Traditional Crafts

Hand knotted carpets of fine quality are made in Punjab since the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. While carpets were made for the rich, rough rugs (known as namdas) were made by the common people for their own use. Lahore is the center of hand-made carpets.

Since ancient times the weavers of the region have produced colourful fabrics of silk and cotton. The hand-woven cotton cloth like khaddar of Kamalia, are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.

The potter at his wheel is a common sight in every village, uninfluenced by modern glamour. Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Gujrat also produce colourful pottery, painted after firing. The blue glazed pottery of Multan dates back to the 13th century with obvious traces of Persian influence.

Chiniot, Gujrat and Lahore are famous for woodwork. Chiniot is known for woodcarving and furniture, brass and iron inlay. Copper and brass work is done within the walled city of Lahore since ages. In fine arts, the local Muslim traditions of Punjab were greatly influenced by the works of Central Asian and Persian artists of the early Mughal period. Persian miniatures are the models of some of the well-known artists like Abdur Rehman Chaughtai, with a style of his own, and Haji Muhammad Sharif.

Among the modern artists, Ustad Allah Bakhsh, Khalid Iqbal, Ijazul Hasan and Shakir Ali stand on the top.In calligraphy, a great heritage of Muslim art, Agha Mirza Imam of Lahore gave new dimensions to this art and was followed by equally renowned Sufi Abdul Majid (Perveen Raqqm) and Abdul Walid (Nadir Qalam) who changed the round form of letters to elegant ovals.

In the Graphic Arts, representational paintings and landscapes continue to be produced side by side with more complex modern trends. The main art centers in the province are Al-Hamra, the National College of Arts, Fine Arts Department of the Punjab University and the Lahore Art Gallery, all located at Lahore.

Punjabi Juttis
The shoes made in different parts of Punjab out of self lured leather have different traditions. Light shoes were considered the best and to explain this aspect the cobblers used to say that even the sparrows can fly with them. Earlier shoes which have come to be known as Punjabi Juttis throughout the world were embroidered with gold and silver wires all over in different patterns covering every parts of the pair so that it looked as if it was made of solid gold and silver. Now even when golden and silver threads are used to embroider these shoes, the quality of these world famous shoes is still maintained.

Hand printing
In Punjab, there was a particular community of textile workers called "Chhimba". They used to print khaddar cloth with hand blocks. In most cases, the white cloth was supplied by the customer. It was first dyed and then printed by the Chhimbas. The printed designs were mainly floral and geometrical; sometimes bird and animal motifs were also used.

The dyes were obtained from vegetables, plants and stones, the colours were made fast by adding some chemicals and herbs and boiling for several hours. The method of obtaining colours for the dyes etc. was a jealously guarded secret of the Chhimba community and not let out easily.

Metal Work
Metalwork is the most important of Punjab's arts and crafts. The common use of metal objects in daily life has necessitated the evolving of various products and techniques. The metal-workers of Amritsar are known for their skill in various forms of casting, soldering, methods of decoration such as repousse, pierced work, chasing, engraving, etc. Metal pots and other utensils are used by the housewife in her kitchen. Metal objects are necessary for religious rituals in the homes as well as in the temples. Among these objects are included temple lamps and trumpets (Narasinga). Decorative objects are for those who can afford them.

The most remarkable are engraved metal doors and the Kalashas of the temples, the Chhattra and the three-dimensional life-size metal sculptures of lion, Durga's charger, and Nandi, Shiva's mount outside their respective temples. In the 19th century, figurative panels engraved in low relief were very common in the Hindu temples and Sikh gurudwaras. Metal craftsmen engaged in repousse work were called Chitera in Amritsar. It may be noted here that the word 'Chitera' means a painter; the term is commonly used in this sense in the erstwhile Hill states of the Punjab Himalaya, now incorporated in Himachal Pradesh.

Wood Work
The woodwork of Punjab has been traditionally famous. Artistic beds with comfortable, skillfully made back rests fitted with mirrors, low seats called Peeras, Peerian were made by carpenters in almost every village. Furniture designed in Punjab and boxes, toys and decorative pieces made out of lacquer finish to wood crafts, in adorning it with engraving wood, inlaying ivory (now white plastic only) the workmen of Punjab have been renowned. Woodcarving in Punjab is practised in Batala, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur.

Basketery
The craft of basketry is widely practised all over Punjab. After shaving, thin straws of this grass, are woven into beautiful carpets, curtains etc. Among these products the hand fan is very popular and fascinating on account of its curled shape. These fans are popularly known as Peshawari Pakkhe. The ones smaller in size are very fine and delicate. These are called Kundaldar Pakkhi on account of their curled ends. Another useful household contrivance called Chhaj in Punjabi was manufactured out of sarcanda which is used for separating edible stuff from .the grain. The basketware was intended to fulfil only the daily needs of the people. In most cases, no effort was made to give them a decorative or artistic touch.

Top