Arts and Crafts

Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

HandiCrafts

• Indian words for handicrafts are commonly hastkala, hastshilp, dastkari, karigari, all meaning handiwork, but they also refer to objects made with craftsmanship, i.e., specialised skills of the hands which are also artistic.
• The aesthetic content is an intrinsic part of such objects and means the object of utility has a value that goes beyond mere usage and is also pleasing to the eye.
• Crafts are closely related to concept of form, pattern, design, usage, and these lead to its total aesthetic quality.
• Arunachal Pradesh is the home to a large number of tribes and sub-tribes.
• It has a rich tradition of craftsmenship, which manifests itself in various arts and crafts produced by these tribes.
• The Buddhist including Monpas, Sherdukpen, Aka, Bugun et al make beautiful masks, carpets and painted wooden vessels.
• The Bangis and Apatani make bag, hat, jewellery etc. Khamtis and Wanchos are well known for their wood carving. Pottery of Dafla women is well-known.
• The significance is usually associated with the gonzo of tradition as people here defines their tribal community through oral handicrafts and each community has set of different things to offer which could be seen as great souvenir and could be compared as distinct from others.

Pottery Crafting of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• It is another area of craft where local have excelled with great fluency, the perfect exhibition of utility of clay could be examine through pots beside that design and amulets in pot would make the entire scene very defining with full of expression.
• Dafla women are skilled in this craft.
• The legend is that Abo Takam was the first Dafla potter and from him the art passed on to the women.
• The process involves pounding a specific kind of earth called dekam on a big stone with a wooden hammer. When it turns into powder, water is mixed and it is hammered till it gains the required softness.
• Finished pots are not subjected to any polishing or burnishing. They are carefully kept in the shade while drying.
• When completely dry, they are put in a fire out-side the house. There are no kilns or pot-ovens, though a ditch, if available, makes it convenient to put burning firewood over the pots.

Cane and Bamboo Work of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• The cane and Bamboo industry dominates the front of handicraft sector here at Arunachal.
• The bamboo and cane is associated with life of people as most of the domestic and household products are made out of bamboo.
• The grand utilization of it could be trace through utensils, bamboo hat, basket, cane vessel; cane belts, woven and lain, bamboo mugs etc beside that ornaments and jewellery are other important parts of Bamboo work.

Weapons of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• Weapons are an integral part of the tribal life since the times immemorial.
• Although certain weapons have become obsolete and replaced by modern weapons yet traditional weapons have a place of their own.
• Weapons are used in war and chase and day to day task. All such weapons are produced locally.
• The most important weapon of Akas is bow and arrow, known by the names of tkeri and moo respectively, and used extensively in the chase.
• Weapons may vary in size according to the user`s requirement.
• The bigger ones used in hunting are fitted with tips of iron and smeared with aconite poison. The bows are usually hung over the shoulders while the arrows are carried in a case of bamboo called Thouvou.
• Another weapon, orignally of war but now of defence, is a kind of crude harpoon, one end of which is barbed with sharp iron nails. It is hurled at the target from a distance.
• The most common weapon used both in war and peace is the dao.
• It is of extensive use to the people in their day-to-day task such as cutting wood and bamboo pieces, clearing shrubs and other growth in the forest etc. It is made of steel and is usually covered with bamboo sheath when not in use. The local term for dao is wetz
• Like Akas, Pailibos also use different kinds of weapon.
• They keep it in a special place. Some of the weapons used by them are as follows-

1. UYI-A bamboo bow with a cane string.
2. UPUK-A bamboo arrow without an iron tip or a poison.
3. MORA-A bamboo arrow with an iron tip.
4. GEB-BU-A quiver made from hollow bamboo with a bamboo lid.
5. NYIBU-A pointed spear with long wooden pole and iron blade. It has a shaft made of a long pole of dry and hard wood. Below the metal head there is tuft of yak or horse hair.
6. YOKSE-A big steel dao or sword.
7. SOTAM-A shield made of bamboo and cane.
8. CHOBUK-It is a sheath for the dao or medium size dagger made from cane and strengthened with pieces of wooden strips.
9. EG-GYI-An iron axe used for felling trees and for slaughtering mithuns during sacrifice

Carpet Making of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• The Carpet Making is a manifest of Monpas, the Buddhist community living in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Monpas are expert in this process and the weave carpet with essence of design makes it more eclectic and cultural.
• The religious expression finds true meaning in their works as geometrical progression moves from one angle to angle to portray the figures of dragons and floral patterns.
• The carpet at present is high on demand as people around asking for it which in turn have graph the production to large scale.

Wood Carving of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• Wood carving is one of the oldest tradition carried by locals of Arunachal Pradesh and again Monpas, the Buddhist community of the state is leading the front by making an ample use of their talent and understanding in carving and designing an element to a different level.
• The grand example of wood carving could be trace through beautiful cups, wooden mask, etc.
• Khamptis, another legion of tribal community is specifically renowned for wood carving and their idea of chiselling the woods is bit different as they craft religious figures, toys and other objects.
• Wood carving is a tradition with some of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Monpas, Khamtis, Wanchos, Phom, Konyak tribes occupy significant place in this art.
• Wood carving like in the case of Nagaland finds expression mainly under three categories;firstly, with head hunting, secondly with the decoration of the morungs or men`s youth dormitory and thirdly, the funerary images erected for warriors and other important person.
• In carving of the human figure, special attention is paid to the head. The features are carved in low relief and are fairly realistic.
• Usually the image depicting a warrior is decorated with special cowerie belt and several other artefacts.
• The top of the head is rounded and usually has some indication of hair-cut.
• Tattoo marks are carefully represented, and most figures are dressed up with little bits of cloth and even ornaments with tufts on head or beads in the ear.

Weaving

• Weaving is the occupation of the womenfolk throughout the territory.
• They have an excellent sense of colour.
• The basic colours that dominate the weaves are black, yellow, dark blue, green and scarlet – all put together in the most fascinating combinations.
• Originally natural dyes were used which today have given way to synthetic dyes.
• The designs are essentially geometric varying from a formal arrangement to lines and bands.
• Items that could make excellent buys are Sherdukpen shawls, Apatani jackets and scarves, Adi skirts, jackets and bags, Mishmi shawls, blouses and jackets; and Wancho bags.

Ornaments Making of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• Ornaments making is a craft widely practised in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The work of a silver smith is more intricate and artistic.
• The first stage in the manufacture of the traditional ornaments he makes, is to make a wax mould of the ornament.
• This is done by warming the wax sticks or coils and then placing them on the standard moulds made of wax and wood.
• Where designs are essential, they are made with thin wax coils and cut with a knife where necessary.
• Scion of ornaments are another significant arts carried by local people of Arunachal, the layer of colours are usually the main highlights but implantation of beads is the complex idea that needs special attention.
• Beside the game of colours, the feather of birds is used to add more spark to their ornaments.
• The Akas tribe of Arunachal makes bamboo bangles and ear rings beside that they design pucker work.

Ivory and Metal Craft of Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

• Ornaments made of brass, bone, ivory, silver and gold are also crafted – using a set of simple tools – by many of the tribes here.
• The Monpas and Sherdukpens are well known as traditional silver smiths and even supply silver ornaments to other tribal groups – the Khowas, Mijis and Akas.
• The Nishis and Sulungs have perfected the art of brass smithy. They dexterously craft ornaments, dishes, sacred bells and smoking pipes out of this metal.
• The Khamptis work mainly in gold, iron, silver and ivory, though their products were mainly meant for use within their own tribe.
• Because of the abundant availability of cane and wood in Arunachal, pottery never gained popularity.
• Another reason for its relative under development is the nonavailability of suitable clay in this region. However, several tribes like the Monpas, Sherdukpens, Apatanis, Nlishis, Noctes, Wanchos, Adis, Khampas and Mombas practise for art.
• Among the pottery work, the beautiful clay images of Lord Buddha made by the Monpas, Mombas and Khampas are specially mentionable.

Other Crafts

• Paper making, smithy work, carpentry, pottery and ivory work are the other crafts practiced by the Arunachalis.
• The Monpas make paper locally, from pulp of trees called Sukso or the paper trees.
• This hand made paper is used for writing religious prayers on them. Hunting, fishing also form the subsidiary occupations