill made textiles.
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