"Eh Phulkari Meri Maan Ne Kadhi, Is noo Ghut Ghut Japhiyan Paawan"
("This Phulkari has been embroidered by my dear mother, I affectionately embrace it again and again”)
The origin of Phulkari has not been traced. Phulkari has been mentioned in the famous, Punjabi folklore of Heer Ranjha (a love tale) by Waris Shah, its present form and popularity goes back to 15th century, during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Reign.
Phulkari plays a significant role in a girl’s life. The birth of a girl marks the beginning of the child’s grandmother of the task in creating the future bride’s trousseau, which is worn by the bride when she walks around the sacred fire during her wedding ceremony. When a woman gives birth to a boy, she is given a Phulkari that is worn by her when she goes out for the first time after delivery, and during any religious festivals. Likewise, when a lady dies her body is covered with Phulkari.
Phulkari was never fabricated for sale; it was embroidered by a family for its own use, for every important moment in their local life like wedding, birth, and religious functions, therefore the birth of this handicraft was mere domestic necessity and not any artistic motive. Finishing a “Phulkari” signifies a major step for a girl to become a woman, as is mentioned even in the holy book for the Sikhs ““Only then will you be considered an accomplished lady when you will you – self, embroider your own blouse.”
The embroidery work was done on a plain cotton fabric (khaddar) whose thread was manually spun, loomed, and dyed with natural pigments, which would be joined either before or after the embroidery to create a desired design. The Khaddar used was of various colors, but the most popular was red (red being auspicious), and it was considered as a color for youth whereas white was for mature women or widows.
The embroideries were a mere reflection of the women's life. Things that they see, observe, vegetables that they eat, animals that they owned, were embroidered. Every woman had her way of embroidery, her way of representing. Just like any other daily chores she would teach this art to her daughter, thus there are no techniques or patterns that have been documented. For the same reason, each family had their own styles, patterns, and designs.
Symbolically, embroidering on the rough coarse material “khaddar” reflected the tough, hard nature of the Punjabi women. The use of bright colors portrayed the eventful life and the use of different motifs reflected their observation, their imagination. Wearing a “Phulkari” added delicacy, grace, and simplicity to their heavy build personality.
The various types of Phulkari are:
BAGH
With time Phulkari became increasingly elaborate and decorative which led to the evolution of a special ceremonial embroidery known as Bagh Phulkari. Bagh means “garden of flowers,” the embroidery is so profuse that the base color of the underlying cloth is no longer visible - thus the embroidery becomes the fabric itself. Unlike other forms of Phulkari, Bagh demands more time and patience and more material, thereby increasing the expense. Hence, a Bagh became a symbol of opulence.
CHOPE
Chope is usually embroidered on the borders. It is gifted to the bride by her grandmother during some ceremony before the wedding. The “Chope” is embroidered straight with two-sided line stitch that appears same on both the side. Unlike Phulkari and Bagh where a variety of colours are used, Chope is embroidered with one colour (Golden or yellowish golden mostly).
THIRMA
Thirma originated in North Punjab and has a history of Hindu and Sikh traditions is done on white khaddar cloth (thirma) - a symbol of purity. It is most sought after by collectors. As a symbol of purity, thirma was often worn by elder women and widows. The white colour was chosen for its aesthetic appeal. The silk pat or threads used for embroidery on a thirma, range from bright pink to deep red tones.
Cluster stitched flowers, wide triangles covering the forehead as well as chevron darning stitch surfaces are common Thirma patterns.
DARSHAN DWAR
Darshan Dwar or "the gate through which God can be seen", was not made for a person but for a temple as an offering to thank the gods after a wish had been fulfilled. For this reason, while a dowry could contain dozens of Phulkari, Darshan Dwar was never made in big quantities. Like other figurative pieces (e.g., Sainchi Phulkari) this kind of Phulkari was made in east Punjab, a non-Islamic area that allowed the development of a broad variety of human and animal representations.
SAINCHI PHULKARI
Sainchi Phulkari are figurative pieces narrating the life in the villages of Southeast Punjab. Local animals (goats, cows, elephants, big cats, scorpions, peacocks) are represented moving among wrestlers, farmers, weavers, etc. Sometimes a train is also displayed on Sainchi Phulkari. This means of transportation, brought by the British in the second half of the19th century had a significant impact on local populations' life. Beyond their aesthetic value, Sainchi Phulkari is a depiction of the ways of life, interests, and environment of the olden times in rural Punjab.
Sainchi were made in a small area - Firozpur and Bhatinda districts - and required high embroidery skills. These are collector items and are much sought after.
VARI-DA-BAGH
("Vari": gift offered to the bride by her in-laws)
This Bagh was gifted to the bride by her in-laws when she was entering their house, her new home, on the wedding day. Vari-da-Bagh is always made on an orange-reddish khaddar and is always fully embroidered on its whole surface with a single golden or orange coloured silk pat. The main pattern is a group of three or four small concentric lozenges of growing size included in each other (see picture below). Despite the fact that only one colour of pat is used, these lozenges are easily revealed by the reflections of light. The outer one symbolizes the Earth, the next one the city and the third one the familial house. The last lozenge is further split into four smaller ones symbolizing the parents of the groom and the newly married couple.
The bride was wrapped in Bagh by her mother-in-law when she was receiving the keys to her new house, thereby meaning that the bride was now a woman who had responsibilities and duties.
BAWAN BAGH (or Bawan Phulkari)
"Bawan" means " fifty-two " in Punjabi and refers to the mosaic of fifty-two different patterns that decorate this piece (the number of patterns can be at times more or less than 52). Bawan Bagh (or Phulkari) was in fact a display of samples used by professional embroiderers to show their skills and the patterns they could provide to their clients. Bawan Bagh is the rarest of all the embroideries.
SURAJMUKHI
Surajmujkhi, the sunflower, refers to the main pattern of this Phulkari. From a technical point of view this type of Phulkari is unique as it is the only one that mixes in comparable proportions the Holbein stitch (used to make Chope Phulkari) and the regular darning stitch to create a vibrant pattern.
KAUDI BAGH
Kaudi Bagh includes chains of small white squares representing stylized cowries. Used as currency in the old times these shells have now lost their value and are used as ornaments or adorn ornaments. Kaudi Phulkari was often worn by women wanting to increase their chance to become pregnant.
PANCHRANGHA BAGH
Meaning "Five colours", this Bagh is decorated with chevrons of five different colours. Sometime you may find similar pieces like satranga ("Seven colours") Bagh. These are done in seven colours.
MEENAKARI BAGH (or "Ikka Bagh")
This Bagh, often made with gold and white coloured pat, is decorated with small multicolored lozenges much like enamel work or Meenakari.
NILAK
Nilak Phulkari was made with a black and navy blue base cloth of khaddar, and yellow and crimson-red silk thread, with attractive floral patterns. An ornate central X-shape divides the cloth into four fields, each holding images from popular Punjabi folktales. In one field, a figure with another lying across his lap probably tells the story of the hero Mirza and his lover Sahiban. We also see Mirza’s faithful mare Bakki tied to a nearby tree and approaching horsemen who may be Sahiban’s angry brothers and scorned fiancé. In the opposite field, a man carries two shoulder baskets containing small figures.
Comments