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Andhra Pradesh Art & Crafts -- |
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Kalamkari and Block-printed
Fabrics:-
Kalamkari is a craft of painted and printed fabrics.
It derives its name from kalam or pen with which the patterns are traced.
It is an art form that developed both for decoration and religious ornamentation. The
discovery of a resist-dyed piece of cloth on a silver vase at the ancient
site of Harrapa confirms that the tradition of Kalamkari is very old. Even
the ancient Buddhist Chaitya Viharas were decorated with Kalamkari cloth. The
great Alexander is also supposed to have acquired this Kalamkari cloth.In andhra
Pradesh, Kalmkari is done in machilipatnam and Srikalahasti.
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Ikat:-
Ikat, the technique by which the wrap or weft or both be tie-dyed in such a
way that when woven, the 'programmed' pattern appears in finished fabric. Of
resist-dye techniques, the use of clay or wax-resist has long been known
to Indian textile printers and painters, who would stamp or delineate the
fabric with resist and then immerse and reimmerse in dye. To reserve areas
of the warp or weft or both, before the process of weaving with tied threads,
and then to dye the yarn, is more interesting process that requires greater
skill. And this seems to be more closely aligned to weaving, than to the
application of impression of a resist to the surface of a fabric.
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Saris:-
Andhra has the bright Venkatagiri saris which are woven with the help of a
fly-shuttle loom, thrown from side to side. Venkatagiri saris have a pleasant
colors with gold dots, coins, leaves , parrots, or simple geometrical patterns. Narayanpet saris, in cotton and silk, some from place with the same name. The
cotton saris woven in dark earthy colors are particularly eye catching. The Gadwal cotton and Kothakota sarisfrom Vanaparti have a rich gold borders
and heavy panels like pallvas.
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Crochet
Lace:-
Introduced in the middle of the 19th century to provide employment to the
poverty striken women of the area, lace work was, to start with, sent to friends
and relatives abroad as gifts which were highly appreciated. Starting with a
mere dozen designs, the local skills were use to evolve as many as 300 designs
over the years which speaks of the high artistic sense of the artisans. The raw
materials and implements required for this industry are simple, consisting of
only a hooked needle and cotton thread. The thread used is twisted mercerised
cotton thread. The craft is carried on by thousands of women working part time
at their homes in Narsapur and Palakol areas of West Godavri District and Razole
Taluka of East Godavri District.
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Banjara Embroidery:-
Think of nomads, caravaners, gypsies and you think of them as "free
people". Free from the binds of urban life, they evoke dreams of the life
spirit roaming without fetters. And is from this that the Banjaras in
Andhra Pradesh seem to have captured their exuberant clothes. Nomads in the
past, the Banjaras today aggregate in groups called tandas. Staying in communes
they still strive to preserve the fascinating and unpredictable traditions of
their ancestors. tattooed women with hands weighed down by ivory bangles create
the memorable mirror work which the Banjaras are famous for.
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