The Fashion Board: February 2016

Chikankari is an art, which results in the transformation of the plainest cotton and organdie into flowing yards of magic. The word 'Chikan' steps from a Persian word derived from 'Chic', which referred to the Jali' work done on marble or wood. It is also famous as 'shadow work' or 'white embroidery work', traditionally practiced in the city of Lucknow and its environs. Chikankari is an ancient from of white floral embroidery intricately worked with needle and raw thread. Its delicacy is mesmeric. For centuries, this fine white tracery on transparent white fabric has delighted the heart of king and commoner alike.

Introduction

Embellishing and ornamenting one own self has been the most attractive and passionate activities practiced for centuries all over the world. With time the same logic and passion got transferred to fabric that was used to cover the body and we were introduced to many new forms of art or handicraft aiming for fabric decoration. Textiles are decorated by various techniques; embroidering, brocading, printing, painting and dyeing, but among all of these techniques, the embroidering is the protagonist.

The development of embroidery started long ago, when mankind was introduced to cloth; need to tailor, patch, mend and reinforce cloth fostered the development of sewing techniques and the decorative possibilities of sewing led to the art of embroidery. Using a thread or yarn and a needle, raised surface effects are created on the flat woven fabric surface imparting it a distinctive appearance. Initially basic stitches viz. chain, buttonhole, blanket, running, satin, cross stitch were employed and with time other materials like mirrors, pearls, beads etc. were also incorporated to build unique creations. However, those basic stitches still form the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery in India today. India boasts a range of traditional embroideries from different states embodying their regional, cultural and social influences.

In India, there are many popular embroidery clusters like, 'Chikankari of Lucknow', 'Kantha of Bengal', 'Fulkari of Punjab', 'Kutch Embroidery of Gujarat' & 'Kashida of Kashmir'. Each style of embroidery differentiates itself from the others, based on its own beauty & significant value.

The city of Lucknow has a prominent place in the history of India particularly for its art, historical monuments and rich cultural heritage. The rulers of Awadh, particularly the Mughals were very fond of art and cultural activities such as music, poetry, architecture and handicrafts. Besides being famous for its hot summers and a glorious past, Lucknow is also known the world over for its many fine Handicrafts. Some of the most popular names in this list are Chikankari, Hand Block Textile Printing, Zari Zardozi, Ivory or Bone Carving, Terracotta and many others that are practiced by various artisans of Lucknow. Chikankari is considered to be the most popular amongst these and is recognized worldwide.

Chikankari is the name given to the "delicate art of hand embroidery traditionally practiced in the city of Lucknow and its environs". Its Lucknow origin is the strongest and the simplest element in the definition. Scholars have been defining and classifying Chikankari for almost a century. Their efforts span several changes in the kind of embroidery being produced and the conditions, in which it has been made. Several writers have tried to probe the word itself for clues as to the essential nature of Chikankari. But there is no certainty, and certainly no consensus as to what Chikan means. Some have described Chikan as Bengali word meaning 'very nice thing'.

Some have translated it as 'fine', while still others have termed it as a Persian word meaning 'to put in bold relief. Paine gives a range of Persian possibilities, from the 1651 Burton's classical dictionary definition of "a kind of embroidery with gold thread, quilting to "embroidery in various kinds of silk on garments and other items", in later dictionaries. She also writes of Richardson's 1806 Persian/English dictionary terms Chikan/Chikin 'a kind of cloth worked with the needle in flowers'.

Finally, she notes that Chikankari has possible linguistic connections to the physical barriers of purdah through the Persian word for 'a blind' (chik/chiq). Other definitions of Chikan include 'a form of embroidery done on some whitewashing material such as muslin, calico, linen or silk and embroidery done by white cotton threads on colourless muslin".

The very range of embroidered textiles to which the word 'Chikan' has been applied in the literature no doubt contributes to the difficulty in settling upon its meaning. The category 'Chikan' is essentially the product of British classification of the last century and it is unclear at what point the analytic categories of British critics diverged from names and descriptions given by markers and consumers of embroidery. British and other subsequent writers' own prior ideas about how embroidery was to be understood and their familiarity with European styles of needlework were highly influential in shaping their classification (e.g. use of terms such as 'satin-stitch', 'buttonholing' and so on).

In most definition Chikan appears as a class of objects, neither connected specifically with Lucknow nor entailing an entire distinctive form of embroidery. Watt's classification gives Chikan the status of a 'division' of embroidery with subdivisions of Chikan-work proper, satin-stitch on whitewashing material and kadambini or gold and silver embroidery on white cotton cloth and muslin. Watt therefore, writes about Chikan in such far-flung places as Peshawar, Madras and Calcutta as well as Lucknow, although the work differed in each location. Naqvi definition is almost the same as Watt's with addition of information about the thread that is used " white threads of bleached raw silks like Muga or Tasar".

HISTORY AND TRADITION OF CHIKANKARI

The art of Chikan embroidery in India is about 400 years old and it is believed thatIndia with Noorjahan, the queen of Jahangeer the Mughal Emperor. At that time it was designed and practiced by her and other begams (wives) of Mughal Emperors. Chikankari flourished under the patronage of the rulers of Awadh. Later when the capital of Awadh shifted to Lucknow from Faizabad, in the year 1722, the knowledge of the craft came to Lucknow. It is informed that here the Mughals found the Hand Block Printing skills that made it easier for them to practice this embroidery, as earlier the tracing of design was very difficult. This availability of easy process of drawing of base design encouraged them to teach this fine embroidery-work to their Kaniz (servants), who in turn taught it to their other family members and gradually this embroidery become a part time earning source of many women of rural areas. The craft of Chikankari is quite distinctive and forms an integral part of life in Lucknow.
this is a Persian Craft, which came to

Few of the stories of chikan embroidery’s origin can be positively dated (much less substantiated), but all seem to have been in existence by the middle of the twentieth century at a time when embroidery production was moving rapidly toward the completion of a significant labour restructuring through the recruitment of female workers. The stories with the greatest popular appeal are those that tell of chikan’s royal origins, alluding to aristocratic women

(not men) as the originators of chikan. ‘Chikan' – style of embroidery, that came from Persia but now is known with a prefix of Lucknow, ‘Lucknow Chikan'. Chikan originated primarily from Persia but there are two major theories taking rounds regarding the Chikan work. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah a great patron of art in all its form had 365 concubines one for each day, these so called royal wives lived in the Kaiserbagh and Chowk, as each lady got only a day to spend with the Nawab they had to do something extra-ordinary to attract the attention of the king. One lady to pass the boring hours in the harem stitched a cap for the king and decorated it with simple but delicate white thread embroidery, this cap was later presented to the Nawab and the trick worked. Nawab started giving more attention to this queen and other queens followed the suit creating a creative pool of Chikankari in Lucknow

The other theory narrates that, Ustad Mohammad Sher Khan who was a poor peasant and tilled the ground near Lucknow learned this art from a traveller as a parting gift. A traveller while passing through the village on a hot summer afternoon asked for water from Ustad Mohammad Sher Khan. Ustad felt pity on the plight of the traveller and invited him to rest under the shade of his house, before resuming his journey. The traveller was so pleased with the hospitality that he taught him an art that would never allow him to go hungry. This art was Chikan embroidery, which was later, passed on to others by Sher Khan. It is said that once Sher Khan perfected this art the traveler disappeared. It is believed that God himself taught this art of embroidering.

It may also be a distorted form of the work chikeen or siquin, a coin valued at Rs. 4 for which the embroidery was sold. Another explanation ascribes its origin to East Bengal where the word Chikankari meant 'fine'. The earliest reference in literature to Chikankari dates back to the 3rd century B.C. In his records Megasthenes, a Greek traveler, had mentioned the use of flowered muslins by the Indians.

The fine needlework adorned the garments made from gossamer silk fabrics and muslin for the ruling elite. It is reported that earlier brass, bone, copper or iron needles were used, where as now only steel needles are used. Fine art originally embroidery , was done on white tanjeb; the muslin from Dacca, using only white untwisted cotton or some times tussar silk for embroidery. The love and hard work of the artisans created delicate designs on fabrics that was reminiscent of sheer grace. They captured the beauty of intricate patterns of marble 'jaali' and inlay work of the Mughal period monuments and developed this indigenous form of artistic embroidery called Chikan.

The tradition of Chikankari has come down from families who served the ruling elite. The craftsmen with love and devotion worked on topi-palla or angarkha, for their masters, creating designs that were unmatched in beauty. With the decline in patronage, economic compulsions forced the men to look out for more lucrative employment and the craft passed on to the womenfolk of the community, as a source of subsidiary earning for the family. Gradually, it became the main source of earning for the family. In the beginning, the Mughals and Persians who settled in Awadh practiced & patronized the craft but later on its touch and style were continued in Dhaka and Bengal, mainly Calcutta where Navab Wazid Ali Shah of Lucknow remain in captivity of British Rulers. Bengali work was mainly for the European market but no trace of it remains today; neither in Calcutta nor in Dhaka.In Lucknow, embroiderers used to work under the patronage of the local courts. When these declined in the mid nineteenth century Chikan-work changed from professional activity of men to a cottage industry for women. Today, it is mainly in the hands of rural Muslim women and is still a significant Industry in Lucknow.

Motifs of Chikankari

The source of most of the design motifs in chikankari is Mughal. Noor Jehan’s personal preferences and desire to replicate the Turkish architectural open-work designs is said to have that led to the introduction of jaalis in chikan embroidery. The designs in chikan are graded and used according to the stitches employed – murri ka buta and tepchi ka jaal – though terms like hathi (elephant) and kairi (mango) are also used to signify the shape of the motif. It is however the stitch employed that is the established nomenclature. Other common motifs include mostly paisley, flowers, foliages, creepers, flowering streams, fruits like mango, almond, birds like peacock and parrots. The motifs have been picked from surrounding nature.

Entire families are involved in embroidering and stitching to produce elegant chikankari creations. Each person has developed a different expertise and the cloth is passed on from one expert to another before the final piece is ready. The inspiration for the motifs or pattern largely comes from various Mughal designs. Mughal architecture is prominently on display on the fabrics in the form of trellis, and floral motifs. The inlay pattern of Mughal monuments is embroidered on the cloth. In fact one Mughal monument whose architecture and designs are quite prominently created on the cloth is The Taj Mahal.

A large number of men were practising this art of embroidery since nineteenth century. Trade is now predominantly practiced by woman in Lucknow and adjoining villages.

Some of the popular motifs are:

Kairi (mango motif, generally made using taipchi stitch).
Dhaniya Patti (corriander leaf); phanda is made and a straight stitch is done to make the base of the stem.
Dhum Patti (leaf pattern made of cross-stitch).
Ghas Patti (grass leaves V-shaped line of stitches worked in a graduated series);
Murri (grain motif - diagonal stitches are worked several times on a basic stitch to form a grain shape);
Kangan (bracelet-made by combination of keel, murri and jali stitch);
Joda Murri (pair of grains);
Maharaki (close button hole is done around a hole and finished with murri);
Sadi-Maharaki (no hole is made, the part made in the centre is finished with tapichi and murri);
Daraz/katub (two fabrics are overlapped, stitched and extra fabric is cut, the cutting is called katub);
Pechani (taipchi stitch is covered by entwining the thread over it in a regular manner to provide the effect of a lever spring);
Tanjire (for lining the motif, looks like a chain);
Gitti (circle is formed with minute hole in centre);
Phanda (single chain is made, then on its top 3-4 similar chains);
Keel (first phanda is formed then the needle is inserted over and over the chain stitch to form a keel);
Kangira (seam allowance of fabric folded such that. triangles are formed on the wrong side of the fabric).

Stitches used in Chikankari

1. Tepchi is a long running or darning stitch worked with six strands on the right side of the fabric taken over four threads and picking up one; thus, a line is formed. It is used principally as a basis' for further stitchery and occasionally to form a simple shape.

2. Bakhiya, double back or shadow stitch in chikan work is done from the wrong side of the fabric and the design is rendered in the herringbone style. The shadow of the thread is seen through the cloth on the right side.

(a) Ulta Bakhia: The floats lie on the reverse of the fabric underneath the motif. The transparent muslin becomes opaque and provides a beautiful effect of light and shade.

(b) Sidhi Bakhia: Satin stitch with criss-crossing of individual threads. The floats of thread lie on the surface of the fabric. This is used to fill the forms and there is no light or shade effect.

3. Hool, is a fine detached eyelet stitch. Herein, a hole is punched in the fabric and the threads are teased apart. It is then held by small straight stitches all round and worked with one thread on the right side of the fabric. It can be worked with six threads and often forms the center of a flower.

4. Zanzeera, is a small chain stitch worked with one thread on the right side of the fabric. Being extremely fine, it is used to finally outline the leaf or petal shapes after one or more outlines have already been worked.

5. Rahet is a stem stitch worked with six threads on the wrong side of the fabric. It forms a solid line of back stitch on the right side of the fabric and is rarely used in its simple form but is common in the double form of Dohra Bakhiya as an outlining stitch.

6. Banarsi stitch has no European equivalent and is a twisted stitch worked with six threads on the right side of the fabric. Working from the right across about five threads a small stitch is taken over about two threads vertically. The needle is reinserted halfway along and below the horizontal stitch formed and is taken out about two threads vertically on the right above the previous stitch.

7. Khatau is similar to Bakhia, but finer and is a form of applique. In Khatau, the design is prepared on calico material. That is placed over the surface of the final fabric and then paisley and floral patterns are stitched on to it.

8. Phanda and Murri are the forms of stitches used to embroider the centre of the flowers in ordinary Chikan work motifs. They are typically French knots, with Murri being rice-shaped and Phanda millet-shaped.

9. Jali stitch is the one, where the thread is never drawn through the fabric, ensuring that the back portion of the garment looks as impeccable as the front. The warp and weft threads are carefully drawn apart and minute buttonhole stitches are inserted into the cloth

10. Bengali jaali or possibly the place of demand for that particular jaali. The basic manner in which jaalis are created is by pushing aside wrap and weft threads in a fashion that minute openings are made in the cloth. Shape of openings and the stitches used distinguish one jaali from another.

11. Turpai and Oarzdari are also significant stitches in Chikan work. Turpai should have an effect of a thin thread. Darzdari have several varieties, the popular ones are Kohi darz, Kamal darz, Shankarpara darz, Muchii and Singbhada darz.

12. Pechni: Taipchi is sometime used as a base for working other variations and pechni is one of them. Here the taipchi is covered by entwining the thread over it in a regular manner to provide the effect of something like a lever spring and is always done on the right side on the cloth.

13. Pashni: Taipchi is worked to outline a motif and then covered with minute vertical satin stitches over about two threads and is used for fine finish on the inside of badla.

14. Khatao, khatava or katava is cutwork or applique - more a technique than a stitch.

15. Gitti: A combination of buttonhole and long satin stitch, usually used to make a wheel-like motif .

16. Jangira: Chain stitch usually used as outlines in combination with a line of pechni or thick taipchi.

The various other types of legendary Chikankari stitches are: Pechani, Bijli, Ghaspatti, Makra, Kauri, Hathkadi, Banjkali, Sazi, Karan, Kapkapi, Madrazi, Bulbul-chasm, Taj Mahal, Janjeera, Kangan, Dhania-patti, Rozan, Meharki, Chanapatti, Baalda, Jora, Keel kangan, Bulbul, Sidhaul, Ghas ki patti etc.