Is it Indian?

Of late, my daughter and I are watching a baking show called, “Is It Cake?” where contestants bake cakes resembling real-life products: think handbags, basketballs, and even a bag of money!

Here’s Club Artizen’s version of the game, related to crafts:

Is it (originally) Indian?

We like to slap citizenship on crafts, as much as people. But do we even know where some of these crafts come from?

So, come on, take this quiz to find out!

Wicker baskets:

The quintessential storage medium, for everything from chic to chickens, where do you think this originated?

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No, not India. There is evidence of wicker baskets from ancient Sumerian, Egyptian and Roman civilizations! Tribal communities from all over the world are known to have engaged in basket weaving using various materials per their geographic location: bamboo, palm, cane, willow, etc.

Jaipur Blue Pottery:

The eye-catching blue pottery, now available in many colours, unique as the only pottery form that does not use clay. Originally Indian, or not?

No, not Indian. The art came to India from the Mughals — more specifically, from Persia and Afghanistan. However, India is where it has flourished, and received global acclaim!

Gond:

This art form, characterised by bright colours and themes inspired by nature, has received a lot of attention in recent times. Indian, or not?

Yes, very much so. The Gond paintings, originally the preserve of Gondi tribes of Madhya Pradesh, also became popular among the tribes in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Kalamkari:

The “pen-work” has swept the country, with the patterns finding favour even in the remotest corners of India. Is it Indian?

Yes, and no. In its current form, it’s entirely Indian. Its origin could be the pattachitra from Orissa. When the Golconda rulers and Mughals patronized the art form, it is likely that it was named “qalam-kari” with the introduction of Persian art motifs to the craft. Even if the name suggests penmanship, one form of Kalamkari uses block printing to create designs on a variety of fabric.

Shop for Club Artizen’s kalamkari wallet here.

Kites:

Who has not wanted to see the sky dotted with colourful diamond-shaped birds during Sankranti, and waited to utter the triumphant words, “Kai Po Che” (‘I have cut’)? So Indian, no?

Wrong. While the Sankranti tradition is all Indian, kites likely came to India via China, and made its way to the rest of the world! In fact, you might remember that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity through an experiment using a kite. Without this travel of crafts and culture, you might not be reading this article online!

So, there you have it. While some crafts are born here, others have immigrated. Regardless of their origin, they all need nurturing and support. Join our club!