Array with a golden touch

THE North-Eastern Crafts Fair is awash with colours of gold: the mellow soft yellow of golden grass and bamboo, the delicate gold of cane, even the muted gold of dried grass and ferns. Cane and bamboo artefacts, functional items and furniture are the prime attraction of the crafts fair organised by `Purbashree' and sponsored by the Office of the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The focus is on the traditional textile crafts for which the North-East is famous, such as shawls, saris, bed linen, etc. And of course there is a wealth of decorative functional items as well, such as delightful basketry items, wooden forks and spoons etc., bamboo wall hangings, tea and coffee mugs, all of which use traditional craft skills and locally available materials to fashion contemporary lifestyle items.

Assam's wealth of cane furniture carries with it the flavour of `old world' comfort and impeccable craft techniques. The `woven- look' sofas, a perennial favourite both as verandah and indoor furniture are on display along with `woven' `moorhas' centre tables and so on. An addition to the collection is `new look' cane sofa sets which are minimal both in the use of cane and their contemporary look. Also available are well crafted cane `what nots', planters, magazine racks and so on. And for a `complete' cane look to interiors are Manipur's fascinating `Kuana' grass mattresses, divan covers, puja mats and so on.

Then there are beautifully crafted cane and bamboo baskets and bowls in various shapes and sizes. Basketry is a craft which many North Eastern States have perfected to a fine art. Each has a special weaving technique reflected, for instance, in Nagaland's bamboo mugs and masks, the delicate baskets from Manipur and Assam and rustic looking woven jewel boxes from Meghalaya.

The textile wealth of the North-East is represented by typical red, blue and white Naga woollen shawls, Manipur's beautifully woven cotton saris in vivid colours and Assam's exquisite Muga silk saris and Meghalaya chadowrs. One can also choose from a variety of small gifts and craft artefacts as giveaways for the festive seasons.

The North-Eastern Crafts Fair on at Sri Sankara Hall, TTK Road, concludes on October 14.

Elegant, eco-friendly

The work of Kalamkari craftspersons is being showcased at Dakshinachitra in a niche exhibition which opens today (October 5). The range includes exquisitely done, sarong sets and dupattas as well as a wide range of affordable lifestyle accessories. A striking feature is the impeccable craftsmanship and the beautiful finish of the products. Only vegetable dyes have been used.

The Kalamkari products include lamp shades in the contemporary milieu, boxes, picture frames, greeting cards, folders and an interesting rage of stationery items. The vegetable colours are vibrant and used in perfect design harmony. The salwar-kameez sets, tops and sarongs are very elegant with excellent Kalamkari work.

DWARAKA's Kalamkari exhibition which opens today at Dakshinachitra, East Coast Road, Muttukadu, concludes on October 8.

DWARAKA or Development of Weavers and Rural Artisans in Kalamkari Art is an NGO which works with the Kalamkari artists of Srikalahasti in the areas of socio-economic empowerment, training, small scale savings as well as design development.

PUSHPA CHARI

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