Empowering Traditional Crafts – Vol. 1: Heritage, Identity and Material Traditions
Keywords:
Traditional Indian crafts, Cultural heritage preservation, Artisan livelihoods, Craft documentation, Sustainable development, Women's empowerment, Digital innovation in craft, Material and textile traditionsSynopsis
This Volume gathers nine chapters that document, in different registers, the living material culture of India's craft communities. The volume opens in the Thar Desert with the quilted gudris of the Kalbelia, a community whose association with snake-charming has long overshadowed a parallel tradition of pieced and embroidered textile, and closes in a university conservation studio with the careful stabilisation of a single Parsi ceremonial cap, the Vaatko — a deliberate span, from the open field to the museum bench, that frames the volume's central concern: how craft knowledge is documented, and by whom, before it is lost. Between these two poles sit case studies of considerable range. A review of traditional Indian garment construction recovers a shared technical vocabulary — gusset, gore, godet, sinjaf, magazi — that underlies pattern-making traditions across the subcontinent, largely undocumented in design curricula. The resist-dyed geometry of Ajrakh block printing in Kutch is traced from its Sindhi origins through post-earthquake revival to contemporary collaborations that test how far a centuries-old craft grammar can be extended without breaking. A practice-based study in Delhi turns pre-consumer textile waste into tasselled, unstitched garment forms, arguing that upcycling can be a method of construction in its own right rather than a compromise. The ritual masks of Chhau dance are documented stage by stage in a single Purulia workshop, alongside the economic precarity of the handful of families who still make them. In Kutch, the mud-and-mirror relief work known as Lippan Kaam is traced from bhunga wall to gallery panel, its motifs catalogued for what may be the first time in one place. A study from Nagaland turns to agricultural rather than decorative craft, examining jhum, terrace, and horticultural livelihood as their own form of inherited technical knowledge. A more theoretical chapter considers flow — the psychological state of absorbed attention — as the common thread linking Kalamkari, Kantha, and batik practice across otherwise unconnected regions and materials.
Chapters
-
Chapter 1. Contemporary Revitalization of Kalbelia Quilting Traditions: Documenting and Preserving the Craft of Gudri
-
Chapter 2. Review on Traditional Indian Garment Construction: It Is All About Details
-
Chapter 3. Sustaining Heritage through Innovation: The Ajrakh Craft in a Changing World
-
Chapter 4. Parivartan: Crafting Tassels to Re-invent Garment Making
-
Chapter 5. Crafting Stories of Tradition and Culture in India: A Case Study on Chhau Masks
-
Chapter 6. Lippan Kaam in Transition: Documenting, Preserving, and Innovating the Mud Mirror Craft of Kutch
-
Chapter 7. Livelihood Through Farming in Nagaland
-
Chapter 8. Harmony in the Hands: The Role of Flow as a Creative Force in Craft
-
Chapter 9. Documentation and Preservation of the Parsi Topi (Vaatko): A Study in Cultural Continuity and Craft Sustainability
References
Abdel-Kareem, O., & Alfaisal, R. (2010). Treatment, conservation and restoration of the Bedouin dyed textiles in the Museum of Jordanian Heritage. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 10(1), 25–36.
Abdel-Kareem, O., Zidan, Y., Lokma, N., & Al-Gaoudi, H. (2008). Conservation of a rare painted ancient Egyptian textile object from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. e-PRESERVATIONScience, 5.
Ahmed, H. (2013). Identification and conservation of a rare Islamic textile decorated with metallic yarns. Egyptian Journal of Archaeological and Restoration Studies, 3(1), 39–45.
Ajrakh. (n.d.). MAP Academy. https://mapacademy.io/article/ajrakh/
Ali, T. (2024, November 26). Scrap quilting in India. Memeraki. https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/scrap-quilting-in-india
Allwood, J., Laursen, S.-E., Malvido de Rodríguez, C., & Bocken, N. M. P. (2006). Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom. University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing.
Amin, E. A. E. (2018). Technical investigation and conservation of a tapestry textile from the Egyptian Textile Museum, Cairo. Scientific Culture, 4(3), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1409804
Ansari, M. N., & Abduraheem, K. (2021). A case study of documentation of paper manuscript: A conservation perspective. International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods, 9(3).
Barnard, N. (n.d.). Lipan kaam. Engrave. https://engrave.in/blog/lipan-kaam/
Barnes, L., & Bhui, J. (2017). Kind craft. WGSN.
Bhandhari, V. (2004). Costumes, textiles and jewellery of India: Traditions in Rajasthan. Prakash Books India.
Cama, S. (2017, November 10). Parsi embroidery: An intercultural amalgam. Parzor Foundation via Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/parsi-embroidery-an-intercultural-amalgam-parzor-foundation/ZwXRMekpHhTOKQ
Charida. (2024). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charida&oldid=1242139331
Chatterjee, D. (2019). Masks and costumes of Purulia Chhau. Asian Theatre Journal, 36, 221–238.
Chau mask making of West Bengal. (n.d.). Asia InCH — Encyclopedia of Intangible Cultural Heritage. https://asiainch.org/craft/chau-mask-making-of-west-bengal/
Chauhan, M. (2020). Who are the artisans: A case for their creative and cultural identities. In Proceedings of the Global Fashion Conference (pp. 301–323).
Chauhan, V., & Prajapati, K. (2019). Documentation of the traditional garments preserved in the Textile Art Museum, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara. International Journal of Applied Research, 5(1), 238–248.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
Culp, B. (1975). Sheers look all sewn up (Leaflet No. 1374). Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
Culp, B. (1979). Guidelines for quality clothing construction. Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
Dasgupta, R., Basu, M., Dhyani, S., Kumar, P., Hashimoto, S., & Mitra, B. K. (2022). Understanding jhum (shifting cultivation) farmers' place-attachment and ecocentric attitude: Towards a place-based approach for sustainable mountain agriculture in Nagaland, India. Land Degradation & Development, 33(18), 3761–3772.
Dasgupta, R., et al. (2023). Exploring indigenous and local knowledge and practices (ILKPs) in traditional jhum cultivation for localizing sustainable development goals (SDGs): A case study from Zunheboto district of Nagaland, India. Environmental Management, 72(1), 147–159.
Djordjević, D., et al. (2017). Textile protection through conservation and restoration. Zastita Materijala, 58(1). https://doi.org/10.5937/ZasMat1701094D
Dobson, J. (2004). Making kimono and Japanese clothes. Batsford.
Douglas, M. (2003). The world of goods: Towards an anthropology of consumption. Routledge.
Drew, D., & Yehounme, G. (2017, July). The apparel industry's environmental impact in 6 graphics. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/07/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics
Dua, S. (2014). Study of the tradition and evolution of ornamentation styles and motif vocabulary of the printed textiles from Gujarat [Doctoral dissertation, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda].
Dua, S. J. (2016). Ajrakh — A textile tradition in transition. In Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. University of Nebraska–Lincoln. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/955
Durham, B. (2016, April 28). Quilting in India. Tennessee Mountain Stories. https://tennesseemountainstories.com/blog/2016/4/21/quilting-in-india
Earley, B., & Politowicz, K. (2011). The ten cards. TED (Textiles Environment Design). http://www.textiletoolbox.com/media/uploads/resources-pdf/ted-the-ten-cards-english.pdf
Eckerson, N. S. (2012). Creating original garments using couture sewing methods [Master's thesis, Western Michigan University]. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/38
Ezadpanah, S., Davodiroknabadi, A., Zohoori, S., & Mobinipour, N. (2024). The place of time in the development of textile art. International Journal of Applied Arts Studies, 9(4), 153–167.
Finn, P. J. (2014). Quilts of India: Timeless textiles. Niyogi Books.
Fletcher, K. (2014). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Routledge.
Folk artists in dire straits. (2020, December 4). Telegraph Online. https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/coronavirus-lockdown-folk-artists-in-dire-straits/cid/1764401
Gill, P., & Mehere, S. (2015). Pockets in Indian garments: Historical perspective. Shrinkhala, 2, 5.
Godhadi — Upcycled quilts. (n.d.). Direct Create. https://www.directcreate.com/craft/godhadi-upcycled-quilts
Goswamy, N. (1992). Indian costumes in the collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles. Calico Museum of Textiles.
Guru, R., Saini, U., & Rani, J. (2023). To study on famous ancient traditional Indian costumes & textiles. Trends in Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology, 8(2), 953–960.
Gwilt, A. (2014). A practical guide to sustainable fashion. Fairchild Books.
Haoxuan, L. (2024). Preventive conservation strategies for museum textiles. Museum Studies Publishing.
Harby, E. A. (2018). Preservation and conservation strategies of historical textiles in excavation: A case study of Egyptian excavation. Trends in Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.31031/TTEFT.2018.03.000566
Hinnells, J. R. (2005). The Zoroastrian diaspora: Religion and migration. Oxford University Press.
Huotilainen, M., Rankanen, M., Groth, C., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., & Mäkelä, M. (2018). Why our brains love arts and crafts: Implications of creative practices on psychophysical well-being. FormAkademisk, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.1908
Hutson, J., et al. (2024). Digital methods in textile conservation. Conservation Science Press.
Istiaq, M., & Kibami, I. (2004). Land use pattern and sustainable agricultural development in Nagaland. In Resource conservation and food security: An Indian experience (Vol. 1, p. 337).
Jain, J. D. (2012). Handcrafted Indian textiles. Roli Books.
Jami, Y. Y., Sarkar, A., & Maiti, C. S. (2015). Evaluation of strawberry cultivars in the foothills of Nagaland. Journal of Crop and Weed, 11, 198–200.
Jaspal, N. (2014). Conservation of the Chola Sahib Ji. In J. Bridgland (Ed.), ICOM-CC 17th Triennial Conference preprints (Article 1804). International Council of Museums.
Jena, P. K. (2008, November). Globalization of Indian handicrafts: A human development approach. Orissa Review. https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2008/November-2008/engpdf/19-25.pdf
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan. (n.d.). UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kalbelia-folk-songs-and-dances-of-rajasthan-00340
Kalbelia quilting. (n.d.). Nilla Jaipur. https://www.nilajaipur.com/kalbelia-quilting
Karolia, A., & Buch, H. (2008). Ajrakh, the resist printed fabric of Gujarat. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge.
Khandelwal, G. (2013). Godharis of Maharashtra, Western India. Quiltmania Editions.
Khar, S. S., & Ayachit, S. M. (2013). Looking backwards to go forward — Use of traditional Indian pattern making to develop contemporary methods for global fashion. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 6(3), 181–189.
Kithan, L. N. (2014). Indigenous system of paddy cultivation in terrace and jhum fields among the Nagas of Nagaland. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 4(3), 1–4.
Kochar, P. (2016, December 5). The rare art of Mumbai's Parsis. Garland Magazine. https://garlandmag.com/article/the-rare-art-of-mumbais-parsis/
Kothari, A., & Bhatt, G. (2010). Crafts of Northeast India. Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Kothari, S. (1980). The use of masks in Indian dances and dance-dramas. The World of Music, 22(1), 89–106.
Kreifels, A. M., & Speece, J. (1972). Lining skirts and dresses (Circular EC72-428). University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension.
Kumar, M., Nayak, A., & Swain, P. K. (2024). Ritual, performance and spirituality: Revisiting the performative cultures of Chaitra Parva and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal. The Oriental Anthropologist, 24(2), 359–384.
Kumar, R., & Muscat, C. (1999). Costumes and textiles of royal India. Christie's Books.
Kuotsuo, R., Chatterjee, D., Deka, B. C., Kumar, R., Ao, M., & Vikramjeet, K. (2014). Shifting cultivation: An "organic-like" farming in Nagaland. Indian Journal of Hill Farming, 27(2), 23–28.
Landi, S. (1998). The textile conservator's manual. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Lei, C., & Liu, S. (2021). Thoughts on handicraft aesthetic philosophy opened by heart — The unity of "mind" and "hand" contains aesthetic thinking. Philosophy & Ideology Research, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.37420/j.pir.2021.002
Longkumer, B. I., & Giribabu, M. (2019). Production efficiency of wet rice and wet terrace cultivation in Nagaland: Some field-based evidences. Economic Affairs, 64(2), 351–360.
Lotha, B., & Jha, K. K. (2022). Imperatives of technology adoption among farmers growing horticultural crops in Wokha district of Nagaland. Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 22(5), 35–39.
MacArthur, E. (2017). Intro. Circular Design Guide. https://www.circulardesignguide.com/
Malhotra, R. (2004). Manak Hindi ke shuddh prayog. Rajkamal Prakashan.
Mansukhani, D. S. (2018). Languishing crafts in India: Issues and policies in a global context. 9(4). https://doi.org/10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00141.9
Mathur, P. (1994). Costumes of the rulers of Mewar. Abhinav Publications.
McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things. North Point Press.
Michael Backman Ltd. (n.d.). Gold Parsi (Parsee) portrait brooch set with fifty diamonds, & another portrait, 19th century. https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/object/gold-parsi-parsee-portrait-brooch-set-with-fifty-diamonds-another-portrait/
Mohibi, D. S., & Karolia, A. (2015). Ajrakh motifs: Islamic geometry and Mughal ornamentation in Kutch block printing [Full publication details not specified in the submitted manuscript].
Mubayi, Y. (n.d.). Policy gaps study on the crafts sector in India. AIACA. https://www.aiacaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Final-Policy-Gaps-Study.pdf
Mukherjee, R. (2015). Weaving lives: The art and craft of Indian handlooms. National Handloom Development Corporation.
Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). The concept of flow. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 89–105). Oxford University Press.
Nath, A. J., Brahma, B., Lal, R., & Das, A. K. (2016). Soil and jhum cultivation. In Encyclopedia of soil science (pp. 1–9).
Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world. Grand Central Publishing.
Norris, L. (2005). Cloth that lies: The secrets of recycling in India. In S. Küchler & D. Miller (Eds.), Clothing as material culture (pp. 85–105). Berg.
Ocvirk, O. G., et al. (2012). Art fundamentals: Theory and practice (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Parashar, S. (n.d.). The Kalbelia tribe. The Indigenous. https://www.theindegenous.org/post/the-kalbelia-tribe
Parsi products — Religious topis. (n.d.). Meher Collections. https://mehercollections.com/shop/parsi-products/religious/topis/
Pathak, C. (2022, August 5). Reviving the quilting craft of the Kalbelia community of snake charmers. Gaon Connection. https://www.gaonconnection.com/english/kalbelia-craft-art-quilting-embroidery-unesco-culture-tribal-rajasthan-pandemic-poverty-livelihood-income-snake-51116/
Pooniwalla, A. (2017, July 19). Parsi paghdis and phetas. Parsi Khabar. https://parsikhabar.net/fashion/parsi-paghdis-and-phetas/15726/
Portfolio. (n.d.). Shelly Jyoti. https://www.shellyjyoti.com/portfolio/
Press Information Bureau, Government of India. (2018). Scheme to upgrade skills of artisans. http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1527876
Purulia Chhau dancing tribal mask. (n.d.). GiTAGGED. https://www.gitagged.com/product/dancing-tribe-chhau-mask/
Ranjan, M. P., & Ranjan, A. (2007). Handmade in India. Mapin Publishing.
Ranwa, R. (2021). Impact of tourism on intangible cultural heritage: Case of Kalbeliyas from Rajasthan, India. 20(1–2), 20–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2021.1900208
Rathore, S. S., Karunakaran, K., & Prakash, B. (2010). Alder-based farming system: A traditional farming practice in Nagaland for amelioration of jhum land.
Rissanen, T., & McQuillan, H. (2016). Zero waste fashion design. Bloomsbury.
Robertson, M. (1998). Snake charmers: The Jogi Nath Kalbelias of Rajasthan — An ethnography of Indian non-pastoral nomads. Illustrated Book Publishers.
Ronald, E. (2007). Ajrakh, patterns & borders. Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing (AMHP Publications).
Rualthankhuma, C., & Sarkar, N. C. (2011). Effect of different organic sources on the productivity of upland terraced rice (Oryza sativa L.) under organic farming in Nagaland. International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management, 2(4), 386–389.
Sarkar, D. (2021). The potential for sustainable organic farming in Nagaland: A case study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, 31(2), 266–280.
Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman. Yale University Press.
Senotsu, M., & Kinny, A. (2016). Shifting cultivation in Nagaland: Prospects and challenges. ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, 24, 122–124.
Seven exciting labels championing gender-bending clothing. (n.d.). Vogue India. https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/7-exciting-labels-championing-gender-bending-clothing
Shaeffer, C. B. (1993). Couture sewing techniques. The Taunton Press.
Shankar, P., & Roy, R. (2017). Traditional textiles in India. Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Shikh, H. K. G. (2021). Revival of languishing traditional textile crafts of Ahmedabad district [Doctoral dissertation]. http://hdl.handle.net/10603/433283
Singh, N., & Lahane, P. D. (2011). A study on headgear and costumes of Chhau dance. Asian Journal of Home Science, 6(1), 64–68.
Singh, T. M., & Sharma, A. (2021). Implication of indigenous farming practices on the employment and income pattern for the selected horticultural crops of Nagaland and Manipur states of India. Plant Archives, 21(2).
Tabassum, W., & Patel, A. (2019). Conservation documentation of the textile horse blanket of Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum, Ladakh. Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, 7, 546–558.
Thakur, K. (1982). Madhubani painting. Shubhi Publications.
The art of Chhau mask and costumes, Purulia, West Bengal. (2020, December 22). Design Research. https://spaindustrialdesign.wordpress.com/2020/12/22/the-art-of-chhau-mask-and-costumes-puruliawest-bengal/
Tucker, J. (2015). Parsis in India: History and cultural heritage. Oxford University Press.
Väänänen, N., & Pöllänen, S. (2020). Conceptualizing sustainable craft: Concept analysis of literature. Design Journal, 23(2), 263–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2020.1718276
van Koten, H. (n.d.). The role of crafts in the transition to a sustainable culture. Making Futures, 1, 228.
Vardarajan, L. (1983). Traditions of textile printing in Kutch: Ajrakh and related techniques. The New Order Book Co.
Vero, Y., & Lasuh, E. (2020). Potential of horticultural farming and livelihood sustainability: A case study of plum farming at Enhulumi village of Phek district, Nagaland. Dimapur Government College Journal, 2(1).
Vraj Bhoomi. (n.d.). https://vrajbhoomi.in/
WBDOTAdmin. (2020, August 10). The "mask" with a difference — Chhau mask makers of Charida. Bengal Beckons. https://wbtourismdotblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/10/the-mask-with-a-difference-chhau-mask-makers-of-charida/
