HISTORY

Zardozi is an ancient Persian art (Zar in Persian means gold and Dozi is embroidery) which has been passed down for many generations, dating back before the Mughal empire, reaching its zenith under the patronage of Emperor Akbar in the 17th century. Zardozi adorned the costumes of the court, wall hanging, scabbards, regal side walls of tents and the rich trappings of elephants and horses. Intricate patterns traced in gold and silver, studded with seed pearls and precious stones enhanced the shimmering beauty of silk, velvet and brocade.

The Decline

During the rule of Aurangzeb, the royal patronage extended to craftsmen was stopped. Many craftsmen left Delhi to seek work in the courts of Rajasthan and Punjab. The onset of industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries was another setback. Most of the craftsmen turned to other occupations. Renaissance Of Zardozi

The art of zardozi was revived along with many traditional methods of embroidery in the middle of this century. Zari work was mainly done in Madras and zardozi in Hyderabad until a few decades ago. Today,

Uttar Pradesh is home to this finest work of gold and silver embroidery. This craft has caught on to a larger region of Bareilly such as Allampur, Faridpur, Biharkala, Nawabganj and Chandpur.

The non-availability of gold on a large scale became a hurdle in the making of zari threads. The problem was overcome by combining copper wire with a golden sheen and gold colored silk thread.

Another major problem was the availability of skilled zardozi craftsmen. As the craft was on decline, the number of craftsmen decreased, as they had taken on other jobs. But with the revival of the craft, their number began to increase .

Zardozi Zardozi embroidery is beautiful metal embroidery, which once used to embellish the attire of the Kings and the royals in India. It was also used to adorn walls of the royal tents, scabbards, wall hangings and the paraphernalia of regal elephants and horses. Zardozi embroidery work involves making elaborate designs, using gold and silver threads. Further adding to the magnificence of the work are the studded pearls and precious stones. Zardozi embroidery is hand stitched predominately by Muslim men.

Technique
Zardozi is fashioned with a needle that resembles a very small crochet hook which is used to run up and down through the cloth, much like a sewing machine, while the cloth is pulled tightly over a large wooden frame. Zardozi has remained as an appliqu method of embroidery. With one hand the craftsman holds a retaining thread below the fabric. In the other he holds a hook or a needle with which he picks up the appliqu materials. Then he passes the needle or hook through the fabric. After days of painstaking labor, the result is an exquisite gold-veined work of art.

This kind of stitching allows the craftsman to use both hands as he works. The hand above the cloth works the needle, while the hand below the cloth ties each stitch - making Zardozi products not only beautiful but durable.

HOW IS THAT SHINY THREAD CREATED?

The traditional method of preparing gold wires for embroidery was a complicated one, calling for tremendous patience and skill. A pure silver bar, generally one and a half feet long and tapering at both ends, was covered thrice with gold. It was put into a furnace and heated till the gold and silver diffused and the entire surface of the bar became coated with gold. Then the gilded bar was forced through successively smaller holes until the required dimensions were obtained. Often the wire was thinned till it was as fine as single hair! No matter how thin the wire was drawn, it remained uniformly coated with gold and untarnished even after prolonged use. The wire was flattened by delicate hammer strokes and twisted around a deep yellow silk thread to strengthen the gold for embroidery of weaving.

India Textile

Heritage of textile in India. In India textile enjoys a rich heritage and the origin of textiles in India traces back to the Indus valley Civilization where people used homespun cotton for weaving their clothes. Ramayana and Mahabharata, the eminent Indian epics depict the existence of wide variety of fabrics in ancient India. These epics refer both to rich and stylized garment worn by the aristocrats and ordinary simple clothes worn by the common people. The contemporary Indian textile not only reflects the splendid past but also cater to the requirements of the modern times. The rich tradition of textile in India has been favored by a number of factors. Easy availability of abundant raw materials like cotton, wool, silk, jute and many more Widely prevalent social customs Variety of distinct local culture Constructive geographic and climatic conditions Each and every region of India contributes in creating a myriad of textile tradition. The hilly region of the country produces a rich variety of woolen textiles. The pashmina and shahtoosh shawls of Kashmir, shawls and woolen garments of Himachal Pradesh and other north eastern states provides excellent examples of world famous woolen Indian textiles. The barren and semi

barren regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat usually prefers embroidered bright colored textiles . The coastal areas of the south eastern regions prefer light colored fabrics and particularly cotton and silk textiles are very popular over here. The home furnishing utilitarian textile products like bedspreads and sheets, pillows and cushions, linens and mats, curtains and napkins, carpets and rugs and many such other items are produced by all parts of the country.

Distinct style and tradition of Indian textiles Silk and cotton weaving predominates the rich tradition of weaving in India. Silk weaving is most popular in various parts of the country. Assam, Banaras, Mysore, Surat, Kanchipuram and Surat are all important centers of silk weaving. All these centers specialize mostly in cotton and silk sari weaving and some of the popular traditional Indian saris are Banarasi, Patola, Baluchari, Pochampalli, Paithani and many others. The ornate style of appliqu most commonly done bright colored fabrics from the Kutchh region of Gujarat is very popular in the country as well as in abroad. The state of Punjab is famous for its phulkari work.

 Lucknow, a city in Uttar Pradesh is famous for its chikan work Apart from those mentioned, each and every region and state of India has its own distinct individual style in textile.

Embroidery
Indians craftsmen were engaged in the process of beautifying and embellishing multiple fabrics since very long time. Embroidery is the name of one such craft that glorifies the cloth when worked upon. There are several embroidery traditions in India that have been the major factor behind the beautiful clothing of the royalty and the common people. Some important embroidery crafts are phulkari, chikankari, kantha, karchobi, kathi, kimkhab, aribharat, appliqu, sujuni, zardozi etc. You will learn about these and other embroidery traditions of India in larger details in the following links.
Applique Aribharat Batikprinting Chikankari crewelwork kantha karchobi kathi

 kimkhab phulkari Sheeshedar Sozni & Chain Stitch Sujuni zardoozi