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Art & Culture
Silver, Silver,
Shining Bright
by Alipta Jena
October 30, 2005
A tinkling of anklets,
a glimmer of silvery light; a shimmering artifact, with a sheen of
purity. Welcome to the world of silver— and a world where it is almost
magically crafted into lovely art forms and fascinating pieces of
adornment. Rooted in customs, traditions and folklore, the land of
Orison is a home to many handicrafts and art forms such as Patachitra,
appliqué work, terracotta, brass work and not the least among them is
the silver filigree work of Cuttack, locally known as Tarakashi.
This delicate craft is especially renowned for its unparalleled
intricacy.
The art is ancient, and dates back to the dawns of early history.
Presently, the silver filigree workers are largely from the district of
Cuttack, where the art flourishes. According to sources, the art may
have come to Orissa through its trade links with Indonesia.
The filigree artists work with an alloy of 90% or more pure silver.
Silver is beaten and then drawn into fine wires and foils. The wires are
then made finer by drawing silver through a series of consecutively
smaller holes to produce finer strands. The wires are then twisted into
various shapes by binding them into different designs and soldering them
with pincers and scissors specially made for the purpose. The end
results are articles and ornaments of ethereal beauty. Techniques such
as granulation, snow glazing and casting are also used innovatively to
heighten the effect. Artisan Jagdish Mishra, speaking of the various
techniques employed says,” The tastes of the customers keep changing and
artists must be up to date with to keep up with emerging trends”. Such
new methods and experimentation are increasingly being employed to
produce highly polished and refined artifacts in keeping with the
demands of customers. Platinum polishing is done to give a more lasting
shine whereas fusion of silver and brass or other materials is done to
create some rather interesting effects.
The works in Tarakashi are a tribute to the vision of the deft
craftsmen; a combination of beauty and utility. Like all other crafts of
Orissa, Tarakashi is gloriously alive to and caters to modern
tastes while retaining all essential links with a rich and varied
cultural past. Forms of animals, birds, flowers and even miniature
handbags and other souvenirs are made. The Konark Chakra and
temple are great favorites as mementos. Scenes from the Mahabharata,
in particular the still from the Bhagavad Gita depicting the
chariot of Arjuna driven by Lord Krishna are quite popular.
The filigree jewelry is particularly rich in patterns. In Orissa, the
stress is on arm jewelry, necklaces, toe rings and especially anklets,
which are a great favorite. They are considered auspicious as well.
Various kinds of intricate anklets, combining use of semi-precious
stones are greatly preferred, according to Jagannath Mohapatra,
proprietor, Ashok Jewelers, Cuttack.
Vermillion boxes, brooches, pendants, earrings and hairpins are also in
great demand, with prices ranging from twenty rupees to two thousand
rupees. Amrita Pattnaik, bride to be admits that though ornaments are
generally made of gold during marriage, some items are traditionally
preferred in silver, such as toe rings, anklets and vermilion boxes and
waist chains.
Silver filigree and other silver items have, like other handicrafts, an
important socio-cultural function in Orissa. The child’s first drop of
water is fed to it in a silver bowl by a silver spoon. The first solid
food fed to the child, usually a dish of rice or kheer, is fed to
it in a silver bowl in a function known as anna prasanna. A newly
wed bride too, is traditionally presented a set of silver dishes. Silver
dishes are also used to serve prasad to deities during religious
ceremonies. Temples have sets of silver ornaments for presiding deities.
Every year, during Durga Puja in Cuttack, silver filigree jewelry is
used at many pandals to embellish the idols of Maa Durga.
One of the most famous idols is the one at Chandni Chowk, where the
entire crown and accessories of Durga are made of silver, popularly
known as Chaandi Medha. It’s a dazzling sight for all to behold.
Only recently, Bishandayal Jewellers in Cuttack constructed an entire
replica of the Taj Mahal out of 55 kgs of silver. Such innovations have
always formed part of the history of Oriya filigree work. Today,
Tarakashi workers continue to uphold the tradition of outstanding
workmanship but the demands of the clientele have changed, resulting in
a comparatively reduced and standardized variety of articles. The
artisans complain that the craze for costume jewelry has resulted in a
decrease in the demand for silver jewelry. “Youngsters are more easily
influenced by the fashions shown on television and neglect traditional
items”, they complain.
Yet a certain revival of interest has been observed among the younger
generation. Kriti Shrivastav, Delhi, expresses an ardent interest in
silver jewelry, especially Kadas (bracelets) and earrings.
Fashion trends seem to be changing and showing a return to silver
jewelry in all its forms – platinum polished, oxidized or filigree.
Silver continues to retain its moonlit shine in the field of Oriya
craftsmanship.
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| Art &
Culture
The Week of October 30, 2005
The
Quake Opened a Window by Rajinder Puri
United States' "Democracy Thrust" in South Asia is Selective by
Dr. Subhash
Kapila
Lord Curzon and The Partition of Bengal by
Kumud Biswas
Third Child Trick by J. Ajithkumar
Inner City Schools, Affirmative Action and A Child
Left Behind by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
The Art of Happiness: Keep Your Pleasures Mild
by Vikram Karve
Choice of Children's Careers and Parental Aspirations
by Meera Chowdhry
Silver, Silver Shining Bright by Alipta Jena
Speaking for Her Security by Deepti Priya
Mehrotra
Victory for VAWA by Elayne Clift
A Moral Victory is Not What we Want by Gautam
Bhan
Power to the Village
Time to Take
Charge Again by Malvika Kaul
Very Rewarding Scheme by Vipin Agnihotri
Our trip to Cologne (Germany) Durga Puja 2005… by
Jayati Chowdhury
Visiting Ladakh by Anamika Banerjee
Wild Flowers of Chhialekh A Photo
Essay by Kana Talukder
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