Applique work is one of the oldest craft done using fabric. There are many forms of applique work practiced in India, among those,Pipali work of
Odisha is an ancient one. Odisha is famous for some unique art like,
Patachitra , also famous for some fabric art like making of
hand woven Ikkat and Pipli work.
Pipli work : Colorful applique
Pipli work is colorful.Almost all colors are used in this. Here you can see the use of different colored clothes in Pipli work:
Origin of Pipli applique art:
This art of applique dates back to 10th century AD. The Pipli is a village near
Bhubaneshwar (the capital of Odisha). This place is the origin of Pipli applique art. This handicraft is related to the famous Jaganatha Yathra of Puri. History says that this colorful applique work was done to decorate Jagannatha Ratha and temple during rituals.
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| Image courtesy -Google images:Pipli -work fabric covering Jaganath Ratha |
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After independence , this art of applique work started declining, because of the loss of royal patronage. But now it is again in demand , as the artists have started making many household and decorative items like bedsheets,purses, , wall hangings, pillow covers, lampshades and tablecloth using Pipli art.
Patterns and Motifs used in Pipli work:
In making pipli applique work, the traditional colors Red, Yellow , Green and Black are used. But nowadays, to accommodate current users' requirement , other colors are also used. Traditionally the motifs used are flowers, birds, elephant, vine designs ,geometric patterns etc. This is embellished with mirror work. We can find many variations in this applique art. Recently I visited an exhibition. Here are some variations in Pipli art:
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| Wall hanging with motifs of human beings |
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| Purse with a small house and girl |
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| Wall hanging with tree design. The artist told me its auspicious and lucky to keep this :) |
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| i-Pad cover with house motif |
And here is the artist selling his products:
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| Artist with his products |
Coming up with some more posts on different handicrafts and some of my works too.
Until then,
Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,
-Ranjana
