During our recent Kutch tour,the guests were exposed to the beautiful art of making designs using the Lac, a highly specialized art practiced by the Vadha Community of the Nirona region.
Articles like rolling pins, legs for beds, chairs and tables are made from Lac, a material taken from insect resin.Lac is applied to wood by heat through turning with a hand lathe. In the process, the artisan maneuvers the lacquered colors to create patterns by hand in geometrical designs, an art form that is found only in this region of Gujarat.
Most of the process of making lacquer-ware is done on a manual lathe.Babool wood, which is found locally, is mostly used for the products. Once the wood is cut into basic forms, each piece is individually put on the lathe and smoothed using wooden tools.Here is a short video clip I shot during our visit.
It was amazing to see the patterns emerge in a ziffy !
The vibrant colors that are mixed with the lac are from the natural ingredients from the surroundings like turmeric, indigo, charcoal and stones etc.
It was nice to see the entire village is contributing to preserve this art form. Some of the NGO's too are actively involved in marketing their products to the outside world.
It was a memorable moment to pose with Bachai Bhai ,the oldest and much respected artist from the village.
The world should be grateful to this village for keeping alive a cultural tradition with such determination and a smile on their face
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