craft baba Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal

Kushmundi of Dakshin Dinajpur is home to 250 crafts persons who are involved in making wooden masks locally called as “Mukha,” inexorably linked to the Gomira dance. It is a dance cum mime performed by various ethnic groups of Dinajpur. Bold demonic look is the characteristic feature of the masks. An annual festival is held by the crafts persons during the month of December where they showcase their crafts. Mahishbathan in South Dinajpur’s Kushmandi block is famous for bamboo masks based on popular folk and mythological characters like Moshan, Narorakshas, Hanuman, Chamkali, Chamunda etc., with bamboo vases, trays, incense stands, pen stands also being manufactured by the artisans here. Mask-making began not too long ago, when artisans across the region practiced this art form; from 1990 attempts were made to unify them under the wings of theMahishbathan Gramin Hostoshilpo Samiti, and scholars from different parts of the world come here to observe the age-old intricate process of bamboo-carving. Bamboo pieces are kept submerged in large reservoirs containing water mixed with mulberry gum powder, bleaching powder and sal; the pieces are taken out after a week and sun-dried. The price of a mask depends on the type of wood it is carved from – with timber varieties such as Gamari, Sal, Mango, Pakur, and Mahogany mainly being used. The wooden masks are meant for use in Gambheera dances or Palas (musical folk theaters), as the carvers, or the performers, treat each mask philosophically, by considering it as theMukha (face), rather than a Mukhosh (mask) – the belief being that it comes alive as soon as one puts his face behind it. These ornate wooden masks adorn a large number of homes in Bengal and beyond, with a large number of these masks being exported to the USA, and even enjoying pride of place at the annual State Handicrafts Fair. The ecstatic wooden mask of Kushmandi in Dakshin Dinajpur district is associated with the Rajbangshi community of the area. Around 150 artists are into making wooden masks and 60 families into Bamboo based work.  The wood is generally sourced from the Gamar trees. These masks are a part of the costume of the traditional Gomira dancers who perform it during Chandi Puja. The themes of the masks are generally spiritual, historic and religious.  The Government of West Bengal, in partnership with UNESCO, has taken up an initiative to develop Rural Craft Hub at Kushmandi.

Dhokra (Odia: ଡୋକରା, Bengali: ডোকরা) (also spelt Dokra) is non–ferrous metal casting using the lost wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used.  The product of dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form. Dhokra horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuring bowls, and lamp caskets etc., are highly appreciated. There are two main processes of lost wax casting: solid casting and hollow casting. While the former is predominant in the south India the latter is more common in Central and Eastern India. Solid casting does not use a clay core but instead a solid piece of wax to create the mould; hollow casting is the more traditional method and uses the clay core. The first task in the lost wax hollow casting process consists of developing a clay core which is roughly the shape of the final cast image. Next, the clay core is covered by a layer of wax composed of pure beeswax,resin from the tree Damara orientalis, and nut oil. The wax is then shaped and carved in all its finer details of design and decorations. It is then covered with layers of clay, which takes the negative form of the wax on the inside, thus becoming a mould for the metal that will be poured inside it. Drain ducts are left for the wax, which melts away when the clay is cooked. The wax is then replaced by the molten metal, often using brass scrap as basic raw material. The liquid metal poured in hardens between the core and the inner surface of the mould. The metal fills the mould and takes the same shape as the wax. The outer layer of clay is then chipped off and the metal icon is polished and finished as desired

Size : 11.5″ x 5″ x 5”

Weight : 1.2 Kg

This is a handcrafted, hand tooled, painted men’s wallet /purse made from 100% genuine leather. It has a vibrant, multicolored design on both sides. Inside the wallet there is multiple compartments for bills, coins and credit cards. It also has a transparent compartment for storing photo identification card like your driver’s license. ORIGIN AND MAKING:This men’s wallet is a classic example of age old Shantiniketan craft which was introduced in West Bengal, India during the 1940s. It derives its name from the place where it was first introduced – Shantiniketan and was patronized by Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore who revived a number of crafts that were nearing redundancy in Shantiniketan. The Shantiniketan style evolved as a result of the Art Movement and these products have now become world famous for their applique, batik and embossed craft work. The process of burnishing the leather gives it an elegant sheen and brings out the colors. The major embossing craft is done by hand and is an intricate process. After the final leather made, it is then stitched into the desired product coated with a lacquer finish for making the product shiny and long lasting. The traditional motifs used for these Shantiniketan bags depict the rich cultural heritage of India.

Graceful and gorgeous,This Silk material for Indian Women from the house of CRAFTBABA is designed as per the latest trends to keep you in sync with high fashion and with your wedding occasion.Description:  Experience the of sporting this wonderful KANTHA STITCH SILK saree.  It has Kantha work.  The saree is hand woven by the Weavers of Bengal (Shantiniketan,Birbhum)  Product Color: Black colour silk base  Craft Type: All over Kantha Work with Multicolour stitch with Anchor thread  Fabric: 100% Pure  Bangalore Silk.  Measurement: 6.5 MTR (Inclusive of Blouse piece).  Blouse: Silk Fabric Accompanied.  The last image gives a detailed look of the Kantha work with threads and knots that defines its authencity that it is hand worked by village women  The model is wearing a blouse from our in-house wardrobe.  This product is hand crafted and there might be slight irregularities.  These add to the unique charm of this exquisite piece.  Dry clean only. Craft Type: Allover Kantha Work with Multicolour stitch No. Of Unit : 1 Saree With Blouse Piece We ship Worldwide

Craft Type : ALLOVER Kantha Work with Anchor thread

Wash Care : Dry wash

Kalighat Paintings refer to the class of paintings and drawings on hand-made paper produced by a group of artists called ‘Patuas’ in the neighbourhood of the famous Kali temple at Kalighat in between 19th and earlier 20th Century. By the early 19th century the Kalighat Temple was a popular destination for local people, pilgrims and certain foreign visitors as well. With the rise of popularity and fame of the goddess Kali, many of the artisans and craftsmen flocked to Kalighat area to capitalise the new market by selling cheap religious souvenirs to the visitors. Soon after that a number of skilled artists moved to Kolkata from the rural Bengal especially from 24 Paraganas and Midnapore and set up stalls outside the Temple. In the villages they had painted long narrative stories on scrolls of handmade paper often stretched to over 20 feet in length and were known as patachitra. Each section was known as a pat and the artists therefore became known as patuas. The patuas would travel from village to village, unrolling the scroll a section at a time and singing the stories to their audiences.  However, the visitors to Kalighat did not want to buy long scrolls which would take a lot of time to paint. The patuas therefore started painting single pictures involving just one or two figures that could be painted quickly with simple forms leaving the background plain and eliminating non- essential details.

This lovely 4 fold wall hanging of the Devi Durga brings out Her beauty, spiritual strength and serenity. Bengalis believe that installing this wall hanging brings peace and prosperity to their home, while preventing evil forces from getting in. This wall hanging is painstakingly crafted with jute, framing the face in such a way so as to bring out its beauty.

Even if you don’t care to keep your papers in place only to panic at the last moment, these carefully designed folders made even more interesting by craftbaba will make you want to organize your documents and keep them safe. These folders are a humble effort to lend your otherwise so boring world of papers a not-so-boring outlook! Be it school handouts, extra notes, essential documents or important files – you need to keep them organized to keep your life simple and manageable. The amount of work gone into making these items is commendable. Do not miss out on the love and dedication the artists have put in to bring this on for you. This natural jute file folder is both biodegradable and sustainable.It is smart and reliable to allow you the comfort of style as well as reliability when you use it.This eco friendly jute file folder can be customised in terms of size and style.  

Size : 14″ X 9″

The humble and versatile Bamboo has always played an integral role in our culture. The Bamboo is used for anything from building housing, cooking as an ingredient and even for handicrafts which are ultimately used for decorative purposes. Our artist who has taken the roots of the bamboo and used his wood carving skills to give it a unique twist incorporating the little hair-like shoots that accompany the roots of a Bamboo. What could easily have been discarded as waste, he has turned into either the hair or beard of the bust that he carves on the main stump of the root.Bamboo roots are different in their forms, either in size or in structure. Each root is suitable for carving according to its natural structure. It is the brainstorming that takes time.

Overall Dimension : 22 cm x 32 cm x 21 cm

Material : Bamboo root