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Indian handicrafts offer an unending variety of handicraft items,
intriguing in its form and captivating in its beauty. The raw materials go
through a number of processes, like carving, enameling, embroidery etc.,
giving expression to the craftsman's skills.
Some of these crafts take months to prepare. Exquisite and vibrant designs
combine to make the most artistic artifacts. Indian handicraft items are
so coveted that they are passed on from generation to generation. Read on
about the various processes employed in the creation of these exquisite
crafts.
Excavations have found inroads into very ancient times. Archeology has
revealed the secrets preserved by the earth in its crust. Excavations of
tools help us understand the nature of production and the aesthetic
standards of the period to which they belong.
The particular period and appeal of a handicraft item can be gauged from the
number of industries, technique of production, types of goods produced and
materials used. This state reflects the aesthetic sense of the people,
curvature of objects, lines, space, light and shades. An examination of the
visual arts, such as sculpture, paintings and terra-cotta unveil the element
of art. Not all crafts were produced for daily needs.
Tools used today reflect the traditions of the early age, as old as the
Stone Age. The rural and tribal artisans use processes and techniques
inherited by them from their forefathers in the creation of their crafts.
Though the tools used in that age were mainly for survival purposes, the
making of these tools required considerable amount of skill.
The Stone Age man adopted the 'hammer stone' method to make flake tools.
This require striking the mass stone near the edge at an angle of 120
degrees with the convex surface of a water worn pebble selected as hammer
stone. This was perfected and put to use in the making of hand axes. Tools
are a very important component of this art. This is the beginning of the age
long tradition of handicrafts.
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