At the end of the horizon

A 400-year-old craft is dying out as potters and the government blame each other for neglecting it, says AJIT BHIMSEN KHATAI.

HE walked with difficulty, along the corridors of the small, dark house where the only activity was the exquisite art of glazed pottery practised by a descendant of the Udayar family, K. M. Venkatesan, a master craftsman. Initially the craft was patronised by the Nawabs (ruling class) of Arcot, and sometimes by Christian missionaries and, in the modern times, with the reluctant assistance of the government.

Karigiri is a sleepy little village in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. The famed craft of Karigiri glazed pottery is indigenous to this spot with approximately 500 families. At one time, six families of the Udayars were relentlessly trying to perpetuate the art, but today there is only one man.

It was around 1700 A.D. that their art came to be known. During the time of the Nawabs of Arcot, there was a Hindu potter, Sanyasi Udayar, who created exquisitely crafted hookahs (smoking pipes). The records say that he learnt the craft from Muslim potters or the Kashigars.

Clay moulded pottery with impressions of Persian motifs continue to be produced with the original traditional designs. Made on semi-dry clay, the technique has been mastered over the centuries. Each detail is done by hand. The glaze composition, a much guarded secret, is a combination of chemicals which produce exotic shades of colours. The presence of lead in the glaze made it difficult to use the utensils for everyday use. However as a work of art, these are as eloquent today as they were when they were created centuries ago. Among the many artefacts, the series of magic pottery made by the potters are worth a mention.

In the magic jug, water can be poured from the bottom and poured out only through the beak, and does not spill out when in an upright position. In the "magic Krishna", the tank at the top does not let the water seep through the opening to reach the lower compartment until it touches the feet of a miniature Krishna placed in the centre of the tank. In the case of the "magic Shiva", the water is filled in the tank and does not flow down until it reaches a certain height.

The pottery is made from a special composition of buff-burning clay, which most villagers use as a caste mark. The lumps or Namakatti is obtained from Sunkuvarchatram in Chengai-Anna district. Chemically, this is a kind of low-fusing china clay with an elasticity that helps evolve intricate designs.

The main objects used are pre-carved dyes in different shapes and sizes, having Persian motifs. River pebbles and shells are also used to give a smoother or a ribbed effect.

Open kilns of cylindrical shapes, used for biscuit firing, are erected in the courtyard of the potter where the pots are arranged with broken bits of red pottery to avoid cracking in the vessels. Raw materials used to feed the fire are cow-dung cakes, faggots and dry grass. At the bottom of the kiln, a few holds are left to allow the smoke to escape. The kiln is then smeared with cow-dung paste and lit. This burns for almost six to eight hours. Glazing, the process of applying chemicals to the pottery, is done using silica - flux which lowers the melting point of silica - and a stabiliser to prevent the glaze from running off the pot when it melts during firing. Glazes, so applied, seal the porous clay so that it cannot be penetrated by liquid, and offer unlimited aesthetic potential. Karigiri pottery uses some or all of the following chemicals in suitable proportion to make the glaze: Iron oxide and manganese oxide are use for shades of brown, copper oxide and chromium oxide for green to turquoise blue shades, cobalt oxide for blue shades, antimony oxide and gold/silver salts for yellow and orange shades, and oxides of tins for milky white shades. Glaze, with an addition of aluminium, is quite fluid and, when melted, enables it spread evenly on the surface of the article. The glaze used at Karigiri is lead silicate. It is grounded to a fine powder and sieved so that it fuses properly and does not appear as irregular smudges on the surface. The glaze mixture is now an open secret (75 per cent red lead, 25 per cent quartz and five per cent colour). In spite of inventions to maintain and record kiln temperatures, the Karigiri potters still use the traditional method.

The Karigi Pottery Workers' Co-operative Society, started in 1959 with much fanfare, has now turned into a bad dream. Low wages, loss of production and sales led to the closure of the society. However, in 1967-68, the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) took over the functioning of the society from the Department of Industries and Commerce. But with loans not forthcoming, a representation was made to the Khadi Board to revive the craft. Nothing came of it.

Today, the visibly distressing and demoralised sight of the craftspeople, is proof of the decadence of the craft. The craftsmen and the Government blame each other for the situation. The Crafts Council of India (CCI) is trying to review this craft. A recent survey has identified measures that can be taken to revive the craft. For his effort to preserve the craft, K. M. Venkatesan, was conferred with the Kamala Devi Award by the CCI.

It will be a pity if this 400-year-old craft becomes extinct.

The writer is a crafts and fashion designer

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