INDIAN CRAFTS

Indian craft thrives to be the amalgamation of socio-political via religious

influences that mapped India with the onward march of time and space. The
spirit of indigenous India allied with the western advancement lie at the core
of Indian craft zone. The intriguing history and the fascinating past presently
counts for the origin of Indian crafts. The incalculable artistic and ethnic
assortment that has been linked with India and has been symbolised as
Oriental Craft by Eurocentric nations have enabled a fusion of motifs,
techniques and crafts to increase on this land. The tradition of Indian craft has
whirled around religious values, cultural influx, confined needs of the
commoners, as well as the special needs of the clientele and royalty, along
with an eye for overseas and home trade.
The primal references of Indian crafts were found in the remnants of Indus
Valley Civilization (3000 B.C.-1700 B.C.). Beginning its journey in the age old
days, the craft tradition in India has witnessed enough evolution.
India has an extremely rich craft tradition, distinguished by great aesthetics
and mixed art history. Difficult designs, patterns, painfully crafted monuments,
temples and sculptures, all are magnificent masterpieces of craftsmanship. All
Indian crafts and patterns were mostly representations of everyday living,
socio political conditions and palace and court scenes. Archaeological studies
have revealed that the period of manufacture, for a given handicraft item can
be explained from its production technique, patterns and materials used.
Handicraft is flourishing in the Indian industry because of its rich cultural
heritage and diversity. Indian handicraft items ranges from wooden stone,
metal, glass, bamboo, cane, clay, terracotta ceramics, and textiles.
India is one of the major suppliers of handicrafts to the global market. Highly
labour intensive, and basically cottage based, the industry is more widespread
in the rural and urban areas. The industry provides a livelihood for more than 6
million artisans including a big share of women artisans, and people from the
weaker sections of the country.
Supporting craft in India means believing in a heritage and tradition that can
often stretch back uninterrupted for 4000 years. The knowledge is still
transferred through traditional means, from elders to younger people but
there are many challenges that face these century-old traditions.
 Diverse craft culture
The history of Indian metal craft in India is rich as it was introduced around
3000 B.C. The metal craft has its ramifications from mythological figurines,
sculptures of deities to pots, pans, utensils, photo frames, doorknobs, taps, key
chains, boxes and so on. The metal craft involves the tradition of enamelling,
etching and damascening for the beautification of the metal objects. Metal
craft is admired for its durability.

 Metal Craft of Gujarat

Metal craft of Gujarat is found in an array of articles that have gained popularity due
to its ethnicity and the rustic characteristics of the land itself.
The metal craft of Gujarat includes jewellery making which includes filigree work,
open wirework, carving etc. The metal artisans of Gujarat are known as 'kansaras',
from the Gujarati word 'kansu' for bronze.
The jewellery making, precious stone-cutting embedded in metal jewelleries and
processing are part of the traditional handicrafts of Gujarat. The artisans of Gujarat
create magnificent designs on jewelleries in silver, gold and other metals. Attardanis,
gulabdanis, flower-vases, trays, jewellery-boxes, powder-boxes, ashtrays and
cigarette-boxes are some of the articles of silver craft.

 Metal Craft Of Orissa

Metal craft of Orissa can be featured with the socio cultural aspect of the state in
association with the tradition. The shrines and the temples are the examples of rich
cultural heritage of the state with standard materials. The metal craft of Orissa
includes the usage of metals like Brass and Bell metals and the people of Kansari
community mainly create different items out of them. Castings of brass items are
practiced by the people of Ganjam. The motifs used in the decorative pieces are
mainly inspired from the folk culture of Orissa. Cuttack is famous in the entire world
for the unique and delicate craft of 'tarkashi' or well known as the silver filigree
work.
The metal craft of Orissa has been flourishing at Puri, which is the abode of skilled
craftsmen who specialise in minute metal work. Moreover, places such as
Behrampur and Belguntha (in Ganjam district), Tarva (Bolangir district), Chandanpur,
Phulbani, and Kantilo are well known for their specialization in producing a variety of
brass and bell metal craft objects, which exhibit extraordinary craftsmanship.
A particular variety of metal craft known as 'dhokra' is practiced by the 'sithulias'
who use scraps of metals to make the 'dhokra' castings.
 Metal Craft of Jharkhand
The metal crafts of Jharkhand are praiseworthy because of the creativity they show
in using different materials and suitable designs according to the metals. The
craftsmen of Jharkhand create weapons, ornaments, hunting implements and
agricultural equipments out of metals. Gold and silver are basically used in creating
jewelleries while sometimes iron is used to create weapons mainly for defensive
purposes, hunting and agricultural equipments.
The Tentri community and Malhar are adept in creating different articles from
different materials and the works they exhibit have gained appraisal in different
parts of the states as well as the country.

 Metal Craft of West Bengal:

Metal craft of West Bengal is well recognised for the proficient creations from
various metals like brass, copper, gold, silver and some alloys. The metal crafts of
West Bengal offer an array of items that range from utilitarian items to traditional
jewelleries that are done with chisel work and sometimes 'Meenakari' work. Artisans
of Bankura, Bishnupur, Ghatal and Chandanpur in Midnapore, are engaged in
engraved brass and bell metal work. In addition to this, one of the well appraised
forms of metal craft of West Bengal is Dhokra craft which is perhaps the only living
tradition of metal image making in Eastern India.
 Metal Craft Of Bihar:
The beautiful paintings and embroidery work of Bihar handicrafts has a wide market
across many countries. Of the many interesting crafts of Bihar, the Madhubani
Paintings are most famous, which are mostly practiced in the region of Mithila. This
Painting in Bihar is a craft practiced in Mithilanchal. This is a creative folk painting
done by women in the traditional way. Another one is the Stone Work of Bihar is also
a popular craft. Some beautiful examples of stone images can be seen in cities like
Gaya, Nalanda and Patna. Artisans of Muzaffarpur are engaged in Bangle making
which is considered to be the center for cottage industries.
 Market places of Indian Crafts

E-commerce has provided huge opportunity to entrepreneurs who want to sell

internationally online from India. Products like handicrafts, apparels, artificial jewellery etc.
are in great demand in different countries. So, there lies a vast potential for Indian suppliers
and now is the right time to take the plunge.
Selling your products on online marketplaces will help you achieve 2 very essential things as
an entrepreneur i.e., it increases brand visibility and engagement and it helps you to acquire
a new stream of customers.

Some of the online market places in India are:

 Flipkart – Flipkart is the India’s largest online marketplace by shipments. Market
leader Flipkart has 37% share of the entire industry.

 Amazon – Amazon is the second largest in India. Amazon India’s unit market
share surged to an estimated 21-24% from 14% during march 2016.

 Snapdeal – Snapdeal is known for electronics and it adds up to 14% of the total
market share.

 Myntra – Myntra is an Indian fashion e-commerce marketplace company

headquartered in Bengaluru.

 Jabong – Jabong.com is the best Online shopping Portal in India for men, women
& kids for shoes, clothing, watches, sunglasses. Jabong was once thought to own
one-quarter of India’s fashion e-commerce market, making it the chief threat to
Myntra.

 eBay– eBay India, one of the earliest online marketplaces in the country.

The markets for the craft products can be broadly understood as local, retail shops – high-
end as well as mainstream, exhibitions and exports. Among these, local markets are still the
common markets for many artisans. The contemporary markets, domestically as well as
internationally, have grown with an expanding demand for ethnic products that have a story
linked to them. India’s handloom and handicraft sector—comprised of artisans who weave
and decorate textiles by hand—comprises the largest small-scale (or cottage) industry in
India. It is an integral part of village life, providing millions of artisans with employment.
These textile crafts play a formative role in defining cultural identity, along with marking the
artistic intellect and technical proficiency of craftsmen.