Kalamkari

2021-10-29T06:42:35Z

220.158.142.1:

{{short description|Traditional textile decoration technique of Andhra Pradesh combining hand-painting and block-printing on mordanted fabric}}

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}

[[File:Kalamkari Painting.JPG|thumb|An example of an Kalamkari painting, exhibited at Crafts Museum in [[New Delhi]].]]

'''Kalamkari''' is a type of hand-painted or block-printed [[cotton]] [[textile]] produced in [[Isfahan]], Iran, and in the Indian state of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Only [[natural dye]]s are used in Kalamkari, which involves twenty-three steps.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-12|title=Kalamkari: An Ancient Style of Hand Painting|url=https://www.utsavpedia.com/motifs-embroideries/kalamkari-art/|access-date=2020-10-13|website=Utsavpedia|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-07|title=Fine Craftsmanship: A crash course on 8 art and craft traditions from India|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/craftsmanship-kalamkari-patola-sari-pattachitra-india/|access-date=2020-10-17|website=Architectural Digest India|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bajpai|first=Ishita|date=2020-02-20|title=Watch: Learn About Different 'Lok Kalas' Of India|url=https://edtimes.in/watch-learn-about-different-lok-kalas-of-india/|access-date=2020-10-17|website=ED Times {{!}} Youth Media Channel|language=en-US}}</ref>

There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art in India – [[Srikalahasti Kalamkari|Srikalahasti style]] and the [[Pedana Kalamkari|Machilipatnam style]]. The Srikalahasti style of'' Kalamkari'', where the "''kalam''" or pen is used for freehand drawing of the subject and filling in the colors, is entirely hand worked. This style flourished in temples centered on creating unique religious identities, appearing on scrolls, temple hangings, [[Temple car|chariot]] banners as well as depictions of [[Deity|deities]] and scenes taken from the Hindu epics (e.g. [[Ramayana]], [[Mahabharata]] and [[Purana]]). The style owes its present status to [[Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay]] who popularized the art as the first chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 16, 2017|first=David|last=Abraham|title=. The revivalist woman behind All India Handicrafts Board and Central Cottage Industries Emporia|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/news-makers/story/20170925-post-independence-kamaladevi-chattopadhyay-handicrafts-dance-drama-theatre-1044571-2017-09-16|access-date=2020-09-19|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Historically, Kalamkari used to be termed as ''[[Pattachitra]]'', an art form still found in neighboring (Odisha) and other parts of India and Nepal.<ref>Roy Niranjan (1973), The Patas and Patuas of Bengal. Indian Publications Calcutta, Page number 54-55 (Annexure C,V)</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=History of Kalamkari Fabrics|url=https://www.indianmirror.com/culture/indian-specialties/kalamkariwork.html|access-date=2020-10-27|website=www.indianmirror.com}}</ref> The term "''Pattachitra''" ([[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]: पट्टचित्र) translates to "patta", meaning "cloth", with "chitra" meaning "picture".<ref>SenGupta, pp. 12.</ref><ref name=":0" /> Paintings made on fabric and fabric scrolls are mentioned in ancient Hindu, [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and [[Jain literature]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Textiles in Indian Ocean Societies |editor=Barnes, Ruth |page=31 |chapter=Far-flung fabrics – Indian textiles in ancient maritime trade |author=Ray, Himanshu Prabha |publisher=Routledge |date=2004 |isbn=113443040X}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: Reflections on the Chola Naval Expeditions to Southeast Asia |editor1=Kulke, Hermann |editor2=Kesavapany, K. |editor3=Sakhuja, Vijay |page=185 |author=Devare, Hema |chapter=Cultural implications of the Chola maritime fabric trade with Southeast Asia |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |location=Singapore |date=2009 |isbn=9812309373}}</ref>

Under medieval [[Islam|Islamic]] rule, the term Kalamkari was derived from the words "kalam", which means "pen" in Telugu, and "kari", which means [[Handicraft|craftmanship]]. This became popular under the patronage of the Golconda sultanate.<ref name="NIOS">{{cite book |title=Indian Culture and Heritage |date=2012 |publisher=National Institute of Open Schooling |location=New Delhi |url=https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/SecICHCour/English/CH.11.pdf |access-date=18 October 2017 |chapter=Indian Painting}}</ref>

== History ==
Musicians and painters, known as ''[[Chitrakar|chitrakars]]'', moved from village to tell the village dwellers the stories of Hindu mythology. They illustrated their accounts using large bolts of canvas painted on the spot with simple means and dyes extracted from plants. Similarly, the ones found in Hindu temples are large panels of Kalamkari depicting the episodes of [[Hindu mythology]] and [[iconography]], similar to Buddhist [[Thangka]] paintings.

As an art form, it was found in the wealthy peak of [[Golkonda|Golconda sultanate]], [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]], in the Middle Ages. The Mughals who patronized this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda province called the practitioners of this craft "Qualamkars", from which the term "Kalamkari" evolved.<ref>{{cite web| last=Bhatnagar| first=Parul| title=Kalamkari| url=https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/65619463?access_key=key-1i4e4emilphei76vaxgl| work=Traditional Indian Costumes and Textiles| access-date=20 September 2011}}</ref> The [[Pedana Kalamkari]] craft made in [[Pedana]] nearby [[Machilipatnam]] in [[Krishna district]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], evolved under the patronage of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] and the [[Golkonda|Golconda sultanate]]. Owing to the said patronage, this school was influenced by [[Persian art]] under [[Islam|Islamic]] rule.<ref name="NIOS"/>

Kalamkari art has been practiced by many families in [[Andhra Pradesh]], some villages in [[Tamil Nadu]] (Sikkalnayakanpettai) by migrants from [[Telugu language|Telugu]] speaking families over the generations have constituted their livelihood. Kalamkari had a period of decline, then was revived in India and abroad for its craftsmanship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mathur|first=Vinita|date=2020-08-09|title=Visual inspiration: Kalamkari and the ancient art of organic fabric painting|url=https://uxdesign.cc/kalamkari-the-ancient-indian-art-of-organic-fabric-painting-a84ce817802d|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref> Since the 18th century, the British have enjoyed the decorative element for clothing.

== Middle forms ==
In the [[Middle Ages]], the term was also used to refer to the making of any cotton fabric patterned through the medium of vegetable dyes by free-hand and block-printing, produced in many regions of India. In places where the fabric is block printed, the ''kalam'' (pen) is used to draw finer details and for application of some colors.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-17|title=Kalamkari Sarees and Their Evolution|url=https://starofmysore.com/kalamkari-sarees-and-their-evolution/|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Star of Mysore|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Modern day ==
In modern times, traditional techniques have been replaced by digital techniques. In this era, new techniques are introduced and the digital files of Kalamkari have been introduced widely over the regions of India and Iran.

Nowadays, in India, silk, mulmul, cotton, and synthetic sarees are also sold with Kalamkari print. Printing is a much easier task than traditional Kalamkari work. Kalamkari [[Dupatta|dupattas]] and blouse pieces are popular among Indian women.

== Technique ==
The first step in creating Kalamkari is steeping it in [[astringent]]s and [[bubalus|buffalo]] milk and then drying it under the sun.<ref name=MetMuseum>{{cite web |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/intx/hd_intx.htm |title=Indian Textiles: Trade and Production |date=October 2003 |author=Sardar, Marika |website=Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref> Afterwards, the red, black, brown, and violet portions of the designs are outlined with a mordant and cloth are then placed in a bath of [[alizarin]].<ref name=MetMuseum /> The next step is to cover the cloth, except for the parts to be dyed blue, in wax, and immerse the cloth in indigo dye. The wax is then scraped off and the remaining areas are painted by hand,<ref name=MetMuseum /> similar to Indonesian ''[[batik]]''.

To create design contours, artists use a [[bamboo]] or [[date palm]] [[Branch|stick]] pointed at one end with a bundle of fine hair attached to this pointed end to serve as the brush or pen.<ref name="IndianHeritage">{{cite web|title=Paintings: Kalamkari Paintings |website=Indian Heritage |url=http://www.indian-heritage.org/painting/kalamkri.html|access-date=3 April 2016 |date=April 2006}}</ref> This pen is soaked in a mixture of [[jaggery]] and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes are added.

In Iran, the fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps.<ref>{{cite book |author=Held, Colbert C. |title=Middle East patterns: places, peoples, and politics |publisher=Westview Press |location=Boulder, Colo |year=2006 |isbn=0-8133-4170-1 }}</ref>

== Color fixing ==
Dyes for the cloth are obtained by extracting colors from various roots, leaves, and mineral salts of iron, tin, copper, and [[alum]].<ref name="IndianHeritage"/> Various effects are obtained by using [[cow dung]], [[seeds]], plants and crushed flowers to obtain [[natural dye]]. Along with buffalo milk, [[myrobalan]] is used in ''kalamkari''. Myrobalan is also used to remove the odd smell of buffalo milk. The fixing agents available in the myrobalan can easily fix the dye or color of the [[textile]] while treating the fabric. Alum is used in making natural dyes and also while treating the fabric. Alum ensures the stability of the color in Kalamkari fabric.

==Themes==
Kalamkari specifically depicts epics such as the [[Ramayana]] or [[Mahabharata]]. However, there are recent applications of the Kalamkari technique to depict Buddha and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] art forms.<ref>{{cite news|last= Naidu|first=T. Appala|title=Techie's Twist to Kalamkari |date=20 July 2015 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/p-varun-kumar-comes-up-with-a-buddha-series-in-kalamkari/article7444368.ece| work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> In recent times, many aesthetically good figures such as musical instruments, small animals, flowers, Buddha and few Hindu symbols, like [[swastika]] are also introduced to Kalamkari''.''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |author=Kossak, Steven | title= Indian court painting, 16th-19th century | location=New York | publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1997| isbn=0870997831 | url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/rec/74}} (see index: p. 148–152)

{{Dyeing}}

[[Category:Textile arts of India]]
[[Category:Printed fabrics]]
[[Category:Painted fabrics]]
[[Category:Schools of Indian painting]]
[[Category:Culture of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Iranian art]]
[[Category:Persian handicrafts]]
[[Category: Indian folk art]].

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Kalamkari