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POTTERY
Though there are very few potters among the tribals, the tribal people
extend their patronage to the other potters. They have long used the
elemental quality of earth as a substance in the execution of both ritual
and utilitarian objects. A variety of roof tiles, utensils such as pots,
bowls, plates and jars, and cooking stoves meet specific requirements of
daily life. Simultaneously the potter creates votive offerings in strong
forms of bulls, elephants and horses as well as terracotta temples and
toys.
CANE,
BAMBOO, REEDS, GRASSES AND WOOD
Bamboo and cane have all the fertile, lively and tactile qualities of
nature's raw materials, which crafts persons have successfully harnessed.
The structural qualities of bamboo, its high-tensile strength and
pliability have led to its widespread use for architectural purposes.
Besides which, bamboo splits are woven together to make baskets of diverse
shapes and sizes depending on the nature of goods they are required to
carry or store.
Similarly, the elasticity and sturdiness of cane has been utilized in the
manufacture of a variety of domestic goods, while countless local fibres
and reeds are used by people with household skills to make ropes, strings,
brooms and the like. These products are largely geared for local
consumption. However, the potential of these materials is so great that
new applications can be explored for the new customers.
PLASTER
The application of plasters to her dwellings is often the rural woman's
medium of creative expression reflecting both in terms of colours and
symbols, the close identification of man with nature. From clay come the
colours ochre, geru, charcoal grey and white, which are either used
naturally or mixed with pigments purchased from the markets.
The images created by her are timeless, yet, ephemeral, with the sun and
the rain taking their toll. The predominantly geometric forms - a straight
line, a square covered in dots, waves, triangles pointing to the sky and
downwards - can have the most disparate of meanings but the symbolism of
fertility is implicit in all of them. The tools used for applying the
plasters whether on hut walls or floors are basic. They use twigs,
fingers, whole hands and rags.
THEATRE CRAFTS
The "Desiya Natya" of tribal Orissa derives its distinctive
style in some part from "Prahlada Natakams" and "Jatras"
of the Hindus. Its colourful costumes - embroidered headdresses and
painted masks, which adorn the key actors, and the use of imaginative
props are a craft in themselves. Masks carved out of papier-mâché
and 'Sholapith', the weightless bark of a water plant, represent various
gods, goddesses, demons and animals.
SEEDS, HERBS AND MEDICAMENTS
In Koraput district alone, at least 200 different varieties of rice are
produced or grow wild. Some are for consumption during festivals and
marriages, others for their taste, colour or smell, and yet others are
grown for their pesticidal or soil-fertilization characteristics. The
traditional dependence of many indigenous communities on biological
resources is also evidenced in the use of several plants, which have
medicinal values. For instance, the stem of the 'Hadbhanga' plant is
applied to fractured bones for quicker mending and the fruit of the
'Utkapali' is used to cure migraine.
NATURAL DYES
The knowledge and use of vegetable and mineral dyes goes back to
pre-historic times in India where, according to data collected so far,
there are nearly 300 dye-yielding plants available. However, after
chemical colours wave flooded the markets, only a small number of dyers
continued with natural dyes such as indigo. Cotton yarn dyed in madder is
still used by the weavers of Kotpad in Koraput district.
LEAF STRAW AND DRIED FLOWERS
Tribal women have been the traditional gatherers of leaves whose delicate
hues and unique qualities have been used in a multitude of ways for the
manufacture of useful products. Farm labourers and cattle grazers wear
hats made of dried leaves, which provide protection from the sun and are
waterproof. In temples and at village feasts, food is still served in leaf
plates and bowls.
HORN WORK
Horn articles of Orissa are mystical and are blended with a superb
fashion design. Their lively appearance, dynamism and animation vie with
the real objects of nature - that spells the names of Parlakhemundi and
Cuttack. Available in widest spectrum of items like combs, pen stands,
cigar pipes, decorative figures - horn articles form a memorable memento
for the near and dear ones at home.
LACQUER WORK
Lacquer is the refuse of an insect gathered by the tribals in the
forests. The Hindu women of Baleshwar and Nowrangpur districts mix it with
colours and apply it on small cane boxes made by tribals, and terracotta
figures, which they make themselves. After several coats of lacquer have
sealed the core, the surface is decorated with motifs borrowed from
nature, geometric patterns and religious symbols. Although the visual
power of colour and design combine to make an ornamental effect, the
artisans are only just exploring the area of material, form and technique.
PAPIER MACHE
This skill has been creatively practised by crafts persons from all over
Orissa. Paper, waste cloth and different kinds of natural fibres are
soaked and beaten into pulp, then mixed with a variety of seeds and gums
for strength and as protection from termites. Special clays and bio-wastes
are added for body and reinforcement. The entire process results in a
medium so malleable that it requires little skill to be moulded into
countless forms. However, despite its versatility this craft has remained
neglected.
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