Wood Crafts

The wooden crafts of the indigenous tribes of Bastar are of great aesthetic value and beauty.Made out of finest quality of teak wood and white wood, they have high demand both in the domestic and international markets.They include small decorative items,figures of tribal deities,wall pannels,furniture etc.Very famous are the “Deewans” and beds hand carved by the tribal artisans. The tribals excell in this kind of work and it throws light on their artistic heritage.The tribes of Bastar, specializes in elaborate ornamentation of various items like handle of a knife or a sickle , or the sheath of a knife ,husking instruments, agricultural implements, seed funnels , wooden head rests or objects like wooden combs or tobacco pouches.

Combs, though a small object of daily use has a very significant place in the Muria tribe of Bastar. The boys and girls of this tribe are easily distinguishable from those of others, by their use of carved wooden combs as their hair ornament. The young Murians become members of ‘Gotul’, a youth dormitory for boys and girls, for the selection of their life mates. In the ‘Ghotul’ the boys gift either wooden or brass combs to the girls of their choice. The status of a girl is enhanced by the number of comb, that she possesses. These combs are elaborately carved by the boys. The boys also wear combs and their combs are bigger than those of girls and are more elaborately carved as well.

Terracotta

The terracotta crafts of Bastar stand apart, both for their variety and workmanship. Terracota craft is is given much significance by the tribes.The tribals believe in offering their deities a terracota horse or elephnt at each occasion, good or bad .At birth of child, at weddings or at death, they never forget to offer their particular deities with terracota crafts.

The terracotta art of Bastar has a rich and diverse tradition. The red and black terracotta decorated elephants, horses, bulls, figures of various gods and goddesses of Maria and Muria tribes are well known. Huge figures of terracotta horses, cows, bulls and goats are made in Dhar and Jhabua region.

Bell Metal

Bell metal toys and decorative pieces from Bastar are not only intricately designed, b ut also tell a story of their culture and lifestyle. They are fine pieces of art but they are finished in such a manner that they carry a raw look. Bell metal is an alloy of brass, copper and lead with nearly 75% of brass in it.The process of moulding this alloy is quite intricate and even amazing.This tradition of lost-wax casting dates back to the Indus valley civilization.

In the world of metalcraft, artists let their imagination run riot to make various mythical forms and figures of gods, supernatural powers, animals, birds and trees.

Bamboo Crafts

Another significant craft of the area is basketry and other bamboo products. Basketry is the most flexible of tribal crafts, being extremely varied with its origins impossible to trace. They not only establish the state of development of the tribe,but are also practically indispensable in tribal life.Baskets of different types and sizes cater to their need to store things, to keep and carry forest produce to the market places, to carry seeds to the fields and to store grains. They also have baskets for carrying fish and birds and for keeping fowl and eggs.
The Gond, Baiga and Korku tribal communities are highly skilled in the craft of bamboo.

Weaving

Bastar produces certain exquisite works of art which include Kosa sarees, the best of its kind, made of Kosa silk thread which is obtained from a kind of worm found in the f orest.Traditional tribal saris are short and narrow, being made of heavy, thick unbleached cotton with single-color patterning, woven in the interlocked- weft tech- commonly known as Muhajorhi. They still use natural dyes coming primarily from the roots of the Aal tree, which produces a range of reds, from a bright pink to deep brown, depending upon the age of the bark and proportion of dye. Traditional weft motifs surface on these fabric like geese, leaves, axes, etc.Daspanika tribe of Nagarnar village is famous for their work which reflects the subtle creativity, inventive genius and imagination of the craftsmen who have tried to retain the original purity of perception and core concepts governing their lifestyle.

Pages: 1 2