Indian Handicraft – Heritage and Tradition

INDIA has always been a culturally rich country with diverse traditions. The credit for these two attributes goes to the influence various empires had over the country. Crafts in India are reflection of these traditions and heritage.

India crafts are always valued in and outside country. But with changing economy, political issues, unreliable cheaper imports and because of many more reasons craft sector in many regions of the country is struggling for survival. Many institutions, brands and designers are putting in their constant efforts to preserve Indian Handcrafts.

One such brand putting exhaustive efforts to restore Indian handicraft is StudioEnoy. It’s a confluence of master artisans and designers. Meritorious NIFT graduate Bhavya Gupta created this platform where his contemporary designs are synced with traditional, age old craft processes of master artisans. His modernistic designs provide better sustainability while preserving the authentic handicraft process. Studio works with various craft – Batik, Tarkashi, Nakkashi, Wood lacquering and kantha being the major craft forms. Here is a glimpse to these crafts:

• Batik – It’s a wax resist technique of fabric dyeing. it creates a unique crackled colour effect. It is considered as one of the ancient craft forms. Batik in India can be traced back to almost 2000 years. The traditional method of batik is that selected parts of fabric are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them. The cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and maintain their original colour. No batik pattern is the same as another, so each product is considered one-of-a-kind.
• Tarkashi – It’s an art of inlaying metal wire in carved wood. Tarkashi work was practiced by Kashmiri craftsmen, which they taught to craftsmen in other parts of country. Some of the earliest products with Tarkashi are wooden slippers (Khadaun), which pious Hindus wear. Inlaying and engraving were once performed by the same artisans, but these days, both are considered specialized skills.
• Nakkashi – craft of wood carving is known as Nakkashi. Intricate designs and patterns are engraved on various wood like sheesham, teak etc. carving is practiced on almost all products of interior decoration – furniture, lamps, T-lights, racks, window frames etc.
• Wood lacquering – Turned wood products are lacquered in bright and vibrant colours to enhance their beauty. Speciality of this craft is that they still use purely natural and organic colours. This Indian handicraft of wood lacquering has become quite popular with international customers. It is considered a Geographical Indication by the World Trade Organisation.
• Kantha – It is again one of the ancient craft forms which are still practiced. It’s an embroidery craft which has strong traditional bonding with Indian culture especially in marriages and festivals.

Studio Enoy is a Social Enterprise & Design Studio, we dealing in various handicraft products which includes wooden handcrafted home décors, lighting & textiles like sarees and dress materials.