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Art and Handicraft
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Handloom weaving is a way of life in Assam. The number of looms in the
State stands at around eight lakhs which works out to around 16 per cent of the
looms in the entire Country. More than thirty thousand looms operate exclusively
in silk. Cotton, muga, paat (mulberry silk) and endi are
the basic raw materials for hand-woven fabrics in Assam. |
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Sualkuchi is the biggest centre of silk production and weaving in the State.
There are more than 3,000 weavers in and around the township. Sualkuchi is known
as the Manchester of Assam.Muga silk has
a natural golden colour and rare sheen that becomes more lustruous with every
wash. Eri is a warm silk suitable for the winter.The
designs used in Assam are mostly stylised symbols of animals, human
figures,creepers, flowers, birds, channels, cross borders and the galaxy. |
Each ethnic group of the State
has its own distinctive design and style. Assamese weavers produce beautiful
designs on the borders of traditional garments such as the mekhela-chaddar
and riha and on the gamosa (towel) .The Laichangphi,
produced traditionally by the weavers of Cachar district, is a popular quilt
sought after because of its warmth and softness. The tribals make beautiful
shawls.
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Jewellery has been a tradition in Assam.
Gold was available in many of the rivers flowing down from the Himalayas. In
fact, a particular tribe of people, the Sonowal Kacharis, were engaged only
in gold washing in these rivers.
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The Assamese jeweller (sonari) make
exquisite lockets (doog-doogi, bana, jon-biri,
dhol-biri) earrings (thuriya, loka-paro,
keru), bracelets (gaam-kharu), necklaces (gal-pata),
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Cane and Bamboo being quite common all over, are
used to make a variety of products. Cane furniture of Assam is much sought after
both in the national and international markets.
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Bamboo is used mostly to make domestic products
such as chalani (sieve), kula (winnowing pan), khorahi
(small basket), etc. The fancy bamboo japi (hat) with its colourful
design and motif is worn by the Assamese peasant while working in the field. |
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The
tradition of painting in Assam can be traced back to
several centuries in the past. The gifts presented to Hiuen Tsang and
Harshavardhana by Kumar Bhaskara, the king of Kamrupa, included a number of
paintins and painted objects, some done on exclusive Assam silk. |
Assamese literature of the medieval period abound in references to chitrakars
and patuas who were expert painters . Locally available material such as hebgool
and haital were used for painting.
Ahom palaces and sattras and naamghars are replete
with brightly coloured paintings depicting various stories and events from
history and mythology.
Sitalpati or mats made from the patidai or
mohtra reed is a traditional craft of Cachar.
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Brass and Bell Metal products of Assam are also
famous for their beauty and strength of form and utility. Brass is an important
cottage industry with highest concentration in Hajo of Kamrup district. The
Sarthebari area of the same district is well known for its bell metal craft. The
principal items of brass are the kalah (water pot), sarai (a
platter or tray mounted on a base), kahi (dish), bati (bowl),
lota (water pot with a long neck) and tal (cymbals).
Gold, silver and copper too have formed part of
traditional metalcraft in Assam, and the State Museum in Guwahati has a rich
collection of items made of these metals. Gold however is now used only for
ornaments.
Ivory products such as combs, bangles, walking
sticks and smoking pipes were made in the district of Barpeta. Their production
has however been stopped since a ban was imposed on making and selling of ivory
products as a conservation measure. Combs made of the horn of oxes is also a
speciality. |
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Pottery is practised by two communities of
artisans in Assam --- the Hira and the Kumar. The Hiras make household articles
using the compression method. The Kumars use their potter’s wheel to make images
for worship and clay dolls and toys. West Assam has long been proficient in the
craft of terracotta. Asharkandi, a village in Goalpara district is famous for
its graceful clay dolls. |
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Woodwork is an ancient Assamese craft. Exquisite
wood carvings are seen mostly on doors, walls, beams, ceilings and the splendid
carved sinhasans used in prayer houses. Decorative panels in the royal
Ahom palaces of the past and the 600-year old sattras or Vaisnavite
monasteries are intricately carved in wood.
A special class of people who excelled in wood
carving came to be known as Khanikar. The painted woodwork of Golaghat
is a folk art. Modern-day khanikars have taken to producing articles of
commercial value, including figure of one-horned rhino and replicas of the
world-famous Kamakhya temple --- two items heading the list of demands from
visitors. |
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Kuhila Koth
or fibre weaving is a famed handicraft of the Batadrava area of Nagaon district.
Kuhila is woven on a simple loom-like gadget made of wood and bamboo
poles to produce seats, mats and cushions. Kuhila craft is also an important
cottage industry in the Gauripur area of Dhubri district in Lower Assam.
Pith or Indian cork has also been used for
toy-making since centuries in Assam. Such toys are chieflymade in the Goalpara
regionand they include figures of gods, animals and birds.
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