delhi workshop

PARZOR PARSI EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP : 1-15 DECEMBER 2006 : NEW DELHI

REPORT ON THE PROJECT

Sponsored by Government of IndiaMinistry of Textiles

Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts)

Design and Technical Development Workshop – New Delhi

On Parsi Embroidery

DECEMBER 1 - 15, 2006

PARZOR FOUNDATIONF17 Hauz Khas Enclave

New Delhi 110 016


CONTENT

- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

- INTRODUCTION

- PROJECT OBJECTIVE

- BACKGROUND OF CRAFT

- STITCHES

- IMPORTANT MOTIFS

- DESIGNER’S PROFILE

- DESIGN CONSULTANT’S PROFILE

- CONCEPT

- METHODOLOGY

- INTERACTION

- NEW SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT

- SHOWCASE

- DEVELOPED PROTOTYPES

- LIST OF DEVELOPED PROTOTYPES

- LIST OF PARTICIPANTING ARTISANS

- RECCOMENDATIONS FROM PARTICIPANTS


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

THE PARZOR FOUNDATION is greatly indebted to the Office of the D.C.Handicrafts, Textile Ministry for unstinting support over the years. We hereacknowledge the initial enthusiasm and support of Mr. Wajahat Habibullah,Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and Ms. Tinoo Joshi, D.C. Handicrafts, whostarted this collaboration. At that time Mr. G.K. Asthana, Mr. Santosh Kumar,Mr. S.K. Jana, Mr. Gaurav Kumar, Mr. Deepak Sen provided assistance andadvice, which continues to be invaluable even today. With this support, theProject on Parsi Embroidery has reached international levels.

We have been lucky in the continuing support of the D.C. Handicraftsparticularly the help we have received from the present D.C. Handicrafts, Mr.Sanjay Aggarwal, and his team Mr. Aima, Mr. Raizada at the Okhla office,Mr. A.K. Handoo, Mr. V.P. Thakur and those in the field, Mr. Mishra, Mr.Parmar and others in the Western Region.

We are grateful to experts who guided us ranging from Ms. Rosemary Crillof the V&A Museum, London, Mrs. Jasleem Dhamija, Ms. Rta Chisti, Mr.Rahul Jain, and all the individuals who have shared their Heirloom collectionsof Parsi Textiles and Embroidery in all parts of India, Iran and China with Parzorresearchers.

We also thank SEWA, Mr. Asif Shaik, Mrs. Dolly Bhesania and Ms. ShirinBhesania who have participated in our revival work across India.

Above all we pay tribute to our Founder President Lt. Gen. A. M. Sethna,Padma Bhushan, PVSM, AVSM, whose dynamic leadership and enthusiasm forreviving this Heritage of Humanity led all of us team members to strive for hisdegree of excellence and commitment. This module is dedicated to his memory.


INTRODUCTION

Parsi Textiles and Embroidery are an amalgam of four cultural traditions,the Persian Chinese, Indian and European, both in technique and motif.This ancient Heritage of Humanity has descended to us in an unbrokenline from Bronze Age Iran. It is truly an intercultural craft, which hasenriched humanity through its vibrancy and remarkable skill.

Parsi Textiles and Gara Embroidery was never studied in its historical andtechnical details till the UNESCO Parzor Project took up this challengewith the first work of research ‘Threads of Continuity’, by AshdeenLilaowala who studied the prehistoric art of Zoroastrian weaving duringhis student days at the NID Ahmedabad.

Painting With A Needle is our Module and we hope to produce a seminalbook on the subject, which will prove to the world the diversity of IndianCraft, the skill of its Karigars and the dedication with which the arts andcrafts of India are made to flourish by some of our most dis-empoweredcitizens. We dedicate our research and revival work to the women andmen, who across generations have kept rare skill sets alive, who are willingto experiment and learn and who constantly teach us the value of ourheritage.

We hope that the revival of Parsi Embroidery and itscontemporization, which has begun with the great support andguidance of the D.C. Handicrafts Office, Ministry of Textiles,Government of India, will benefit not only the Parsi Communitybut the craft community of Indian Karigars from every part of Indiaand every community. We hope to make this beautiful, ancientcraft appreciated, understood and valued across the world.


PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The UNESCO Parzor Project has been working in diverse fields. For the past four yearsParzor’s Craft Documentation programme has also continued across India. AshdeenLilaowala and Priya Mani, Textile Designers from the National Institute of Design (NID),Ahmedabad have recorded Parsi crafts in areas ranging from Navsari to Madras. Parsicrafts and their designs are a special contribution of this community, which have so farnot received the acknowledgement deserved. Garas, Kors, Jhablas carry specific designs,which are often found on Tanchoi fabrics, Torans and even chalk boxes. Can this be justa coincidence? Parsis today seem to forget a great tradition of creativity, which hasproduced beautiful crafts in the past. The aim of the crafts module of the Parzor Projectis to rekindle interest and pride in this tradition while at the same time recording it for posterity.

In the first ever-serious research intothe origin, history, development andtechnique of what is known as Parsiembroidery, the Parzor Project hastraveled across India and plans manymore field trips in the country whilealso tracing roots and routes fromYazd and Kerman in Iran to HongKong, Shanghai and Canton in China.Many discoveries have already beenmade – the Zoroastrian reverence fornature has been celebrated in themotifs of their embroidery since timeimmemorial, the Rooster, symbolizingSarosha and the Divine Fungus seenregularly on textiles give protection,especially to children whenembroidered on their Jhablas, Taoistsymbols decorate Parsi Kors, theSassanian “Circlet of Pearls” traveledfrom Zoroastrian Persia to China in theTang Dynasty and then traveled backto the Parsis embroidered on the gara.So ‘Parsi embroidery’ is not justexpensive, beautiful silk embroideryconceived, designed and executed byskilled Chinese craftsmen and simplyordered by prosperous Parsi traderswho were involved in the China tradefor their women folk, it is much more.


The intermingling and connection between the Chinese materials and motifs and theParsis who wore these garments appears to go much beyond a mere buyer- supplierrelationship. The historical trade in silk between Surat and China, the incorporation ofEuropean designs and even the Gujarati Mochi stitch, all went to create a fabric whichwas unique. It is this aspect of Parsi craftsmanship and taste, which needs exploring andrecording. This will establish that both at the stage of ideation in the choice of specialmotifs, designs and at the stage of production Parsis, especially women were involved.The Kors and Garas worn by Parsi women were distinctive, even in the rich textile heritageof India and were popularly known as the Parsi Sari in all parts of the country.

The Ministry ofT e x t i l e s ,Government ofIndia has realizedthe heritagevalue of Parsiembroidery. It is ab e a u t i f u laddition to them a g n i f i c e n ttextile heritage ofIndia and thegovernment iskeen not only toprotect but alsoproject it. Todayas Parsi

settlements in the interiors become empty, the Indian government and Unesco wish toensure that this craft heritage does not vanish. The Commissioner Handicrafts and theTextile Ministry have taken great interest in the work done so far and have given a grantunder their craft development projects, to take this study further.

In order to endure, a craft needs to cater to the needs of the time. While the classicembroidery patterns of the gara and kor will be a treasured part of Parsi heritage, theactual craft technique needs to be invigorated. In a constructive effort to preserve andadapt this craft for the community and the country, Mr. Ashdeen Lilaowala will conductcraft seminars/workshops in Ahmedabad, Navsari, Mumbai and New Delhi.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE


These fifteen-day sessions areespecially aimed at creatingawareness and sensitizing the Parsicommunity giving a sense of pridein this wonderful heritage. Theworkshops will draw upon theexpertise of some of India’s bestdesigners as well as older Parsipractitioners of the craft bothinteracting with and motivating thechosen craftsmen. Afterfamiliarizing them with the Parsiembroidery tradition, theworkshops would encourage themto initiate new ideas to carry thecraft forward. A craft can onlyprosper if the craftsmen arepatronized to innovate and createnew forms, thus constantlychallenging and improving theirown skills. There is an assurance ofbenefit to the craftsmen involved.Effort will be made to ensure thatthe contemporizing for productdevelopment would be sensitive tothe original and carry the hallmarkof Parsi tradition.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Parzor hopes to encourage young Parsis to continue an ancient heritage as well as usethe sessions as an opportunity for enterprising Zoroastrians to build teams, collaboratewith craftsmen and develop a business module, which will take this heritage into thefuture. The workshops will empower members of the community with technicalknowledge, introduce them to professional designers as well as teach basic managementskills, packing of products and interaction with prospective buyers.


Parsi Embroidery – A Bronze Age Culture

Parsi Embroidery is an Artistic & Cultural amalgam of Persian, Chinese, Indian andEuropean influences. The community accounts verbally passed down and still recalled bythe elderly across India from Bharuch to Kolkata confirm the role the Chinese pheriasplayed in familiarizing Parsi women with Chinese embroidery. Parsi elders recall howthese cycle wielding Chinese men would leave their bundles of embroidered silk clothon verandahs of Parsi homes, while they made their rounds selling their silk ware. Whenthey returned in the afternoons, Parsi women, also free from their house hold choreswould sit on the verandahs with them observing them working on their small embroideryframes, thus learning their special embroidery stitches including their use of curvedneedles. With this newly acquired skill Parsi women created their own Garas, Jabhlasand Kors. The creations by Parsi women exhibited their preference for certain motifssuch as the rooster and fish, which have significance in Zoroastrian tradition as againstdragons and snakes popular in Chinese tradition.

The Chinese had overcenturies perfected thecraft of embroidery intheir great EmbroiderySchools. Archaeologicalfinds have establishedthat Chinese embroiderywas first producedduring the ShangDynasty (1600-1027 BC).They were thereforewell trained in their useof the finer aspects ofcolour, stitch, stylizationof the motifs and overallbalance, proportion and

harmony in their work. As the demand from the Parsis increased, Indo-Chinese settlementsdealing in embroidery are believed to have flourished in Western India. The craftsmanshipof the embroidery and designs done in India was distinguishable from the original Chinese.

Enterprising Parsis traveled and settled in other parts of India especially the Deccan andhence acquired local skills like Zardozi embroidery and incorporated it in their embroideryrepertoire. With European influence came European stitches, designs and new shades ofcolour. There was a large crossover of vocabulary as Parsis imbibed the best from eastand west to create a special form.

BACKGROUND OF CRAFT


STITCHES

SATIN STITCH

EXTENDED STITCH BOUND STITCH

VOIDED STITCH


STITCHES

EMBOSSED SATIN

COUCHING

FRENCH KNOTS


IMPORTANT MOTIFS

CHAKLA - CHAKLI MOTIF

BAT MOTIF

CHINA- CHINI MOTIF


IMPORTANT MOTIFS

PAISLEY MOTIF

DIVINE FUNGUS MOTIF

ROOSTER MOTIF


DESIGNER’S PROFILE

Ashdeen Lilaowala is a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabadwith a diploma in Textile Design. Apart from various classroom projects, Ashdeenhas worked with Bandhani craftsmen affected by the Kutch earthquake in 2001.

Ashdeen has done his craft documentation project on Kusti weaving titled“Threads of Continuity – A Study of the Textiles used in Rituals and Customs ofthe Zoroastrian Community”. This monograph is ready for publication.

After graduating, he worked for a year at Rhoda Textiles and is currently jug-gling a career between Parzor and Ruh-a brand of ready-to-wear clothing forwomen. At Parzor, Ashdeen is conducting Parsi embroidery workshops and alsoorganized the first-ever symposium titled “ Painting with a Needle”.


DESIGN CONSULTANT

Mrs. Ava Khullar has done her M.A. Political Science,Occidental College, Los Angeles, U.S.A. She started hercareer in 1961 as Programme Officer, Indian Instituteof Public Administration, New Delhi, and was involvedin organizing International seminars and conferences.From 1963 to 1965 worked as lecturer in Parle College,Mumbai.

In 1965, She joined the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in New Delhias Programme Secretary and Research Officer and continued with the CSDS till 1981. TheCentres research is interdisciplinary and has done pioneering work in grass root studiesof the Indian nation .As part of the programme of minority studies she conducted aSocio-Economic and Demographic Study of the Parsis of Delhi. This was a 100% survey ofthe community and gave out some very interesting leads regarding the community’sfamily and marital patterns and the demographic transition it is passing through.

My interest in the condition of the Parsis has since then continued, and at the behest ofthe Federation of Zoroastrian Anjumans of India I have carried out similar studies ofParsis in Belgaum, Vizagapatanam, Bhavnagar and collected data in several places.

She is currently associated with UNESCO Parzor which works on the Preservation ofZoroastrian Heritage and Culture. The project, divided into ten modules is designed toexamine the issue of the historical transition of the Parsi community and preservation ofits ancient cultural heritage. Several research studies have been initiated to betterunderstand the family and marital patterns, the problems of the aged and the youth.Mrs. Khullar has been actively involved with the Textile Module and has assited inconducting its Design Workshops.


CONCEPT

The concept of the workshop was to recreate Parsi gara embroideryand contemporise it for new commercial products. The productshave been designed keeping its marketability and production costin mind.

The colours used for the base fabrics are largely black and maroon,which are also traditionally used in Parsi Embroidery. The embroideryhas been done largely in cream and white which make the productsclassic and yet modern. Soft pastels and other commercially viablecolours have been used in other designs to give variety to thecollection.

The original Gara motifs have been used as each motif hassignificance and can be marketed with a story along with theproduct. All craftsperson have been sensitized to the details involvedin embroidering the delicate floral and bird motifs. The workshopaims to project Parsi embroidery in a new light and be widelyavailable.


METHODOLOGY

The workshop commenced with a brief introduction of Parsi Embroidery to theparticipants. The participants included skilled and semi skilled craftsperson fromWest Bengal and various members of the Parsi community. They were explainedthe nuances and the details that differentiate Parsi Embroidery from other craftsin India. The craft, which is an artistic and Cultural amalgam, was highlightedthrough pervious documentation and with the help of digitized images collectedon various field trips across the country. This information gave some reference tocrafts people who were not aware of the craft.

Wooden frames or addas were set up by craftsperson. Each step in setting upthe frame was carefully supervised and monitored and no short cuts were allowed.After the fabric was uniformly stretched, various designs were printed on thefabric. A variety of borders and motifs had been traced and pinned before theworkshop.

Different techniques and stitches were used to embroider. Samples werecreated using Satin stitch and its variations that are largely used in Parsi Embroidery.Aari also can be effectively used in Parsi embroidery and this technique is muchfaster and economically viable. The technique can be altered to give an illusionof hand stitches, like the reverse aari can be used to give the effect of khakhastitch and open stitch aari can be used to imitate satin stitch.


Above: Parsi Women from Delhi showed alot of interest in the workshop and activelyparticipated throughout.Below: Craftsperson doing satin stitch on the adda.

INTERACTION


INTERACTION

Participants working on the adda.


During the course of fifteen days there were several visitors who came to see thework being done. Many designers were also invited to give their feedback andcomments on the craftsmanship, the use of colours and marketability of theproducts. A lot of positive feedback was given about the choice of designs andit’s contemporisation to lifestyle products such as cushions, bags and lamps.

INTERACTION


INTERACTION

Above: Women from Delhi showed alot of interest in the workshop and actively participatedthroughout.Below: Dr. Shernaz Cama interacts with the Craftsperson to explain the nuances of Parsi Embroidery.


INTERACTION

Designer Ashdeen Lilaowala explains different techniques to the craftsperson.


NEW SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT

Various designs, which have beendigitally documented, wereprinted as reference sheets forcraftsmen. Each design is thentraced on to coated sheets as perrequired size. These sheets arethen pricked with a needle andused to transfer the design ontothe fabric.

The craftsmen then start toembroider using pre-selectedcolours. Different techniques wereused for the embroidery such assatin stitch, aari satin, aariembroidery and French knots.

Each technique creates a different and unique texture and gives movement tothe motifs. Satin, which is the most authentic of the stitches, is also the mosteffective. This stitch is ideal for rendering and shading of motifs. Variations ofsatin such as encroached and void were also used in the samples. Though satin isideal for Parsi embroidery it is also time consuming and therefore not cost effectivefor small household products.

Aari satin done with an aari needle gives the impression of satin but is not asfluid as satin. The technique is extremely effective as it is faster than satin andthere are more craftsmen who are familiar with aari than satin stitch.


NEW SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT


Dr. Shernaz Cama, Director, Parzor Foundation welcomed the guest andunderlined the need to revive the craft which will be able to benefit variousclusters of women and crafts men across the country. Mrs. Ava Khullar then spokeon Parsi Embroidery and the role that Parzor foundation has played indocumenting and reviving this rare and ancient craft. She highlighted the workdone at previous workshops in Ahmedabad, Navsari and Mumbai. Her audio-visual presentation also explained the various stitches used in Parsi embroidery.

SHOWCASE


Mr. Ashdeen Lilaowala presented his paper “ Parsi Embroidery- An Artisticand Cultural Amalgam”. He emphasized on the point that Parsi embroiderywas not merely a craft imported by the Parsis in India from the Chinese. Persian,Chinese, Indian and European influences have all been fused to create a uniquetraditional textile.

The participants then interacted with the skilled craftsperson to see the variousembroidery techniques being used by them. Setting up of an adda was alsodemonstrated. The participants showed a keen interest in the craft andappreciated the effort which went into create every piece. Specially preparedParsi snacks were served to all the participants and craftsperson.

SHOWCASE


Parzor also conducted a one-day workshop on 9th December at the JungalwalaHall. The workshop was specially organized for working women who are extremelyinterested in the craft but were unable to participate for all fifteen days. Parzororganized a display of original Parsi embroidered textiles, which included Garas,Jhablas and kors. Original samples of Tanchoi Fabrics, which are also a contributionby the Parsi Community, were displayed at the hall.

SHOWCASE


DEVELOPED PROTOTYPES

Telephone directory



Toilet Pouch



Small butterfly cushion



Desk accessories



Border Bangle



Embroidered book mark



Draw string bag



Sling Bag



Border stole



Chrysanthemum spectacle case



Rooster CD Cover



Brocade Coaster



Presentation Ring Binder


Floor lamp




Ladies Saree Blouse



Women’s Top


The aim of the workshop was to create a variety of products, whichcould be used for the home and small accessories for women. Severalproducts have been developed at the workshop. All products have beencosted and a small survey about its marketability was carried out. Theproducts have been highly appreciated and many enquires by boutiqueowners and exporters have been made.

RECCOMENDATIONS FROM PARTICIPANTS

delhi workshop

Documents

delhi showed

marital patterns

ancient heritage

parzor foundation

parsi embroidery

sample development

project objective

parsi textiles