All about phulkari: The traditional handicraft of Punjab
Phulkari is the skillful handling of a single stitch, which when positioned in a sequence forms striking designs. Attractively, all designs are made within a geometric grid, yet come across as curvilinear.
WHEN SENATOR Hillary Clinton evinced interest in a designer phulkari coat a few winters ago, fashionistas back home went scurrying towards this embroidery from Punjab that had proved to be a head-turner on the world stage. Crafted in bright colours of orange, red, maroon, green, mustard and magenta, it projects shades of joy, of vibrancy, of life and exudes cheer.
When translated, phulkari means ‘flower work’. The stitch-art form of Punjab is simple yet stunning, its floral magnificence capturing the spirit of the land in its weft, warp and silken strands that thread tales of its people and folklore. The fabric is skillfully embroidered with such perfection that the end result presents a piece of visual excellence.
Conventionally phulkari was done on coarse homespun, hand-woven cotton that was used as a shawl to be presented by a mother to her daughter on marriage. A modern day shift has seen phulkari embellishing any fabric, from chiffon to satin to cotton. In its contemporary avatar it is being fashioned on jackets, suits, dupattas, coats, skirts and men’s shirts to mention a few among the range of apparel that is being touched by the embroidery.
Thread by thread
Phulkari is the skillful handling of a single stitch, which when positioned in a sequence forms striking designs. Attractively, all designs are made within a geometric grid, yet come across as curvilinear.
With the roots of phulkari lying in the rural Punjab, motifs within these grids are inspired from village life and nature. They could represent birds, animals, vegetables, rivers, sun, moon, fields and other everyday imagery. Based on these, the patterns get their classification; like dhaniya (coriander), motia (jasmine), leheria bagh (garden of waves), surajmukhi (sunflower), mor (peacock), kukad (cock) etc. Composition of ornaments such as hansali, tika, kada, singhar-patti and guluband can also be seen.
The embroidery derives its richness from the adroit use of long and short ‘darn’ or ‘straight’ stitch, which when placed in different directions – horizontal, vertical or diagonal – give the threadwork many hues and thus its opulence. The smaller the stitch, finer is the quality of embroidery. The other stitches used in tandem to extenuate the design are: stem, herringbone, satin, back, blanket, split and cross-stitch.
Another unique aspect is that it is worked entirely on the wrong side of the cloth with the pattern taking shape on the front. The design is made such that it does not have an upward or lower end. The skill of the untrained artists doesn’t stop here. It draws further appreciation owing to the fact that it is neither drawn nor traced.
Conventionally phulkari was done on coarse homespun, hand-woven cotton that was used as a shawl to be presented by a mother to her daughter on marriage. A modern day shift has seen phulkari embellishing any fabric, from chiffon to satin to cotton. In its contemporary avatar it is being fashioned on jackets, suits, dupattas, coats, skirts and men’s shirts to mention a few among the range of apparel that is being touched by the embroidery.
Thread by thread
Phulkari is the skillful handling of a single stitch, which when positioned in a sequence forms striking designs. Attractively, all designs are made within a geometric grid, yet come across as curvilinear.
With the roots of phulkari lying in the rural Punjab, motifs within these grids are inspired from village life and nature. They could represent birds, animals, vegetables, rivers, sun, moon, fields and other everyday imagery. Based on these, the patterns get their classification; like dhaniya (coriander), motia (jasmine), leheria bagh (garden of waves), surajmukhi (sunflower), mor (peacock), kukad (cock) etc. Composition of ornaments such as hansali, tika, kada, singhar-patti and guluband can also be seen.
The embroidery derives its richness from the adroit use of long and short ‘darn’ or ‘straight’ stitch, which when placed in different directions – horizontal, vertical or diagonal – give the threadwork many hues and thus its opulence. The smaller the stitch, finer is the quality of embroidery. The other stitches used in tandem to extenuate the design are: stem, herringbone, satin, back, blanket, split and cross-stitch.
Another unique aspect is that it is worked entirely on the wrong side of the cloth with the pattern taking shape on the front. The design is made such that it does not have an upward or lower end. The skill of the untrained artists doesn’t stop here. It draws further appreciation owing to the fact that it is neither drawn nor traced.
What gives the embroidery its opulence is the thread used, which is untwisted pure silken floss called pat, that is dyed in the colours of choice. Earlier the dyeing pigment used was not colour fast and even a drop of water could spoil the fabric. With chemical dyes being use now the range of colours and its quality has thrown up immense permutation and combinations.
Traditional styles
There are a variety of phulkari styles for different occasions and purposes. The base fabric and thread colours are chosen depending on the way it is to be used. A red cotton base is chosen for weddings phulkaris, the plain brick-red khaddar or black base for home wear and functions, and navy blue for the prayer room.
The patterns are diverse and distinct. Chope done on red material has embroidered borders and is presented to the bride by her maternal uncle. Wari da bagh (trousseau bagh) is also on a red cloth with golden yellow embroidery symbolising happiness and fertility. Ghunghat bagh (head cover) has a border on all four sides and a motif at each corner. Suber has five motifs, one in the center and one each in the four corners. Chamba is a series of creepers, leaves and flowers.
A fully embroidered phulkari in which the base fabric is not visible is called the bagh. Amongst the popular designs in bagh are the Panchranga and Satranga, where five and seven colours, respectively, are used. However, it is the Bawan bagh (52 patterned) that is considered most exquisite for it showcases 52 different geometric patterns embroidered in one piece.
Current scenario
Like most traditions of yore, embroidering a phulkari had taken a backseat. Neither was there an inclination nor the patience. The interest being taken by government craft centres, non-government organisations (NGOs) and heritage preservation societies is seeing the revival of the embroidery. Tripri, in Patiala district, is a place where large-scale work is being done. Due to such efforts over the past few years the demand for phulkari sees a major upswing during the wedding season when orders pour in from the non-resident Indian (NRI) population as well as from around North-India. NGOs and other semi-government bodies working on orders are confident of phulkari touching the global scene and constantly innovate, crafting new products and motifs, all within the parameters of tradition.
Though striking and opulent there is robustness in the design that stems from the hardy, joyous nature of the Punjabi people, whose lives revolved around agrarian activities. The richness of a golden harvest meant happiness, which was transferred on to the cloth, interspersed with legends, folk traditions and daily life. Women used to sit together and embroider their pieces. While they worked they sang and songs evolved around the art of phulkari, which as time passed became part of folk singing. Looking at the demand for phulkari it doesn’t seem a distant dream when the stitch-craft will be singing a new song.
Traditional styles
There are a variety of phulkari styles for different occasions and purposes. The base fabric and thread colours are chosen depending on the way it is to be used. A red cotton base is chosen for weddings phulkaris, the plain brick-red khaddar or black base for home wear and functions, and navy blue for the prayer room.
The patterns are diverse and distinct. Chope done on red material has embroidered borders and is presented to the bride by her maternal uncle. Wari da bagh (trousseau bagh) is also on a red cloth with golden yellow embroidery symbolising happiness and fertility. Ghunghat bagh (head cover) has a border on all four sides and a motif at each corner. Suber has five motifs, one in the center and one each in the four corners. Chamba is a series of creepers, leaves and flowers.
A fully embroidered phulkari in which the base fabric is not visible is called the bagh. Amongst the popular designs in bagh are the Panchranga and Satranga, where five and seven colours, respectively, are used. However, it is the Bawan bagh (52 patterned) that is considered most exquisite for it showcases 52 different geometric patterns embroidered in one piece.
Current scenario
Like most traditions of yore, embroidering a phulkari had taken a backseat. Neither was there an inclination nor the patience. The interest being taken by government craft centres, non-government organisations (NGOs) and heritage preservation societies is seeing the revival of the embroidery. Tripri, in Patiala district, is a place where large-scale work is being done. Due to such efforts over the past few years the demand for phulkari sees a major upswing during the wedding season when orders pour in from the non-resident Indian (NRI) population as well as from around North-India. NGOs and other semi-government bodies working on orders are confident of phulkari touching the global scene and constantly innovate, crafting new products and motifs, all within the parameters of tradition.
Though striking and opulent there is robustness in the design that stems from the hardy, joyous nature of the Punjabi people, whose lives revolved around agrarian activities. The richness of a golden harvest meant happiness, which was transferred on to the cloth, interspersed with legends, folk traditions and daily life. Women used to sit together and embroider their pieces. While they worked they sang and songs evolved around the art of phulkari, which as time passed became part of folk singing. Looking at the demand for phulkari it doesn’t seem a distant dream when the stitch-craft will be singing a new song.
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