Blue Pottery in India

The reputation of Indian arts largely rests on the exquisiteness of these arts. Among many traditional arts of India, Jaipur and Delhi Blue Pottery has a vital significance. The artisans mold and paint their imagination into beautiful blue pots. The pottery tradition is unique and prominent in India. The use of Persian blue dye lends the attractive blue color. The pottery is also glazed and high fired, to make it durable. You will find that blue pottery is decorated with animal and bird motifs. This impermeable pottery is generally used for decorative purposes. The range of items is primarily decorative such as ashtrays, vases, coasters, small bowls and boxes for trinkets.

The Charm of Blue Pottery

The foreign art of using blue glaze made from fuller's earth was discovered by Mongol artisans. These Mongol artisans blended Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. In 14th century this art traversed to India with early Muslim swayers. In Central Asia it was employed to make tiles to decorate mosques, tombs and palaces.

Blue Pottery in India

The legacy of artisans and craftsmen from the Mughal period, who settled down in the village of Khurja (100 km from Delhi), resulted in blue pottery. The tradition was passed down from one generation to the other. Delhi stoneware pottery is the one marked with vibrant blue surface and Mughal motifs in blue color along with other colors on the base of white color.

The Mughal emperors started using blue pottery in India vis-a-vis the edifices in Samarkand. The craftsmen from Kashmir adopted this art and it gained the status as an accessory of architecture. Gradually it traveled to Delhi and in 17th century it was introduced in Jaipur. The Rajas of Jaipur were extremely fond of blue glazed wares. Visit the Rambagh Palace to get the clue and see the fountain with splendid blue tiles. Even the construction of Jaipur city had been with blue tiles but they mysteriously disappeared soon after that.

Contemporary Blue Pottery

Today, Blue Pottery of Delhi is on the verge of extinction. With a handful of craftsmen left, the future of the craft seems oblique. However institutes like Delhi Blue Pottery Trust (founded in 1991), which runs a pottery school in the basement of the Delhi Blue Apartments. The trust encourages the development and promotion of studio pottery in India.


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Madhubani Paintings - A Hallmark of Mithila Women's Exquistness

Women folks of Mithila in Bihar have been painting their walls with intricate 'tantric' and mythological motifs for centuries. Gradually these paintings came into notice and termed Madhubani Paintings. These paintings manifest the Culture of India, the rich tradition of Art and Craft of India besides representing Art and Craft of Bihar. These paintings were initially done on the mud walls but with changing times they are now done on cloth, hand made paper and canvas.

The origin of Madhubani paintings is not much known, thereby it is little obscure to trace back its origination. The painting derives its name from hundreds of beehives that once dotted the neighboring villages of Jitwapur. The style and nuances of Madhubani paintings remain the same even after centuries. The legacy of this art is passed on from one generation to other. You will be amused to see that the motifs of Madhubani paintings can be found on coins, seals and urns that belonged to the Indus Valley Civilization.

The central themes of most Madhubanu paintings are Love and Fertility. The theme of Fertility dominates the Kohbar tradition. Fertility is depicted through animals, flowers, birds and celestial bodies like parrot, elephants, fish, turtles, lotus, sun, moon bamboo tree. Swaymwar of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita or Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha in amorous pose are prominent themes of Madhubani Paintings. These deities are in the center of the mural or canvas accompanied by their consorts. The floral motifs make the background.

The dexterity of the craftswomen can be seen by the fact that they directly paint with a brush without any preliminary sketch. Primarily the natural colors were obtained from extracts of plants like Heena leaves, flowers, bougainvillea and neem. These were then admixed with resin from banana leaves and ordinary gum to make a painting medium. The vibrant Madhubani Paintings mostly deploy colors like orange, crimson red, pink, black, green, yellow and blue. These paintings were not done by everyone in the beginning. Only Brahmins and Kayasthas did it with Brahmins rendering them bright hues and Kayasthas opted for muted tones. The Harijan style is bit different whereby they coat the wall or canvas by cow dung.

Go to Bihar, walk through the lanes of villages and you will see the painted mud walls. This mesmerizing art will showcase the craftsmanship of the artists. No wonder if you buy many paintings from these artists as a souvenir.

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