The golden and earthy-brown bamboo and cane are an integral part of North East India's lyrical landscapes as they are of its lifestyle.
Bent, woven, braided, stitched and stretched into sofa sets, beds, mats, tables, trays, tea sets, and wall hangings, the artisans use bamboo and cane to define an eco- friendly lifestyle.
Options galore
It's these stuff, particularly Assam's legendary cane furniture, that captivate one at Purbashree's North East ‘Cane and Bamboo Fair'. From finely-woven and braided classic three-piece furniture to sofas and moorhas, from light-weight cane tea sets and mugs to masks, candle stands, baskets and bags, the fair offers charming gift options. Check out Tripura's ethereal bamboo screens and room dividers in various woven patterns. Assam's cane bags teamed with jute and zari embroidery are trendy, as are Meghalaya's delicately-woven baskets and bags.
For your vases
Ravishing poppies, roses and chrysanthemums crafted out of cloth, wood and bamboo by Nagaland's artisans, make for wonderful exhibits in vases. Also available are muga and endi silk saris and fabrics from Assam, and Manipur's exquisitely woven cotton saris, Kauna grass mats and wall hangings. Craft work from other parts of India have also been showcased. Particularly eye-catching are Kandasamy's kalchattis from Tamil Nadu.
The fair is on at Valluvarkottam, Nungambakkam, till September 3.
