Lohar Virendra Singh Vishvakarma, adivasi iron craft artisan from Bastar, remembers being taken as a little boy by his father (national awardee) Sonadhar Poyam Vishvakarma to collect iron embedded rocks from the surrounding hills or coal from nearby jungles.
Back home, he would watch with mounting excitement his father placing assorted rocks on a mitti bhatti, the separation of rock and metal as the rock pieces sizzled and the magical oozing of the molten iron into a vessel placed below. Then would come the flattening of the molten iron into thin sheets with a hammer, the cutting of the sheets to size and the creation of the wonderful repertoire of ‘loha ka kaam’ products.
These are tribal devis and devtas, masks for marya dancers and the most exquisite deepaks - large lamp like installations made up of tiny receptacles, animal and bird forms.
Young Virendra would often help his father fashion graceful little monkeys or deer, deftly holding his tongs to create the curve of a prancing deer or the flight of a micro-mini bird. Today he is a worthy disciple of his father, carrying on an ancient craft tradition that defines the very life substance of the Bastar tribals.
Contemporary relevance“Our ancestors made pick axes, spades, ‘bhalak’ or javelin-like instruments used to trap animals during hunting along with our devis and devtas and many ritualistic and domestic objects. My father also introduced many innovations such as free standing four-legged animal forms and items of contemporary relevance. As the world opened its doors to us, he expanded the product range to include scenes of dancing human figures, musical instruments, wall hangings depicting tribal life, standing screens for urban homes and mirror frames. Today, we work together to conceptualise and create for outside markets, while we continue to make our traditional vessels and objects, ” says Virendra.
At the Dastkari Mela, now on in the city, the iron craft pieces created by Sonadhar and Virendra are dramatic silhouettes from micro-mini mynah and monkey to compelling two feet masks. Invested with charm are the graceful animals moving, dancing and leaping that make perfect Christmas gifts. According to craft scholars, the iron craft of Bastar reflects perhaps the oldest craft expressions of the country.
The exhibition offers other festive gifts as well. Among them are exquisitely embroidered torans and wall hangings from Gujarat, Azeez Ahmeds’s onyx bowls and precious stone inlay work, Kashmir’s embroidered shawls, Bukhara carpets and, for the first time in the city, papier-mâché furniture pieces from the Valley.
The delicate papier-mâché work is done on walnut wood (for furniture) or on wooden frames to create attractive trays and objets d’art. And catching the spirit of the season are pretty Christmas tree decorations including papier-mâché mobiles and stars, Odisha’’s dhokra-work bells, patachitra paintings on coconut shells and much more. The Dastkari Mela is on at Valluvar Kottam Hall, Nungambakkam High Road till December 10.
