Russian Dolls

A matryoshka doll, or babushka doll is a Russian nesting doll which is a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other.

A set of matryoshkas consists of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. The number of nested figures is traditionally at least five, but can be much more, up to several dozen with sufficiently fine craftsmanship.

The form is approximately cylindrical, with a rounded top for the head, tapering toward the bottom, with little or no protruding features; the dolls have no hands (except those that are painted). Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan. The figures inside may be of either gender; the smallest, innermost doll is typically a baby lathed from a single small piece of wood (and hence non-opening). The artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be extremely elaborate.

Pata Chitra - Paintings from Puri, India

The devotional art of Patachitras is exclusive to the community of painters known as the 'Chitrakars'. The chitrakars live and practice their hereditary art in Puri and in two villages on its outskirts-Raghurajpur and Dandshahi. Each of the Chitrakar family owns a family sketchbook handed down from generation to generation. Gods and Goddesses, the Lilas (feats) of Lord Krishna, legends and animals, are all depicted in the sketchbooks. These books are the chitrakars' most valuable possessions and are worshipped along with the family gods.

The process of preparing the canvas (Pata) is onerous, usually taking at least five days. It involves the preparation of a tamarind seed paste, which is mixed with water in an earthen pot and subjected to further treatment.

It is known as the 'Niryas Kalpa'. The chitrakar then selects two pieces of cloth of equal size and sticks them together with this paste. Clay powder is then added to the mixture and two or three coatings of this mixture are applied on to the prepared canvas on both the surfaces. When the canvas is dry, it is polished, a process that takes several hours. Once it is dry, the paintings ('chitrakarita') begin.

Patachitras are typically painted in a regular series of steps. First, a border is drawn around the pata. Then the outlines of the figures are drawn in white pigment. Next the background between the border and the figure or figures is painted in a solid color, and the parts of the figures are painted in solid colors, using different colors for different areas, all done in bold rather than fine brushwork. Then, increasingly fine decorations are added to the picture. The painting is finished with a protective coating. The current practice is to apply a thick coat of lacquer with a cloth. After the lacquer dries, the Patachitra is trimmed down to the decorative border. The average painting is completed in a week. But there are intricate ones that take as long as a month.

Organic or natural colors are used in the Patachitras. The leaves of plants, flower petals, fruits (like mango, for yellow), ground rocks and even the urine of domesticated animals contribute to

the production of a variety of shades and hues. The predominant gem like colors that are used are vermilion red derived from cinnabar, brick red from red ochre, yellow from orpiment, blue from indigo, green from green leaves, white from conch shell and black from lamp black. Once, the colors are extracted they are combined with gum resin and then used in painting. The brilliant play of these colors produce stunning effects on the cloth. The brushes used to apply the paint are prepared from plant fibers or animal hair. In recent years, these brushes are sometimes purchased from supply stores. The depiction of images in a Patachitra is not always uniform. It can vary from a single image painted on a circular Patachitra to depiction of several stages of a story on long rectangular 'Patis'

Mexican Pottery

The art of creating Mexican Talavera or Majolica Pottery has descended from its early origins thought to be Mesopotamia and Egypt. It was introduced to Spain by the 13th Century, where it was influenced by Moorish domination and became known as Majolica.

The Talavera creation process involves the blending of two types of clay which are soaked in water to improve the consistency and malleability. When ready, the water is drained off the clay blend and it is filtered to remove all impurities. The clay is worked until all air bubbles have been removed and the consistency is correct.

The artisans then produce a variety of pieces on the potter’s wheel or in molds which are then left to dry for eight to twelve weeks. The dried clay pieces are then baked in an oven at over 800C. The fabrication process then continues by carefully dipping each piece of Majolica in a glaze which results in the rich foundation color. Then each piece is hand decorated using colors derived from processing various mineral pigments. The hand decorated pieces are fired a final time for many hours at over 1000C, resulting in the completed beautiful work of Mexican pottery.

Applique Handicrafts from Pipili, India

An appliqué refers to a needle work technique. In its broadest sense, appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration. The word appliqué is a french word that, in this context, means "that has been applied".

In the context of sewing, applique refers to a needlework technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto another piece of fabric to create designs, patterns or pictures. It is particularly suitable for work which is to be seen from a distance, such as in banner-making. A famous example of applique is the Hastings Embroidery.

Appliqued cloth is an important art form in Benin, West Africa, particularly in the area around Abomey, where it has been a tradition since the 18th century and the kingdom of Danhomè.

Pipili a small town in Orissa, near Puri is famous for applique work also know as Pipli Work.

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