CH5-Ancient Jwellery-NCERT text book

8/9/2019 CH5-Ancient Jwellery-NCERT text book

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All of u s en joy decora ting ou r bod ies.

In ancient t imes it was believed that

b e s i d e s e n h a n c i n g i t s b e a u t y ,

d e c o r a t i n g t h e b o d y g a v e i tadditional strength and power. Even

t o d a y m a n y t r i b a l s o c i e t i e s u s e

f l o w e r s , w i l d b e r r i e s , l e a v e s a n d

fea t h e r s fo r t h i s p u rp o s e . F l o wers

a n d fr u i t s c e le b r a t e n a t u r e a n d

growth while feathers are valued for

t h e i r co l o u r an d fo r t h e p o wer o f

f l i g h t . Seed s , ev en wi n g s o f i n s ec t s s u ch a s

colourful beetle wings are used as embellishment

and decora t ion .

One of the oldest forms used in jewellery was

that of a sphere, representing the seed, the bija.Later a range of beads were made from clay, glass,

m e t a l s an d p rec i o u s s t o n es . T h i s s y m b o l i s ed

fertility, growth and the origin of life.

M a n y j e w e l l e r y f o r m s m a d e i n m e t a l

r e p r o d u c e f o r m s o f f l o w e r s a n d f r u i t s .

Champakali is a necklace made of jasmine bud

motifs and is worn throughout India. Karanphul

jhumka is a combination of the form of an open

lotus at the ear lobe and a suspended half open

b u d . Mangai mala is a rich necklace from Tamil

Nadu, with stylised mango forms studded with

rubies. Precious metals such as gold and silverwere for the r ich while the less aff luent used

e ve n b r a s s a n d wh i t e m e t a l. G o ld w a s

associated with the sun, and silver, chandi, with

chandrama t h e m o o n .

In the past when there was discrimination on

the basis of caste, only the upper castes were allowed

to wear gold . This is now changing and those

who can afford it, wear gold and precious jewels.

5 JEWELLERY

Str ings made of di f ferent

types of seeds


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50 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA

Mean in g an d Sign ifican ce of J ewellery

In some tr ibal societ ies , each ornament was a symbol of

the rank and status of the wearer, and it was also believed

t o h a v e c e r t a i n m a g i c a l p o w e r s . T h u s , t h e p u r p o s e o f

ornamentation was not only to satisfy an instinctive desire

to decorate the body, i t was also invested with symbolic

significance. This aspect is clearly expressed in the form of

amulets which carry inscribed prayers to protect the wearer

from evil influences. All communities and faiths use this

form of jewellery as protection against harm or to activate

certain posi t ive qual i t ies .

It was with th e establish men t of a s ettled agrarian society

that jewel lery became a form of saving and a symbol of

st at u s. A variety of des ign s in folk jewellery evolved over

the years , and the impor tan t pos i t ion o f the jewel le r in

vi l lage society also points to the fact that jewel lery was

considered as the only form of investment which could be

encashed dur ing an emergency .

It was m an da tory for ma rried women to wear jewellery.

N e c k l a c e , e a r r i n g s , h e a d o r n a m e n t s a n d b a n g l e s w e r e

essen t ia l fo r every marr ied woman . I t was on ly widows

who were deprived of jewellery.

J ewellery for Every Par t of th e Body

Each reg ion in Ind ia has a par t i cu lar s ty le o f j ewel le ry

that is quite distinct. Differences occur even as one goesfrom one village to another.

D e s p i t e t h e v a r i e t y i n j e w e l l e r y p a t t e r n s i n

different parts of the country, the designs in each

region are also at t imes strikingly similar.

Head and Forehead: Women wear the bore resting

upon the part ing of the ha ir in Rajas th an and parts

of Gujarat an d Madhya Pradesh, whereas the t ikka,

a rounded pendant at the end of a long chain which

falls on the forehead, is used throughout India. The

shr ingar pa t t i wh i ch f r am es t h e f ace an d o f t en

connects with the t ikka on the top and the earringsare also used widely. In earlier times men wore the

kalgi, a plumed jewel, on top of the turban.

N o s e : T h e o r n a m e n t w o r n a l l o v e r I n d i a h a s

variations from the simple lavang , clove, to phuli,

the elaborately worked stud, or nath , the nose-ring

worn in the r igh t nos t r i l , and the bulli, the nose

ring worn in the centre just over the lips.

S t r e e d h a n : F r o m V e d i c

t i m e s o n w a r d s , j e w e l l e r y

was counted as a womans

weal th an d comprised a par t

of her inheritance from her

fat h er, as well as a gift from

h e r h u s b a n d .

Ornaments worn by a Bhartanatyam dancer


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51J EWELLERY

Neck: One o f the o rnaments i s the guluband,

which is made up of either beads or rectangular

pieces of metal, strung together with the help oft h read s . A r i b b o n i s a t t ach ed a t t h e b ack t o

pro tec t the neck o f the wearer . Then there i s

the longer kan th i or the bajaithi. Below this is

worn either a silver ch ain or a necklace of beads .

The men would wear a charm or a taw iz a t the

neck and a kantha , a long necklace.

Fingers: For the hands there a re a number o f

r ings . On fes t ive occas ions women wear the

hathphool or ratthan -chowk to decorate the back of the h an d.

Wrists: For the wris ts there is the ka d a , the paunchi, the

gajra an d t h e chuda , which quite often extends six inchesabove the wrist .

Arms: Th e bazoo, the joshan , and the bank are worn above

the elbow. Men wore a heavy ka d a or bangle.

Hips: A series of silver chains formed into a belt are worn

at th e hips an d are generally kn own a s kandora or kardhani,

w hile the men would wear a silver or gold belt.

A n k l e s : S o l i d , h e a v y m e t a l a n k l e t s c o m b i n e w i t h t h e

delicately worked paizebs ending in tinkling, silver, hollow

bel ls , while men would wear a heavy s i lver anklet . Only

royalty wore gold on their feet.

Toes: Th e bichhua , scorpion ring, for the toe is put on by

women at the time of their marriage.

Jew ellery for various

parts of the body


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Jewellery through the Ages

3 00 01 50 0 BCE Harappan Pe rio d

India has an unbroken tradition of over

five thousand years of jewellery making.

T h e ex cav a t i o n s a t t h e Harap p an s i t e

have uncovered beads and shell bangles.

The shell bangles are exactly similar to

t h e o n e s w o r n b y m a r r i e d w o m e n i n

Ladakh . Gold shee t s shaped in to head

bands were also found.

300 BCE300 CE The richest collection of jewellery was

d i s c o v e r e d i n T a x i l a , a n i m p o r t a n t

Bud dh ist cen tre of learn ing. It was on the

t r a d e r o u t e , a s w e l l a s t h e r o a d f o r

m igra tion of people ent ering In dia. Here

th e jewellery exhibits Greek influ ence a n d

th e introdu ction of new techn ology su ch

as filigree an d granu lation.

I t i s i n t e re s t i n g t o o b s e rv e , h o wev e r ,

t h a t t h e r e a r e m a r k e d s i m ila r i t ie s

b e t w e e n o u r p r e s e n t - d a y j e w e l l e r y

d e s i g n s a n d t h e j e w e l l e r y o f t h e

Su m er i an s an d t h e ea r l y Greek s .

A neck lace excavated a t Ur , which i s

made up of finely designed pendants of

l i o n -h ead s w i t h g ran u l a t ed wo rk , an d

s u p p o s ed t o h av e b e l o n g ed t o Qu een

Bathsheba, has a remarkable likeness to

th e garuda necklace prepared in Kerala.

E a r l y G r e e k j e w e l l e r y h a s a c l o s e

similari ty with some of the t radi t ional

jewellery of Kutch and Saurashtra. The

p a t t e rn s o f s o m e E g y p t i an j ewe l l e ry ,

especially armlets with snakeheads, are

found in India, as well.

4 0 0 C E T h e r e i s a c l o s e s i m i l a r i t y i n t h e

jewellery design of today with those of

e a r l y t i m e s . T h i s w e k n o w f r o m

d e s c r i p t i o n s i n l i t e r a t u r e , a n d i n t h e

depiction of jewellery in sculpture and

pain t ing .


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53J EWELLERY

Th e kanthi, a necklace worn close to

the neck and th e phalakhara, a long

n e c k l a c e c o m p r i s i n g a n u m b e r o f

tablets str u ng with a series of beads ,

i s s een i n t h e ea r l y Gu p t a p e r i o d

and i s found in use even today in

m o s t p a r t s o f N o r t h I n d i a . T h e

chudamani, shaped like a full-blown

lo tus wi th many pe ta l s , was worn

a t t h e p a r t i n g o f t h e h a i r a n d i s

s i m i l a r t o t h e p re s en t d ay bore of

R a j a s t h a n .

In the Ramayana , there is ment ion

of Sita wearing a n i s h ka necklace.

Nishka , a gold coin, is also referred

t o i n t h e J a t a k a s t o r i e s . T h e

t r a d i t i o n o f w e a r i n g o f c o i n

neck laces con t inues .

900 CE The use o f the nose o rnament was

introduced in to India qui te late , as

the ear ly scu lp tu res and mura l s do

n o t s h o w n o s e o r n a m e n t s . It

appears to have been in troduced by

t h e Arab s a ft e r t h e t en t h cen t u ry

a n d , o v e r t h e y e a r s , i t b e c a m e

common al l over India and became

assoc ia ted wi th marr iage .

1 5 0 0 1 9 0 0 The Mughals had fine jewellery and

us ed large precious s tones. J ah an girs

t reasury , descr ibed by S i r Thomas

Roe, an English traveller, had 37.5

k i l o g r a m s o f d i a m o n d s a n d 3 0 0 0

kilograms of pearls and rich jewellery,

o f t en co l o u r fu l en am e l j ewe l l e ry

embedded with precious stones.

1900 onwards W i t h b o d y p i e r c i n g b e c o m i n g

popular in the West , young Indian

m e n a n d w o m e n h a v e b e g u n

piercing not jus t the nose and ear ,

b u t t h e i r t o n g u e , t h e n a v e l a n d

o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e b o d y t o w e a r

jewellery.

About 2 6 per cent

of Indias exports

c o m p r i s e g e m s

and jewels.


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Though all the hill jewellery of Kullu an d

Kinnaur Districts is made in Hoshiarpur

in H i m a c h a l Pr a d e s h , i t h a s i t s o wn

part icular s ty le . The pipal patra, m ad eo u t o f b u n ch es o f h ea r t - s h ap ed s i l v e r

leaves fastened to an enamelled piece of

silver, is worn in these areas by women

on both sides of th eir ca ps. It fram es th eir

f a c e s w i t h t h e l i g h t s h i m m e r i n g i n

cascades of s i lver . Their necklaces are

f o r m e d o u t o f l a r g e m e t a l p l a t e s ,

engraved with the traditional designs of

t h e r e g i o n a n d f i l l e d w i t h g r e e n a n d

yellow enamel. The most common design

is of Devi riding her lion.

The nose ornaments of Kullu are alsohighly specialised. The large-sized nath

a n d boulak designs of a single leaf are

not to be seen in any other part of

India. On festive occasions they

w e a r a l a r g e n a t h , o f t en

larger than the face

of the wearer.

The belts worn in Andhra Pradesh

have in tr icate clasps of the doublehead of a rakshas or kirtimukha .

Another pattern of a kara, which

i s co m m o n i n An d h ra P rad es h , i s

that of serpent-heads which appear

t o b e h o l d i n g t h e e a r t h i n t h e i r

mouths. The necklaces often derive

their designs from shapes of grains.

The jewellery of Kashmir is quite distinct.

The most important are the ear ornam ents ,

k n o w n a s k a n - b a l l e , w o r n b y M u s l i m

wo m en o n b o t h s i d es o f t h e h ead . T h eyc o m p r i s e a n u m b e r o f r i n g s , w h i c h a r e

a t t a c h e d t o t h e h a i r o r t h e c a p . T h i s

jewellery is also worn in Ladakh and other

H i m a l a y a n a r e a s s u c h a s L a h a u l , S p i t i ,

and Kinnaur .

In P u n j a b , w o m e n w e a r a s p e c i a l

o rnament , chonk. It is cone-shaped and is

w o r n a t t h e t o p o f t h e h e a d w i t h t w o

smaller cones, known as phul, worn at thes ides .

Despite the fact that styles in jewellery have, on

the whole, tended to develop region-wise, we find

that certain distinctive forms have been developed

by specific sections, groups or areas.

Regional Variet ies of J ewellery


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55J EWELLERY

In Assam the tribes patronise silver jewellery, while

in the plains gold jewellery is preferred. The patterns

of gold jewellery are extremely delicate. The jewels,

though few, are finely finished. The earring, known

as thuria , has the form of a lotus with a heavy stem.

T h e s h a p e r e m i n d s o n e o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l k a m a l

earr ings ment ioned in anc ien t l i t e ra tu re . Thuria is

usually made of gold and studded with rubies in the

front portion as well as at the back.

T h e fo l k j ewe l l e ry o f

Orissa in silver and gold

is r ich in pat terns , forms

a n d d e s i g n s . T h e m o s tp o p u la r t e c h n iq u e i s

f i l i g r e e . T h e t r a d i t i o n a l

fil igree work is robust in

c h a r a c t e r a n d d i s t i n c t

from what is being produced commercial ly today in

Cutta ck. Very few hea d orna men ts a re worn in Orissa .

The accen t i s on a rm jewels , neck laces , nose- r ings

and ank le t s , wi th the f ines t des igns found on nose

o r n a m e n t s . O n e d e s i g n k n o w n a s m a u r p a n k h i, is

crafted like a peacock with open feathers, made with

t h e p r o c e s s e s o f g r a n u l a t i o n ,

fil igree and casting.

In Sambalpur, brass jewellery

is common. Bangles in different

pat terns are pol ished dai ly and

appear to be made of gold.

K e r a l a h a s a v e r y r i c h

variety of gold designs. The

u se of precious s tones is n ot

so common here. Variety is

s e e n m o s t l y i n n e c k l a c e s .

Th e g a r u d a n e c k l a c e

p r o d u c e d h e r e b e a r s

t e s t i m o n y t o t h e f i n e

w or k m a n s h i p of t h e

craf t smen o f the a rea .

In Tamil Nadu , silver filigree armlets worn by Vellalars

o f C o i m b a t o r e D i s t r i c t h a v e e x c e l l e n t w o r k m a n s h i p i n

granu lar work .

Chettinad jewellery, made of uncut rubies, is one of the

finest. The addigai is a necklace made of a string of uncutrubies set in gold. A central motif of the padakam imitates

the lotus . The mangai-malai is a necklace of mango-shaped

pieces studded with uncut rubies and diamonds. The plait

cover often has at the top the head of a naga or snake.

The jewellery of the Todas and the Kotas of the Nilgiris

in Tamil Nadu, are very distinctive.

In Wes t Ben gal , th e filigr ee

w o r k o n g o l d a n d s i l v e r j ewe l l e ry i s ex t r em e l y

delicate. The finest pieces of

j e w e l l e r y a r e t h e h a i r

ornaments l ike the tara kanta

a n d t h e paan kan ta h a i r

pins designed like a star and

a betel leaf.

C E


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Meenakari or Enam el Work

One of the most sophisticated forms of jewellery developed

in North India is meen a ka r i. J a i p u r i s t h e m a i n cen t r e ,

bu t some craf t smen p rac t i se th i s a r t in Delh i , Lucknow

and Varanasi as wel l .

Meenakari is combined with ku n d a n to produ ce a delicate

and rich effect. The meenakar i or enamel led pa t te rns a re

so fine and intricate that they need to be examined with a

magnifying glass. This tradition continues even today.

A s t ep -b y - s t ep d es c r i p t i o n o f h o w t h e t ech n i q u es o f

meen a ka r i a n d k u n d a n are combined to make exqu is i te

jewellery is given below.

1. The s ha pe of the jewellery is f irs t created.

2 . The jeweller cuts ou t the sect ions where precious s tones

need to be inlaid.

3 . It is t h e n h a n d e d ove r to th e m e e n a k a r who fil ls the

sections with lac, fixes it on a stick of lac, and outlines

delicate designs of flowers, foliage and birds.

4 . After mak ing the ou t l ine , the en t i re a rea i s engraved

for filling the enamel colour.


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57J EWELLERY

5 . To co n t a i n e a c h c o lo u r d i ffe r e n t c om p a r t m e n t s a r e

created. Within the enclosed, t iny compartments, l ines

are engraved to hold each colour and also to reflect

l ight , s ince many of the colours are t ransparent .

6. After th is th e colours are filled in an d fired in a s imple

clay oven at maximum temperature.

7 . Colours which require a lesser degree of heat a re then

fi l led in their respect ive compartments in the design

and fired again, until the whole piece is worked with

enamel on both s ides .

8 . Th e n t h e p ie c e is g ive n t o t h e k u n d a n worker , who

h ea t s i t o n warm as h es an d f i x e s t h e s t o n es i n t h e

empty spaces , which had earl ier been cut to shape.

9. A fine gold filling, sh ap ed to the s ize of th e opening an d

intended to hold the gem in place, is then heated and

fused to the base of the piece.

10. The finish ed piece is th en polish ed with a soft leath er

cloth till it glows. The beauty of the meenakari ornament

lies in the combination of elaborate patterns in enamel

with the lustre of precious stones.

The uniqueness of the meenakar i ornament l i es in the

fact th at even the back of the piece is elaborately decorated,

though it will only be seen by the wearer.


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The Edge of Tolerance

Following is a poem An Amethyst by a school student which

depicts the hardships in the life of a gem-cutter.

I am an im ported a m ethy s t from Africa

I can s ee the difficulties of my sh aper

His age is 39 ye ars.

And he h ad been w ork ing from the a ge of eight,

The machine is his own a nd cost him 250 rupees

It looks to me as if he is being killed by de grees

Shaping an am ethyst on a w heel,

With his B.A. degree packed w ith a s eal

Sat S haldir Ahmad , the stone cutter

He w as oppres se d b ut no cry for help could he utter.

Late to bed a nd early to rise ,

He w ak es at five an d s leeps at 10 o clock in the night

Concentrating to sh ape m e, the right s ize

Due to this process he w eak ens his e yes ight .

Th is w as the w ork h is fa ther Samm u Khan

Had to do

And h is grand father Illahi Achan did the s am e w ork ,

His children go to a s chool

He w ants them to read a nd w rite

And not like him be in a plight.

The labour is one rupee per carat

He gets 1000 2000 rupees in a month

For all his h ard w ork , no part tim e job h e can do

The machine might be his, but the seth own s the Factory.The uncut amethy sts like me are imported,

After being w ork ed at they are exported.

Its not becaus e the foreign w ork ers a re s low ,

Its becaus e the cos t of our cut am ethy sts are low

Because the w orke rs pay scale is low.

How h ard he w ork s, how little he gets,

How hard h e s truggles , but, alas! He fails.

This is my tale,

This is m y story,

You for yourselves can n ow

Unders tand a w orkers sad ness and fury .

Bangles a nd the Bangle-ma k er

In Firozabad it is a familiar sight to see people on bicycles,

w heeling han dcarts or cycle ricks haw s w hich are piled h igh w ith

brightly coloured ba ngles . They are either being tak en to peoples

homes for completion or back to the factory for refiring.

Within homes also known as judai addas , the bangles go

through the s tages ofjhalai,judai an d ka ta i. The ba ngles come

in large bunches of 31 2 ban gles , of w hich 12 ba ngles are res erved

for breakage.

U n c u t a m e t h y s t


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59J EWELLERY

The first stage is jhalai. Th is w ork is done by the w omen

and children in the family. Four to f ive members si t in their

one-room h ous e, w hich serves as their l iving, s leep ing an d

w ork ing area. The roof an d the w alls of this room a re abs olutely

black w ith thick s oot. The s oot comes from the k eros ene lam ps

that are us ed in their w ork.

In front of each person a re 1 0 12 sm all k erose ne oil w ick

lam ps placed in a s em i-circle. Each ba ngle is then held by both

ends and the m idd le is heated over the f lam e. The hea ted bangle

is the n placed on the ground a nd gen tly pres se d to align the tw o

ends. Care has to be taken to ensure that there are no burns

either from the flam e or the h eated ban gle.

These a ligned ban gles are now tak en over by the m en or older

boys for the n ext s tage w hich is th at of joining the ban gle or

judai. In this process the tw o ends of the ban gles are heated over

a k erosen e and acetylene f lam e. The end s a re pressed togetherand the flam e m elts the glass enough to join the ban gle and m ak e

it a comp lete circle.

In both the s tages ofjhalai a ndjudai the w orkers su ffer the

ris k of being burnt bes ides straining their ey es . Cram ps , pain in

the joints a s w ell as se vere backache a re some of the other

problems faced by these w orke rs.

The joined ban gles are now ready for the kata i addas . The

carving is d one on a fas t revolving wh eel on w hich d es igns are

etched into the glas s. During this proces s it is very comm on for

the w ork er to get cut on the w heel or get fly ing glass particles

into his ey e. This is accom pan ied by aches and pains includ ing

a s train on the back .

Gold coating is the next step that the bangles go through.

Here a solution of pure gold and chemicals is poured into the

designs etched on the bangles, giving them an elaborate look.

During this s tage the w ork ers ha nd le al l the raw chem icals

w ithout w earing an y protective gloves or aprons.

As th e gold s olution is very ex pens ive, the w ork ers ha ve to be

very careful in ha nd ling it, so as to m inimise w as tage.

The ba ngles are now s ent ba ck to the factory for refiring, w hich

gives them a s heen. These are put individua lly on a t in tray an d

placed in a furnace. They have to be pulled out to check and

recheck if the process is com plete. The w ork ers run the ris k of

expos ure to exces sive hea t, burns and hea t cataract. Finally th e

bangles are sorted out and pa cked in boxes.

FEISAL ALKAZI, MARTHA FARELL an d

SHVETA KALYANWALA , The Danger Within


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1 . Des igns t ran s la te na tu ra l forms in to symbols . What doyou th ink were the sou rces of ins piration a nd symbolism

of the fol lowing. (Example:Bija o r s e e d r e p r e s e n t s

g ro wt h , f e r t i l i t y , p ro s p e r i t y . ) ( a ) M a n g a i m a l a , (b )

Shikharof a temple, (c) Dome of a mosque, (d) Wooden

tribal pole, (e) Kumbha or pot, (f) Kite.

2 . It is s a id tha t in Ra jas th an a w oman carries a l l her

w ealth on her body in the form of jew ellery. This is one

of the ways o f inves t ing weal th . What a re the o ther

ways of conserving ones wealth?

3 . It is difficult to d ecide w heth er it is folk jew ellery w hichha s influenced urban jew ellery, or vice ve rs a. There is

no doubt, howe ver, that ma ny of the form s lik e the bore,

th e h a r , the h a t h p h o o l , the gajra , originally developed

in fo lk jew ellery w ere la ter ad opted by city jew ellers

w ho re f ined them by us ing gold a nd prec ious s tones .

Do y o u ag ree? Arg u e y o u r ca s e g i v i n g ex am p l es o f

con temporary male and female jewel le ry fash ions in

your region.

4 . It is in teres t ing, how eve r, to f ind tha t chi ldren of a l l

castes and communities wear the hasl i as it is supposed

to protect their collarbone from dislocation. W h a t d oc h i l d r e n o f y o u r c o m m u n i t y w e a r a n d w h a t i s t h e

significance of each piece of jewellery?

5 . Unti l recent ly d es igns in clothes an d jew ellery of the

people all over Ind ia w ere governed by the ir pa rticular

cas te and the comm uni ty to wh ich they be longed . Do

you think this tradition is changing, and why?

6. Invest igate the occupa t ional heal th hazards in d ifferent

a s p ec t s o f j ewe l l e ry p ro d u c t i o n , a s fo r ex am p l e i n

meen a ka r i work o r in the bang le indus t ry . How can

th i s be addressed?

7. A recent Hollywood film called Blood Diamonddescribes

t h e p o l i t i c a l co n f l i c t , ex p l o i t a t i o n o f ch i l d ren , an d

slavery involved in the mining of diamonds in Africa.

Write a poem or story on a related theme based on your

o b s e rva t i on / exp e r ien ce / r e s ea rch .

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Documents

CH5-Ancient Jwellery-NCERT text book