Embroidery – An Art Of Expression

Decoration for human beings dates back to prehistoric times. Man was always fascinated by the term decoration itself. He loved to adorn himself. He employed different methods to beautify or adorn himself. He employed different methods to beautify or adorn himself. Dried leaves, nails of animals, flowers, fruits, twigs, shells, colours or dyes extracted from natural sources like sea mollusks, indigofera tinctoria, tyrian-purple, Mandarin, hibiscus, saffron, turmeric and madder, etc were used to cover and embellish the body. The area of the skin decorated varied from culture to culture.

Expression through art is rooted in a particular culture and pre-historic period. Certain conventions or customs determine the form and content of art in any given period. Although the human impulse towards expression of feelings through art is universal, a complex mixture of social determines the specific expression of an era, psychological and aesthetic factors called Zeitgeist or spirit of the times.

Clothing was often used as a medium of expression with its own form and techniques. The lines, textures, colors, proportions and scale of fabric designs and the shapes of garments can and have varied enormously at different times and different places throughout history. Ideas of human beauty change with changes in the Zeitgeist. Often clothing is used by individuals as part of an attempt to conform to the physical ideal of human body at a particular place.

The articles in common use of a culture are best proof of its aesthetic development. For e.g. the Indus valley civilization people painted a variety of motifs on their pottery, some of which accompanied their burials. We always try to give an artistic form to the commonest articles in our life. This art-consciousness was expressed by means of a number of media. The surfaces, which could hold colour, were painted, or vessels of stone, wood or metal was chased; sometimes-inlaid metal was also found. Forms were introduced on cloth by means of painting, embroidery, calico printing of the appliqu method. Before the advent of the machine age, the craftsmen were so concentrated upon his work, that he evolved new forms of ornamentations during the process of its manufacture. The variety and creativity in the traditional arts and crafts resulted out of the above process.

As the time passed, different types of fabrics were discovered. Varied styles of garment silhouettes were developed. Everyone used their creative ability in decorating their attires. This creative enthusiasm of the people gave way for unending surface enrichment-techniques. Different forms of weaving, dyeing, printing, knitting, crocheting, macram, and embroideries were employed to design various styles.

Embroidery is the art of decorating a ground fabric with stitches to enrich it and add to its beauty. It can be worked on any pliable material from leather to gauge, in threads ranging from wool to the finest gold and it can be embellished with jewels, pearls and enamels

The origin of the embroidery, as of all needlework, do obscure owe to perishable nature of fabric. It is difficult to give an exact history of it. Embroidery embraces a wealth of different historical and contemporary techniques. All over the world people continue to develop traditional and innovative methods to decorate garments and soft furnishings, or to create an art form that re-interpretes the traditional skills, thus ensuring that embroidery is a constantly growing and developing craft.

Speaking to Express Textile, Mr. Ajay Agarwal, financial director, Pioneer Industries, said, "India is still a virgin market for embroideries. Traditionally, embroidery is used for ornamentation of apparel, products such as furnishings, lingerie, have not used much of embroidery. This form of embellishment is only now getting popular in menswear. Studies have shown that embroidery consumption per person in the country is Rs. 8 per annum. This makes clear the huge potential of embroidery in the country, which is still to be tapped."

Respect and regard for products of human creativity, ingenuity, and talent have always been part of human civilization. Every nation claiming to be a part of the civilized world is proud of its cultural heritage. Folklore is probably the most important and well-acclaimed component of the cultural heritage of a nation. It can reflect the essentials of a nations cultural attributes as in a mirror and is recognized as a basis for its cultural and social identity. Nations all over the world are quite possessive about this valuable heritage and express very strong sentiments about the management of the rich resource.

Embroidery is one of the oldest and most popular forms of surface ornamentation of fabrics and garments, and India is among the top suppliers of embroidered fabrics and garments worldwide. The sector is now getting more organized, with large players entering it.

REFERENCES:

PUBLICATION BOOKS:

Bhatnagar, Parul.Traditional Indian costumes and textiles. Abhishek publications

Gillow, J. and Barnard, N. (1993) Traditional Indian Textiles. Thames & Hudson Ltd. London.

WEB SITES

www.kamat.com
Handlooms and texcrafts
http://www.apparel.indiamart.com/industry/handlooms/index.html
Indian textiles: a historical perspective
http://www.apparel.indiamart.com/lib/apparel/indi10151998.html
www.indianheritage.org