Crafts / Kutch Embroidery

Kutch Embroidery

State: Gujarat
Material: Cotton · Silk thread · Mirrors
Rarity: Popular

Thread, mirrors and the colours of the Rann

About

The dense, colourful, mirror-studded hand embroidery of the women of Kutch.

Kutch embroidery is the signature textile art of the tribal and pastoral communities of Kutch district in Gujarat. It is most often made by women, generally on cotton cloth, using cotton or silk thread, and sometimes on silk and satin. The most recognisable feature is the sparkle of small mirrors, called abhla or shisha, stitched over geometric designs.

Different communities have their own styles, shaped by the groups that make them, such as the Rabari, Garasia Jat and Mutava, the Ahir, the Sodha Rajput and the Meghwar. Around sixteen named types are listed, including Ahir, Aari, Rabari, Soof, Kharek, Pakko, Neran and Jat. The stitches include square chain, double buttonhole, pattern darning, running, satin and straight stitches.

Embroidery is part of life in Kutch. Women embroider clothes for festivals and weddings, decorate deities and household items, and make quilts, door hangings, bags and cushion covers. The skills pass from mother to daughter, and today embroidery is also a source of income for many women's groups and cooperatives.

How it’s made

Embroidery begins with the cloth, usually cotton, though silk, wool and mashru are also used. The fabric is held in the hand or fixed on an adjustable frame so that the tension can be kept even. Traditionally many women work without drawing a design, while others transfer designs using tracing paper. A thimble on the middle finger speeds the stitching.

The stitching is done in floss silk or cotton thread. Typical stitches have names: square chain, double buttonhole, herringbone, running, satin, and the very fine aari chain stitch made with a hooked needle. Each community favours certain stitches. Soof is a very exact geometric style dominated by a chevron wave called leher, kharek uses bars of black double running and satin stitch, pakko uses close buttonhole stitches to give a raised look, and Rabari work, often on maroon cloth, has patterns drawn from daily life and mythology.

Mirrors are attached last. A small round or shaped piece of mirror is held in place by a lattice of stitches, and then the edge is worked around it in buttonhole stitch so that the mirror is secure and framed. Beads, sequins and appliqué may be added. The motifs are drawn from daily life, such as animals and birds like elephants, camels, parrots and peacocks, as well as flowers, temples and figures of dancing women. Mirrors are widely believed to protect against the evil eye.

Key features

Dense hand embroidery in floss silk or cotton thread
Small mirrors (abhla or shisha) sewn over geometric designs
Many community styles: Rabari, Ahir, Soof, Kharek, Pakko, Jat and others
Stitches include square chain, buttonhole, herringbone, satin and running
Motifs of animals, birds, flowers, temples and dancing women
Skills passed from mother to daughter
Registered as a Geographical Indication

History

Kutch embroidery is traced to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a time when the region saw movement of people from many places into Gujarat. It is also said that cobblers known as Mochis were trained in the art by Muslim Sufi saints of Sindh, and the Mochi aari work, a very fine chain stitch done with a hooked needle, was done for the royal family and wealthy families. The Rabaris are said to have migrated from Sindh around the fourteenth century and developed their own style.

The art became a vocation for women of Kutch, not only to meet their own clothing needs but also to earn a living. It is a generational art in which girls learn from their mothers. They embroidered clothes for festive occasions and to decorate the deities, and also to create a source of income.

Kutch embroidery is registered as a Geographical Indication, listed in March 2013. In recent decades, craft organisations and women's cooperatives, such as SEWA's Hansiba Museum and Craft Resource Centre, have helped embroiderers reach wider markets and preserve the styles.

Facts

Abhla Sparkling mirrors. The signature of Kutch embroidery is small mirrors, called abhla or shisha, stitched over geometric designs.
16 types Many named styles. Kutch embroidery is described as having around sixteen named types, among them Ahir, Aari, Rabari, Soof, Kharek, Pakko and Neran.
GI 2013 A registered craft. Kutch embroidery was listed as a Geographical Indication under the GI Act in March 2013.
Mother to daughter A generational skill. The skills are taught from mother to daughter, and many women use embroidery to earn income.

Market

Textiles, bags and home items

Kutch embroidery is sold as sarees, dupattas, blouses, bags, cushion covers, quilts, wall hangings and accessories, through craft cooperatives, museums' craft centres, fairs and online. Machine-embroidered imitations are common. Hand embroidery has individual variation in stitches and a neat back, and takes weeks for large pieces.

Sustainability

A slow craft that supports women's income

Hand embroidery on cotton uses little energy, and mending and reusing cloth is part of the tradition. Buying from women's cooperatives and craft centres returns more of the price to the embroiderers.

Products

Embroidered dupattas and sarees: With mirror work and chain stitch
Bags and pouches: Small embroidered accessories
Cushion covers and bedding: Embroidered home furnishings and quilts
Wall hangings and door hangings: Torans and decorative panels
Mirror-work patches and garments: Shisha patches, embroidered tops and T-shirts

Words to know

Abhla / Shisha: A small mirror sewn onto cloth.
Aari: A fine chain stitch made with a hooked needle; the finest Kutch embroidery.
Soof: A neat geometric style dominated by a chevron wave pattern.
Kharek: A style of bar patterns in black double running and satin stitch.
Pakko: A style of close buttonhole stitches giving a raised, geometric look.
Rabari: A pastoral community of Kutch with its own embroidery style.

Try it yourself

Shisha Mirror Patch · Intermediate · 2 - 4 hours
Embroidered Bag · Intermediate · 5 - 10 hours (over a few evenings)
Embroidered T-Shirt · Intermediate · 4 - 8 hours (over a few sessions)