Moti Kaam – Preserving the Legacy of Indian

Beadwork in Contemporary Craft Practices

Abstract
Moti Kaam, the intricate craft of bead embroidery, holds a rich cultural legacy
in regions like Gujarat and Rajasthan. Traditionally practiced by women
artisans, this decorative technique uses tiny colored beads to create elaborate
patterns on textiles, accessories, and ceremonial items. This research aims to
explore the history, technique, cultural significance, and contemporary
relevance of Moti Kaam in Indian craft traditions. In the face of mass
production and dwindling artisan communities, the study highlights the need
for documentation and revival of this handcraft.

Introduction
India is a country affluent with its knowledge of artisans is being an
enormous and innumerable obstacle to tracing the legacy of the
traditions of art and handicraft. art ‘Moti Bharat’.Gujarat, renowned
Motibharat is one of those for its rich tapestry of arts and
inimitable crafts which is originated crafts, is home to a unique and
in India somewhere in the middle of dazzling handicraft known as Moti
the nineteenth century and is Bharat (bead craft). Originating
predominantly practiced in the Jalor from the Saurashtra region, Moti
district of Rajasthan but its origin Bharat is a meticulous and intricate
can be traced to the rural part of craft that combines vibrant beads
Gujarat as well. Studies show that into elaborate patterns, reflecting
initially the craft was used by the the cultural and artistic
cobblers and by the beginning of the Brilliance of Gujarat’s
twentieth century the women of the artisans. Traditionally it is done by
Kathi caste started practicing this women and girls to prepare
art and started making household products and is an expressive art
artifacts. The origin of the craft is form. While these days it has
absolutely unknown and there are become one of the income
not many studies and generation skills for commercial
documentation that happened. The purposes. The Beadwork of Gujarat
lack of study as well as the lack of is a craft form that requires
accurate skill and patience due to execution of the article. In
the slow process of making. This is a Beadwork very small and usually
craft that the maker is unable to uniformly colored beads are
practice for more than 10 years as it transformed into intricate articles of
is straining to the eyes. embellishment. Older pieces have
Traditionally it is done by women large and complex motifs - a
and girls to prepare products and is testament to the skill of the worker,
an expressive art form. While these since this particular method of
days it has become one of the construction is one of the most
income generation skills for difficult to use when depicting a
commercial purposes. figurative object. Many pieces are
worked in such a way that the
Making of the craft network of beads is attached to the
Complex patterns can be created backing fabric as it is made, while
just using beads and thread. Each others are made more
bead is strung on a thread and conventionally as a separate fabric
meticulously placed according to of beads, which is then attached to
the pattern on the surface of the supporting fabric.
fabric. Usually two methods are
used to decorate the fabric, one is Raw Materials
called the mono bead system and Earlier only glass beads were used.
the other is called tri-bead system. Now because of unavailability and
In the mono bead system one row of high cost of glass beads, plastic
beads is knitted with another row beads are being widely used. Even
and so on like a picture. Colored though Beadwork is produced
beads are used on white back- extensively nowadays, the beads
ground. In the tri bead system, a net used are often uneven in size, and of
like effect is achieved. The technique plastic rather than glass. Ideally, the
in knitting is somewhat akin to size of beads for any given pattern
cross-stitch in embroidery. To create must be uniform, so that each figure
good quality beadwork it is receives its correct definition of
important to choose the beads form and the motifs accommodate
carefully. The size should be themselves comfortably in relation
uniform; the quality of beads should to each other.
also be good. Each bead is just an Paradoxically, the raw material for
element in the larger pattern and the craft – the beads - are machine
the overall design creates the made and costly, while the spirit of
impact, rather than the individual expression is folk.
beads. The artistry and skill lies in
the design construction and Availability
Beads are made in two regions: and pregnancy, as she is regarded
Papanaiduped in Andhra Pradesh as the bridegroom-giver, bride-giver
Varanasi, Ferozabad and Purdalpur and son-giver deity. (Each time a
in Uttar Pradesh They are easily wedding takes place, the Goddess is
available round the year. invoked in the house with a
makeshift temple.) The motif
Designs and Motifs of Randalma in the Barton Museum
The pachhitpattis of the 19th beadwork can be identified with a
century drew inspiration from series of women standing on either
Puranic legends. Pachhitpattis in side of the Goddess, hands held
beadwork portrayed scenes from together, singing and dancing. The
the Ramayana depicting Ram, and songs sung by elderly women at a
his brother Laxman pursuing the wedding are expressions of young
golden deer with bow and arrow girls' desires to get married and
and Ram's wife Sita sitting in a hut, bear children. The vigorous clapping
offering alms to King Ravana before and dancing are to please the
being abducted. They also Goddess to grant their innermost
portrayed characters from wishes. After the rituals, the
the Bhagavata Purana such wedding procession in the
as Shrinathji (a form of Krishna beadwork travels in a two storeyed
worshipped by the Vallabha tram car, illustrated in exquisite
Sampradaya sect in Rajasthan), beadwork, to the village of the clan
Radha and Krishna in raas- God of the bridegroom where the
lila dance, and milkmaids churning marital ritual knot between the
butter. The unschooled women of bride and bridegroom's clothing is
Saurashtra practised an exquisite untied. The raas-lila is an important
art of storytelling by recording motif frequently illustrated
wedding scenes (Figure 9) in in pachhitpattis. The songs of raas-
narrative form on pachhitpattis. The lila dance were based on the love of
narrative of this piece in the Barton Radha and Krishna, and stories of
Museum, Bhavnagar, begins with devotional love (bhakti). Today's
defining the sanctified wedding dance form of the dandiya-
space - two columns of pots stacked raas, played with wooden sticks, is
one on top of the other on either a modern expression of this ancient
side of the bride and bridegroom, folk dance tradition. Lord Krishna is
standing on two small stools. The usually depicted in blue beads with
clan Goddess Randalma is always two gopis (milkmaids) on either side
illustrated adjacent to the wedding with sticks in hand enacting
scene and is invoked during the raas dance posture (Figure 10)
auspicious occasions of wedding or Radha in some of the oldest
examples bearing influences from narratives, it has been important to
embroidery motifs rooted in Puranic avoid regarding any one social,
stories. The typical scene of daily life economic, cultural or geographic
of Krishna's gopis is associated with context as normative. Kathi women
the 'churning of butter motif.' of the 19th-20th century who lived
Conclusion: The importance of in patriarchal village society
beadwork as a narrative art indicated their sociality, agency and
form desire through beadwork textiles.
Seeing the world through the eyes
The folk culture and traditions of
of these women, studying the songs
Kathiawar are vanishing. Initially
they sang and the imagery they
fuelled by impoverished families
knitted in beads helps us rebuild a
seeking to sell their textiles, the
century-old world with all its
active collection of beadwork
vernacular complexity. This article
textiles from small towns and
reflects upon the meanings and
villages in Saurashtra over the 20th
power of personal creativity, and
century has meant that these
beliefs expressed in local and social
exquisite beadworks are scattered in
contexts while asserting the joys
palaces, museums, craft revival
and challenges these 'unschooled'
organisations and national and
Kathi women encountered. They
international private collections.
interpreted the scriptures from their
Traces remain in books, songs and
cultural viewpoint, accommodating
stories written and documented by
them to prevailing conditions.
folk artists, art lovers, storytellers,
Furthermore, the women not only
historians and writers of 20th
translated and interpreted rituals
century Kathiawar. By exploring the
and customs but created and
stories of three disparate women
maintained knowledge, as an
beadworkers in the villages of
embodiment of important stories,
Saurashtra, and analysing
events, and emotions, through their
beadworks displayed in local and
beadwork.
global museums as well as antique
shops, I have attempted to decode
how social imagery and aesthetics References / Bibliography
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