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Lacquer Jewelry of Rajasthan
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Lac is a resinous substance produced by the female lac insect found in abundance in the forests of Rajasthan. This is the basis of Lacquer Jewelry in Rajasthan- forming a strong cultural identity. Women in Rajasthan adorn their hands with lacquer bangles of various designs, light and heavy, studded with glass, diamonds, and multitude of colors. All lac jewelry is considered auspicious and propitious. Therefore it is worn on auspicious occasions. Lac bangles also indicated the status of marriage in a woman, as also the birth of a son.
The resin that is collected is cleared of impurities. It is then dried and converted into a shellac. Another layer of lacquer or white clay is added to strengthen the existing layer of lacquer. This core lac is then shaped into a tapering conical form. Colored lac is then poured on the top of the sputala till it covers the core lac completely. The roll of the lac is then used to
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cut bangle, to give it the desired thickness. Layers
of color are then added.
The traditional bangles are plain and ornamented with leheriya, wave-like patterns of diagonal lines. Motifs such as the patta (straight lines) or phooldar (floral) are etched onto the surface of multiple layers of many hued lac coats, thus revealing the color embedded in the initial layers. Also, lac is used as a filling or backing for gold and silver bangles, cubes or beads.
Jaipur is the biggest city for the making of lac jewelry. A lot of design led innovation is happening in the city to contemporaries the use of lac towards the making of toys, pen stands, boxes of different sizes and other articles. Combining lacquer with wood, plastic, ceramics and metals is also a case in design led innovation in the lacquer industry of Jaipur and Rajasthan.
Image Courtesy: Handmade in India, M P Ranjan and Aditi Ranjan, 2007, COHANDS |
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