Zardozi: An imperial craft

Trisha Bhattacharya, October 20, 2012

Regal Zardozi finds its place as one of the most famous embroidery arts of the world. Zar in Persian means gold, while dozi means embroidery. The word zardozi can thus be interpreted as sewing with gold strings. In the 12th century, this art was brought to India by Delhis first Turkish-Afghan sultans. This imperial craft, in fact, is known to have been present in India since the time of the Rig Veda (zari embroidery has been mentioned as adornment on attires of gods and goddesses), and was developed during the reign of Akbar, the Mughal emperor. During the rule of Aurangzeb, due to an increase in the price of zardozi-making material, this art declined. This led to artisans leaving Delhi and moving to Rajasthan and Punjab to look for work.

With industrialisation, this craft slumped further. Fortunately, after Independence, government promoted zari work and zardozi began to occupy an exclusive place in the bracket of royal embroideries once again. Craftspeople, who set precious stones, beads and gems with metal wire, were known as zardoz workers. Archetypal zardozi embroidery made use of pure silver wires coated in real gold, or pure gold leaves. Modern zardozi usage, in marked variation, consists of synthetic threads, as they are lightweight and durable. Zardozi art, at present, may be likened to synthetic embroidery. This gold and silver multicoloured thread hand-embroidery technique embellishes textiles and garments and gives them an aristocratic faade. Zardozi is very expensive, owing to the use of expensive materials, and also because embroiderers take hourly wages for constructing raised-motifs in gold and silver zari, and doing other detailed work. One small motif can take a lot of time to make, depending on the intricacy of work involved. Across the country Ironically, compared to the other parts of the world, labour in India, employed in this craft, are less expensive, making zardozi even more popular here. Zardozi embroidery is practiced mostly in Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Agra, Kashmir, Mumbai, Ajmer, Varanasi, Surat, Jaipur and Chennai. This kind of embroidery is carried out even in Iran and Pakistan. Zardozi embroidery was earlier practised only on organza, but designers now use a variety of different fabrics and colours to create elaborate motifs and designs. While the original zardozi designs were very Mughal, at present, they are more geometric, and follow simpler patterns reminiscent of flowers, petals and leaves. A process involving meticulous precision and fine detailing is what gives rise to zardozi embroidery. The fabric to be embroidered is initially stretched on a wooden frame, known as adda. Adda mainly enables clear vision and faster movement, as the fabric does not move. Designs that have been traced onto a tracing sheet are poked with needle, outlining the entire pattern or motif. This tracing sheet or pattern is placed on the base fabric (heavy silk, satin or velvet, etc.). A cloth is dipped in a solution of robin blue and kerosene and is spread on the tracing sheet, for the motif to be marked on the base. Following this,

embroidery is done with a needle. Materials used Myriad are the materials used in zardozi embroidery; they are as beautifully similar or as inventively dissimilar as zardozi itself. Stretching from salmaa (gold wires) and sitara (metal stars), wooden beads, pearl beads, glass beads, plastic coloured beads, sequins of various shapes, sizes and colours, shells, metallic wires, saadi, metallic bead stones, plastic stones, gold and silver metal threads, to precious and semi-precious stones; they all enhance the arty denouement, which is magnificent zardozi. Zardozi embroiderers sometimes even use silk threads in addition to copper wires polished with gold or silver. Heavily ornamenting textiles and garments, this glittering thread work is also at times combined with dabka work. Metal wires made by pressing melted metal ingots through perforated steel sheets, and hammered to requisite fineness, are used primarily in this style. The plain wire used in this style is called badla, and when twined around a thread, it is called kasab, or kasav. Embroidery is completed before the garments are stitched. Zardozi garments look grand and may weigh a lot. Zardozi work generally takes up to 10 days, and each piece is charged according to the design and material used. Presenting effervescent images in gold and silver, and colourful hues, this picturesque embroidery is a beautiful artefact of the co-mingling of cultures, which make it even more magical, and seem to lure one into a panorama of art spread across fabric surfaces. Zardozis class act can be attributed to its enigmatic elegance, elaborate intricacy, inherent beaut y, regal appeal and breathtaking designs, which emerge from the hearts of the creators of zardozi.

Zardozi Craft Zardozi is an ancient Persian art (Zar = gold, dozi = embroidery). It has been passed down for many generations. It is called the queen of all handworks on garments, originally a privilege enjoyed only by the royalty. Pure gold and silver were used for zari threads in olden times but that is now replaced by copper as the base metal to cut costs. Steps of the embroidery: 1. The first step is laying out the wooden frame. It is called adda bichana. Four wooden planks are held together with nuts and bolts. Then the fabric is stretched and wound up tightly with a strong sutli (thread) along the width of the frame. This process is called taankna. 2. The next step is transferring the pattern to be embroidered onto the fabric. This process is called chapayi. The craftsmen sit cross-legged around the adda with their tools and start stitching. Motifs include elephants, peacocks, dancing figures, leaves, floral and geometric patterns etc. 3. Zardozi sticthes are done with muthiya, a special kind of wooden needle with a bent metal tip that is used to pull the thread from below the fabric. This kind of stitching allows the craftsmen to use both hands as they work. The hand above the cloth works with the needle while the hand below the cloth ties each stitch. Thus the products are not only beautiful but long-lasting and durable. Most of zardozi embroidery is done with saadi and naksi which are small metallic springs made by swirling metal threads tightly. It is done on all

sorts of fabrics like silk, cotton, net, georgette, shaneel (velvet) etc. 4. After all the stitches and embellishments are done, the fabric is unstitched from the wooden frame and the finished garment is sent to the person who commissioned it.

ardozi 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. Zardosi embroidery has been in existence in India from the time of the Rig Veda. There are numerous instances mentioning the use of zari embroidery as ornamentation on the attire of gods. Initially, the embroidery was done with pure silver wires and real gold leaves. However, today, craftsmen make use of a combination of copper wire, with a golden or silver polish, and a silk thread. This is because there is hardly any availability of gold/silver on such a large scale as before. Main Center of Zardozi Embroidery in India Zardosi embroidery work is mainly a specialty of Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Delhi, Agra, Kashmir, Mumbai, Ajmer and Chennai. History of Zardozi Embroidery in India The word 'Zardozi' is made up of two Persian terms, Zar meaning gold and Dozi meaning embroidery. A Persian embroidery form, Zardosi attained its summit in the 17th century, under the patronage of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Under the rule of Aurangzeb, the royal patronage stopped and this led to the decline of the craft. Since the cost was high and raw materials quite rare, craftsmen could not carry on with the embroidery on their own. Many craftsmen left Delhi and went to the courts of Rajasthan and Punjab in search of work. With the 18th and 19th century bringing industrialization, the craft suffered another setback. It was only after receiving independence in the year 1947 that the Indian government undertook steps to promote Zari embroidery. Method of Zardozi Embroidery The process of doing Zardozi embroidery starts with the craftsmen sitting cross-legged around the Addaa, the wooden framework, with their tools. The tools include curved hooks, needles, salmaa pieces (gold wires), sitaaras (metal stars), round-sequins, glass & plastic beads, dabkaa (thread) and kasab (thread). The second step in the process is to trace out the design on the cloth, if possible fabrics like silk, satin, velvet, etc. The fabric is then stretched over the wooden frame and the embroidery work begins. Needle is used to pull out each zardozi element and then, it is integrated into the basic design by pushing the needle into the fabric.hhhh