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ARTS & CRAFTS

Crafts of Kerela

The crafts of Kerala have one thing in common-they have all been perfected through the dedicated hands of the craftsmen who thrive on coconut groves and wealth of forest riches.

Unlike any other region of the land, the craft skills of Kerala are entirely indigenous. The craftsmen here can pick up the humblest and meanest bit of material and imbue it with magical mastery. One finds it very difficult to investigate successfully the alchemy of these finished products of décor and utility.
Kererla craft

Coconut Shell Craft

Coconut shell craft is a popular craft in Kerala as coconut trees are found in abundance here. A high degree of skill is required for carving coconut shell, as it is hard. The main centre for coconut shell craft is Calicut district in Kerala. The common products are cups, flower vases, snuff boxes, sugar basins, nut bowls, powder boxes and spoons etc and also products decorated with brass, which are in great demand.


Coir Products

Making of coir and its products one of the main village industry of Kerala. Coir is extracted from the protective husk of the Coconut. Coir is used to make a range of floor coverings, door mats, floor Mattings and rugs, crush-proof pile carpets, Flowered Mourzouks etc. The mats come in a range of colours and intricate designs. Besides that rubberised coir, a blend of coir and latex is also used to make mattresses and cushioning. The husks separated from the nuts, are retted in lagoons upto ten months. The retted husks are then beaten with wooden mallets manually to produce the golden fibre. The fibre is later spun into yarn on traditional spinning wheels called "Ratts", ready for dyeing and weaving into myriad shades of floor coverings. Some of the main centres for coir products are Alleppey, Kollam and Calicut. The products are exported on a large scale to other countries.





Woodcarving

Kerala has one of the richest traditions in woodcarving. Temples and palaces are the best preservers of the woodcarving styles of Kerala. Doors, windows and ceilings of most of the ancient houses are testimonial of the high level of craftsmanship and tradition of woodcarving. Carvings are made on rosewood, sandalwood, cedar wood and teak. Life-size wood carved figures, which are highly stylised with exaggerated features, gestures and postures, like the characters of Kathakali dance drama, mythological and religious figures were produced. Now items also include intricately carved Elephants in different postures, other animal figures, paper weights, lamp stands, Jewellery Boxes like Nettoor jewellery boxes in its unique conical shape, with brass edgings at the corners, decorative furniture etc. Kerala style of work on sandalwood and rosewood is quite distinct from that prevalent elsewhere.



Metal Inlaid Wood Craft

The main centre for the craft is Ernakulam district in Kerala. Rose wood and white wood pieces are cut into required sizes and pasted on a plywood base according to the particular design and polished. The brass metal pieces are fixed in different designs to make the final product. The product includes Dancing Lady, Peacock, Candle Stand, Star Wheel, Kathakali Heads, Key Stand and Butterflies etc.


Screw Pine Products

Screw pine mat weaving is an ancient craft and one of the major cottage industries in Kerala. Three types of mats are woven with Screw pine leaves. The main centres of this craft in Kerala are Karunagapalli Taluk of Kollam Dist, Mavelikkara and Karthikapalli Taluks of Alappuzha dist. Thazava, Vachrai and Vallikunnam Panchayaths, some villages in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam Districts. Screw pine leaves are also woven, hand embroidered and shaped into products like household linen, straw hats, and carry bags.


Horn Carving

Horn carving is an ancient craft practiced mainly by artisans belonging to Viswakarma Community in Thiruvananthapuram. A wide range of products like flower set, birds, animals, combs, cigarette cases, lamps etc. are made out of horn.


Bamboo Mat Paintings

Bamboo mat painting is one of the major craft in Kerala. The artisans initially make mats of required size as canvas and paint on it. Painting on the mat requires more concentration than ordinary painting. Most of the paintings are human and religious figures, animals, birds, scenery etc. in different size and in attractive colours. The products look beautiful with bamboo reed frames at the top and bottom.



Metalwork

Metal work is an ancient art of Kerala. The production of Temple bells and lamps has been in existence from very early times. Kerala is a home of bell metals. Gleaming bell metal alloyed from a mixture of brass, tin and copper provide the raw substance for making tower-like lamps. Different types of cooking vessels, like the magnificent 'Varpu', tumblers for drinking etc are some of the other bell metal items. Trivandrum, Irinjalakuda and Kasargod are the main centers of bell metal. The religious icons from Kerala has a wonderful directness, devotion and serenity associated with them like the unusual icon of the tandava dance, known as gaja tandava or gajasamhara, where Shiva is crushing the demon in an elephant form. The chief centres in Kerala for icons are Trivandrum; Payyanur is Cannanore district, and Angadipuram in Palghat district. A special and famed product of Aramula, a village near Chengannur in Kerala is the metal mirror made out of an alloy of copper and tin and its polished face resembling glass because of its wonderful reflecting quality.



Other crafts

Papier-Mache Masks Papier -Mache masks of Kerala dancers in different poses are available. Kathakali faces are one of the common subject matter of Papier-Mache. Banana Plant fibre, Cora grass, Rice straw etc are used to make various products. Banana fibre is woven into floor coverings, each a square foot in size, are then stitched together according to the size desired, Rice straw is used to form a silken collage of native scenery on black silk and Cora grass is used to make mats are best examples for the above.










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