Pakistan - A tradition of crafts

The people of Pakistan can take pride in the rich and varied cultural tradition that they have inherited, not the least being a glittering array of crafts. The scale of excellence in execution has been achieved in even utilitarian crafts, such as pottery or weaving. Lungis (sarong) or saris for daily wear have been evolved into exotic and exquisite works of art rivalling the famous tapestries of Europe.
Our crafts emerge from the area's long history of ancient civilisations, as a dimension of regional cultures and as an intrinsic part of a complex ritual of life.
The fusion and subsequent absorption into the Indo-Aryan cultures, flowering against a backdrop of very high mountains, arid plateaux, verdant plains, riverine tracts and scorching deserts, moulded the aesthetic expression of the people.
Tracing the source of creative intellect, it was found that the craftsperson combined the functions of receiver as well as executor, to become the symbol and manifestation of a creative purpose, in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of life.
The craftsperson has been the vital link in an unrboken tradition which embraced both producer and consumer within a community, resulting in art and aesthetics becoming deeply rooted in function.
The genius of the craftspeople, be they Sindhi, Punjabi, Baluchi or Pakhtoon, finds the richest and boldest expression, wherever the tradition of continuity has remained intact.
Civilisations have come and gone, but the craftsperson has survived, not merely by the ability to adapt to social change, but by maintaining an integral place in the community and ensuring the continuity of the crafts which combined functional activity with aesthetics
Each region has its own source of inspiration in the context of its historical and social background. The essential material needs of the people, the common need for clothing, utensils, floor covering, decorative artifacts, etc are fulfilled by the craftspeople of each region, but their individual identity which emanates from the environment, configuration of the land and the climatic features is maintained.
The major crafts of Pakistan - weaving, hand block printing, embroidery, carpet weaving, pottery, wood work, metal ware, etc, are found in all parts of Pakistan, other crafts are exclusive to a single locale.
SINDH:
This province of Pakistan is richest in crafts from ancient times, Block printing, Ajrak, tie and dye, fine cottons and muslins, such as Sussi and Khes, Farasi (goat hair rugs) embroidery, Rilli (applique or patch work), bangles, jewellery and lacquer work are the major crafts. Vivid colours are used reflecting the prisms of light in the desert.
PUNJAB:
The crafts of Punjab have a rural and urban distinction. The 'royal' crafts of urban centres include tiles, wood work, silks, ivory, silver and gold work on clothing and jewellery, fine cottons and art forms eg, Naqashi. The village crafts focus on cotton weaving, basket weaving and embroidery.
BALOCHISTAN:
The area covered by Balochistan stretches from the coast of Makran in the west to the mountain passes of Bolan and Gomal. The important crafts are embroidery, leather work, carpets and rugs, jewellery, pottery and basketry.
NWFP:
The development of crafts in NWFP has been conditioned as elsewhere by the need of indigenous inhabitants and the availability of raw materials. This is reflected in the highly developed leather, wood and metal crafts. NWFP also has a tradition of weaving and embroidery from the earliest times.
WEAVING:
Cotton and silk weaving of all qualities has been a major craft in the Pakistan region of the Asian sub-continent from the earliest times. From Sindh fine cottons and muslins were exported to Egypt and the Egyptian nummies were said to be wrapped in these muslins. The local traditions of spinning and weaving got a further boost with the coming of the Muslims in this area. New motifs and colours were introduced.
Sussi is a multicoloured cloth, made of pure cotton and hand spun yarn. Its leading centres are all located in Sindh.
Khes is a double weave material generally used as blankets or bed covers. Both Sindh and Punjab have centres, each producing their distinctive Khes, through differing colours and weave patterns. The Khes are woven in pairs.
The Nasarpur (Sindh) Khes is unique as it has all-over tiny patterns in a variety of colours; gold and silver threads are also sued. The wide borders have bolder patterns.
The Frontier province has its own long and particular tradition of weaving in wool, cotton and silk. The 'pattoo' (woven wool cloth) is famous for its soft texture. It is woven only in natural colours and is of very narrow width. Silk is woven for turban material.
Khaddar - the handloom cotton worn by the people - is found everywhere. The finest is produced in NWFP, but both Sindh and Punjab have their Khaddar also which varies in quality. It has been hard hit by the mass manufacture of textile. Khaddar is regaining popularity as ethnic consciousness grows.
EMBROIDERY:
Pakistan is particularly rich in the variety of embroideries found in its different areas. Every sub-region has its own distinctive stitch and use of colours, and reflects the genius of the women everywhere. In Sindh the embroidery from its desert areas is an exquisite combination of complicated stitches and colours with decorative mirror work. The most lavish is the "Guj' - which is a bride's shirt and other ceremonial shirt fronts. Traditional embroidered chaddars for women and special scarves for bridegrooms are also the products of this area.
In the Punjab, an equal variety of embroideries are found, the Phulkari embroidery for chaddars and cushions done in raw silk and brilliant colours in unique. In the Frontier, the embroidery of Swat specialising in the cross stitch is used for caps, belts, pouches and purses.
Balochi embroidery, traditionally worked by women for their own use, is printed on silk cloth and is very fine and of exquisite detail. The Balochi use essentially seven traditinal colours, more subdued than those of Sindh and Punjab. Each area of Balochistan has its own distinctive style and stitch of embroidery. The commonest form is the 'Hurmutch' which involves four overlapping layers of stitching. Here, as in Sindh, mirror work with embroidery is much in vogue.
Leather embroidery is distinctly Balochi craft. Done with coloured thread in intricate designs, it is used for shoes and jackets. In some areas it is done by men only, in other areas women share the work. Women embroider and the men procure and cut the leather.
RILLI:
'Rilli' is an offshoot - patchwork or applique, and is indigenous to Sindh. Originally, using old materials and rugs, quilts and bed covers were made by the village women. Rilli is increasingly popular, but the original fine stitching and colour combinations are tending to be replaced by garish and less appealing colours.
Embroidery is a skill so time consuming that some decline is visible under the pressure of changing social patterns. However, the demand for hand embroideries remains as also the women with daughters continue to provide the traditional dresses for their dowries.
BLOCK PRINTING:
The traditional process of block printing involves the drawing and tracing of a design on a wooden block. The parts not to be coloured are cut away to a depth of a quarter inch, leaving the remaining design standing in relief. The block is smeared with pigment or dye, placed on the cloth and given a blow with a mallet to ensure the imprint of the design.
Different blocks are used for varying colours. Block printing with distinctive patterns and colours is found in all regions of the country.
The 'Ajrak', is Sindh's unique way of block printing. It has a long lineage. Its ancient technique using the skill of the hands has played a central role in the economy and culture of Sindh from ancient times. Instead of printing the colours directly with wooden blocks as in later techniques of block printing, mordant and resist are stamped on the cloth which is then dipped into a dye bath. If a resist is printed, the pattern remains white and when a mordant is used, only the dyed adheres to the print.
The Ajrak goes through an intricate process consisting of 18 distinct stages. The colours used on indigenous designs being deep blue madder red. Ajrak is intimately woven into the lie of the community and its usage is multifarious. The Sindhi man dons it with great pride as a turban, or slings it over his shoulder. The woman covers herself with the Ajrak chaddar. Traditionally, it was used as a bedspread, and also for carrying the harvest. It is used on ceremonious occasions, at weddings, and is a sacred covering for the dead.
CARPETS:
Carpets, rugs, durries and mats, woven and embroidered, are found in every region of Pakistan. Distinctive in design and using local materials, they vary from the sophisticated hand knotted carpets to tribal rugs and embroidered mats.
The hand knotted carpets in pure wool or mixed with silk are the finest in quality and match the renowned, carpets of Iran, Turkey and Central Asia. They are also a major foreign exchange earner.
The embroidered Gabba (floor rugs or wall hangings) is a product of Azad Kashmir. It depicts the legends and landscapes of that beautiful land. Hunting scenes, wedding celebrations and rural life are other subjects for presentation on the Gabba.
Namada is also a popular embroidered rug from Azad Kashmir. Tribal rugs such as Kelims from Balochistan and Sharman from Northern Areas have unique designs and are often worked at by women. Goat hair is used in the Sharmas and the Farasi - the rug particular to Sindh.
JEWELLERY:
Self adornment is a basic desire of the human race from the beginning of time. Beautifully crafted articles for this purpose have been found as far back as in the Stone Age and Bronze Age civilisations. Mohenjodaro and Taxila have yielded exquisite jewellery.
Diverse influences and migrations into the Pakistan region have served to bring fresh ideas and forms to the indigenous designs. Gold and silver jewellery of great intricacy and sophistication in design is the hallmark of Pakistan urban jewellery even today, reached its zenith in the Mughal period.
The silver and metal jewellery of the rural tribal areas is equally lovely, often bolder and heavier, but more appropriately designed for the rugged life of the rural and tribal people.
Making of silver jewellery involves diverse techniques. They may be cast by various methods to give the effect of chasing, carving or piercing. It may be stamped or pressed out of sheet metal. The appearance of a piece may be enriched with enamel work or by mounting of semi-precious stones, or synthetic stones.
POTTERY AND CERAMICS:
In Pakistan the art of pottery and ceramics carry a tradition of millenia and are justifiably famous even today. Many of the earthern pieces that the village potters turn out today are similar to centuries-old prototypes.
Pottery making involves three principal methods - modelling, throwing whereby the soft clay is shaped on the potters wheel and moulding on a plaster cast.
Availability of a variety of raw materials has contributed to the continuity of this craft. The elastic quality of the clay available around Peshawar, Multan, Hala, Gujrat and other pottery centres enables the creation of attractive artifacts, utensils and tiles. The blue and white tiles of Multan and Hala belong to ancient times and are still used for architectural decoration.
The sandy soil of Ahmedpur Sharqia region is used for making the famous "Kaghazi" or paper thin pottery of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Terracotta earthenware is widely used and the brightly painted Taxila pottery, decorative and cheerful, is very popular.
BRASS AND COPPER CRAFTS:
The metals, brass and copper, have been in use in this country since time immemorial. Recovery of bronze and copper utensils, figurines and coins from the excavations from Mohenjodaro and Taxila link this craft to the 5000 years old Indus valley and the Gandhara civilisations. The Bazaar Peshawar stands as a tribute to this age old craft.
Beauty and skillful workmanship in metalware is also found in areas of Punjab. Specialists working on knives and daggers are found in Wazirabad. Artisans working in this medium use intricate filligree and chasing for their products in other regions, such as Sindh also.
LACQUER WORK:
Every region of Pakistan has its practitioners of the lacquer work craft. This involves the process of applying layers of lac in different colours on wood, while the material is rotated on a lathe. Patterns are then etched on the surface, exposing each colour according to the requirements of traditional patterns.
The established traditional artisans are based in Multan and Chiniot in the Punjab; Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP; and Hala and Kashmore in Sindh. Furniture, toys and other household goods are ornamented with lacquer work. Increasingly, lacquer work is being adapted for contemporary uses very effectively.
CAMEL SKIN CRAFTS - NAQQASHI:
Artisans of Multan and Bahawalpur of Punjab involved in the traditional camel skin craft produce articles of breathtaking beauty. Camel skin is moulded into shape to form table lamps, lamp shades and other object d'art. The treated skin is stretched on to earthen moulds of the required shapes When dry, the mould is broken and the skin which has acquired its shape is cleaned and dried. The object is then ornamented with multicoloured lacquer painting of floral designs or geometric patterns, deeply influenced by Persian and Mughal heritage.
More and more the traditional Naqqashi craft is being used for articles of use today.
WOODCARVING:
Wood carving, involving intricate designs and delicate artistry, has a long association with Muslim culutre and traditions. The distinctive standards of skill are maintained by the artisans of today.
The variety in woodcraft has been possible because of the availability of different types of wood in different regions.
The NWFP has large resources of superior wood and enjoys popularity as a lucrative occupation while traditional quality is maintained. In the Punjab, brass and bone inlay and ornamental carving in wood products are well known. The Kashmir craftsmen excel in delicate workmanship on walnut wood. The soft quality of the wood enables the artisan to carve fascinating patterns in arabesque or jali.
In recent years wood work and wood carving have been developed particularly to meet the needs of modern furniture. Excellent traditional and modern furniture is being produced and its export component has shown increasing potential.
Modern technology and mass production threaten the creative process of hand crafting everywhere. In this country the craftspeople face a challenge to their very survival. Many of the unique handicrafts are dying, as the continuity of the craft through the tradition of father to son is breaking down. Lack of status and adequate rewards are the major deterrents. The National Crafts Council of Pakistan is one of the first non-governmental organisations which offers to promote and preserve this invaluable heritage of the people of Pakistan. The country is at the threshold of a new era.
The hope of sustained efforts by the Government, together with the non-governmental bodies, rises again for a brighter future for the crafts people and for the country itself.
(Contributed by the National Crafts Council of Pakistan.)