Karnataka is a state where the craftsmen bring out wonders through their deft manoeuvers. The vast range of the State's arts and
crafts that now embellish royal homes of
the past, elite bungalows, and even ordinary
hutments, bear testimony to the skill, aesthetic
sensibilities, and decorative abilities
of the craftsperson. Many craft traditions
in Karnataka have been handed down from
father to son and this continuity has helped
to support a vast variety of handicrafts
with their high degrees of perfection.
The State's craftsmen received much patronage
from the royalty in the past. Today, the
government has set up many agencies and
design centers to encourage craft families
to continue making handicrafts and also
help them to market their ware. This has
helped keep many craft traditions alive
so that their practitioners can cater not
only to the local population but also to
the many tourists who visit Karnataka.
Woodcarving
Karnataka has come to occupy pride of place
in the field of woodcarving. The State's
relatively good forest cover provides enough
raw material for its craftsmen who continue
to employ age-old techniques to carve, inlay,
veneer, paint, and lacquer articles in wood.
Their skill is manifest in the ancient temples
where wood has been used extensively, as
also in the intricate fixtures they make
for present-day needs in architecture and
furniture making. The lintels and doors
of some old homes in the hilly region and
the temple cars in villages and towns are
literally overflowing with hundreds of intricately
carved images of gods and goddesses. Rosewood
articles are a favorite with the well-to-do
buyers and no tourist leaves the state without
carrying at least a beautifully carved rosewood
elephant.
Ivory Carving
Ivory carving was yet another popular craft.
In recent years, however, because of the
ban imposed on the ivory trade, the craft
has received a setback. But you can still
find articles carved very intricately without
floral tracery surrounding the figures.
The figures are mostly of gods with Krishna
being featured in several aspects. Some
of Mysore's masterpieces in ivory are now
preserved in the Heritage Museum in Russia
and in the South Kensington Museum, London. |
