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The State of Andhra Pradesh boasts some of the most fascinating list of arts and crafts emerging from its soil. The artists and craftspersons are known for their dexterity and nimble fingers which shape out some of the most life like characters. 25th Surajkund Crafts Mela sheltered many of these craftspersons who were skilful in their distinctive arts. Handicrafts made with studied details, natural colours and expressions which reflect the symbols of their traditions, made a spectacular display for the audience. Flamboyant and effervescent colours contrasted to the pastoral imagery of the Mela and instantly caught the attention of the visitors. Theme State Andhra Pradesh presented some of these craftspersons, who exquisitely made use of soft wood and developed toys and other artefacts. Two such distinguishing crafts were- Kondapalli Toys and Lacquer ware.
Kondapalli Toys
Kondapalli, an industrial town, is internationally renowned for its toys. These toys are chiselled out of a special light wood, locally known as ‘Tella Polanki’. The wooden piece is heated to make it moisture free. Different parts of the image are carved separately. They are then glued together with an adhesive made of crushed tamarind seeds. These are then hand painted with vegetable dyes and enamel colours which make them lustrous and vibrant in appeal. Painting is done with soft and thin paintbrushes made of goat’s hair. The toys depict scenes from actual life, animals, and rural folks. The most popular toys include Dasavatarams (ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu), Ambari elephants, papier machie dolls, assorted soldiers, palanquin-bearers carrying the bride and bridegroom, toddy tapper, set of village craftsmen, besides animals and birds.
The Designer Gallery of 25th Surajkund Crafts Mela was a home to many such Kondapalli Toys. Work Hut of Lepakshi which is under the aegis of Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation, a State Government Undertaking displayed exquisite handicrafts of Kondapalli. These toys have carved a niche for themselves in the world of handicrafts.
Lacquer Ware
Etikoppaka, a small village of Andhra Pradesh, is a treasure-trove to an amazing variety of lacquer ware. This craft involves application of lacquer on wood. `Lacquer’ is a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation which produces a hard, durable finish which can stretch from ultra matte to high gloss and that can, interestingly, be further polished as required. Hand-lathe is used to shape delicate items. The lac is applied when the objects get arid. In this process, the lac stick is hard-pressed against the woodenware meant to be lacquered. Since the object keeps on revolving, the friction generates heat, which softens the lac and facilitates the colour to get stick. With the help of brush, designs are painted on the figures, objects and toys.
Work Hut no. 522 of Shri P.R.VSathyanarayana was a family of National and State Awardees. They offered an exotic display of Lacquer ware which included a wide variety of toys, keychains, bangle and other artefacts. He stated that his handicrafts were exclusively coloured with vegetable dyes like tamarind powder, kajal, jaggery, indigo and extracts from trees grown in their area. They were mixed together in right proportions to create newer and fresher colours. His brother, Shri Chinnayachari has been recorded in Limca Book of Records for making the most number of wooden eggs which were designed to fit one inside the other. Similarly Work Huts 540, 593 and 586 also displayed lustrous and vibrant toys and artefacts which were immensely popular with the visitors.
Visitors at Work Hut no. 532 of Mhd. Salim could actually see the live demonstration of making the lac bangles. These lac bangles were the one of the most popular lacquer wares that were embellished with stones, beads, glass and mirrors. He stated that only three basic colours-green, red and blue were used to mix with lac to form the bangles of variety of shades.
These age old arts and crafts have showcased an enriching and endearing freshness despite the change of hands. Surajkund Crafts Mela displayed an array of these crafts which have reflected innate flexibility and durability over the years. Nonetheless, it was a cynosure for not only art lovers but also for the general public who visited the Mela.
