ARTS and CRAFTS
October 28, 2010
Phulkari from Punjab by Satinder Pal Singh
Drohar Handicraft Handloom Welfare Society
Gandhi Ground Samana Dist., Patiala, Punjab
Mobile: 92169 97756 / 98141 97756
(I do not take orders. Pl contact the artists directly.)
Worked by the peasant women of Pujab, Phulkari odhanis or shawls are
intricately woven into the cultural life of the high-spirited, hard
working people of the region. They form an important part of the bridal
dress, are given away as dowry and worn on all festive occasions. Even
in death, a married woman's bier is covered by finely worked Phulkari.
The base of the embroidery is hand spun, hand-woven khaddar, generally
in shades of red. The unique feature of the craft is that it involves
the use of only one stitch - the simple darn. The stitches are worked on
the wrong side of the cloth with silk thread called 'pat' in Punjabi,
to produce a smooth silken sheen on the surface. The predominant colours
of white, yellow, orange, red, green and magenta are arranged to give a
stunning kaleidoscope effect. All kinds of human and animal figures are
worked on rare "sanchi' Phulkaris, which are highly prized by
connoisseurs of art. In the more common Phulkaris, floral motifs and
geometric designs produce a rich mosaic-like impression.
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