Sindh’s celebrated needleworkers need a stitch in time

HYDERABAD: Despite an overall slump in demand and supply of indigenous crafts, especially hand embroidery, elderly artisan women are optimistic that these extraordinary skills that are on the brink of extinction can be preserved by passing them on to the new generation of craftpersons.

They very well understand the impacts of machine-made-works, which have eroded almost entire indigenous arts and crafts from markets.

Hand embroidery is an example, which may have a higher demand in international market but local artisans are facing difficulties to find exact sale points for their products.

A well-skilled craftswoman in hand embroidery, dearly known as Aappa Waheeda among her learners, advises her disciples not to expect their work to hit big time instantly.

"It has more value. But since it is a brand game now you must follow the same to gain market of valuable product," she said, adding that the up-and-coming craftpersons should not be in a hurry.

"I have designed many beautiful items with huge cost and labour, which I sold for presenting gifts to dignitaries of the country and earned fame. I cannot imagine how it happened. But in fact, artisans should get the deserved returns for their work," Waheeda said.

“In my career I never went after money. Money followed my hard work."

"I did labour as it was my profession and worked with passion. I still spare time to take needle and embroider kurtas, which are more in demand due to their specific designs and needlecraft work," she claims.

She gave a list of popular stitches, which are being practiced in different artisan villages and areas. These stitches known as Hurmcho, fancy tanka (stitch), Balochi embroidery, canvass, Hala jo kam, kundi work, dandi tanka, sheesan jo kam, shade work, qaleen tanka, kacho kam, pacca tanka, kaj tanka, Tharparkar work.

She also talked about Kashmiro thread, which was highly popular among embroidery workers long ago. Presently it is not available in the market. They take Irani (Persian) threads of various colours from the local market to continue their work.

Waheeda understands there is a tough competition and indigenous work has a value in major urban markets, which are not easily accessible to countryside artisans living deep in rural areas.

Her journey into learning this inherited skill is long. She first picked up the needle under the watchful eyes of her elderly relative women in Matiary and then traveled to a neighbourhood in Hyderabad city to continue this work.

Obviously she has a diploma certificate to prove her qualification but she accredits traditional experts, who taught her more how to use needle and select threads.

After completing her diploma she worked with different institutes in the city to teach needlework. She has also traveled to other areas for imparting trainings and conducting workshops, specifically on needlework. At this age she does not imagine how much work she has produced and sold in urban markets. She has received many awards in recognition of her skill, but she says it takes more time to reach the height of a craft.

Waheeda is a lucky craftsperson among her local peers as she got the chance to take part in exhibitions of indigenous works, where her work always came under spotlight.

It was the only factor that encouraged her for preserving this indigenous craft through practice, practice, and practice.

She is among those few who are playing a role in preserving indigenous and traditional arts and crafts, like hand embroidery, which is dying gradually because of ignorance at all levels. Use of machinery for this work has affected artisans and challenging ancient-crafts lovers to preserve it.

In fact there are threats to these indigenous crafts by growing trends of machine and technical interventions in the fashion industry.

In this situation she calls for a modern development strategy to preserve these crafts and their producers as these artisans need incentives to continue their work for the cause.

Rubab Alvi, an instructor at Sindh University Institute of art and design, says it’s time researchers, traders and artisans came together to save these traditions.

She has a specialised knowledge of indigenous crafts and is aware of community-based approach and transfer mechanism from one generation to another to promote this art.

“They are working from bottom to top and educating new generation to understand the work and how to continue and preserve it. In fact young girls have a passion to compete through their talent and innovative idea with new designs to catch markets,” Alvi said.

She recently conducted a session with multi-generation members at a famous Sindh Museum and art gallery in Hyderabad. The event attracted 60 artisans and trainers.

It was a practical experience to work under the supervision of experts in hand embroidery. There was a consensus among learners and practitioners that hand embroidery is a laborious job. It takes more time compared to machine work. Majority of the people in local market do not know the importance of handmade embroidered work. They prefer to buy machine work, which is cheap.

Yasmin Jameel, an elderly artisan having thirty years of experience of designing and guiding young hand embroiderers. She is in charge of a Hyderabad city based private dastkari markaz, which aims to create interest among younger generation in needlework and promote master craftsmanship.

The course of needlework is designed for 11 months, based on traditional stitches used by various ethnic groups living in Sindh. It includes, embroidered shawls, shirt pieces, waistcoats, Gajju, necks, sleeves, long stripes for shirts, handbags, purse cushions, table mats, runners, square pieces, and embroideries in frame. Modern embroidery techniques also included in the course. The material produced there is being displayed at exhibitions.

The young artisans beleive that financial institutions do not have provision to encourage these artisans, which have experience and may compete the world market through their indigenous and traditional art and crafts. These artisans wanted to start their entrepreneurships, as they believe to have capacity for producing world class designs.

However, many elderly artisan women have become disappointed. In their understanding it is quite a laborious work and each item takes more time depending on length and breadth and quality of stitches. For example, there are some stitches, which now have changed their original shape but exist with its original attraction. It takes many months for the artisan women to prepare a pair of dresses for brides.

Hand embroidery with its various popular forms and stitches has long history in Sindh like other parts of the country or world; however, artisans are facing a myriad of challenges to the hand-embroidery products as despite being a time-consuming and labour-intensive job their works do not get the right price. In this era of competition, artisans must understand where to stop the work to save its identity, as indigenous designs should have value. The government and other institutions should extend support to empower traditional artisans, ensure their social and economical well-being to promote community enterprises. Given the circumstances, the artisans associated with urban markets believe that there is a knowledge gap between producers and potential buyers. This gap should be bridged through sincere efforts at the government level as it may help preserve these ancient crafts.