I have always found an affinity with people who come from rainy places and Meghalaya is no exception - though the rain here is on a completely different scale to my homeland. With the widespread conversion to Christianity many of the traditional celebrations died out, and with it the need for dancers, or indeed their stunning waistbands! I am happy to say that there is a deep and meaningful history of Eri silk textiles in Meghalaya, closely linked to the social history of the communities.

So glad u asked her to write a blog here.

It is said the excrement of the silkworm, when crushed and sprinkled on food as black magic would bring bad luck, ill health and possibly lead to the death of the person who consumed it. The eri base cloth has traditionally been woven in Ri-Bhoi and sold to embroiderers in Mustoh through traders moving between the two districts. To Listen click on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHxL46eLqDfr5en14HLZjAQ. Browse photos for ideas, Find Professionals, Search Product Catalogs, Enjoy Articles, Post Comments!!

TFOD is a virtual platform for end-users to search and source design ideas, artwork, art and design professionals, products and services. The initial batch was of 9 trainees, with intention of conducting further training in later months. a little girl. A single line of a thick band is stitched on one side of the ‘jaiñpïen’ (a wrap-around) vertically.

Traditionally weaving activities are integrated into village life in the moments when agriculture is less demanding. During this visit, the team members took the initiative to help and assist them in strengthening their skill and passion towards the art by forming a group. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Family collection of traditional Khasi pieces. The qualities of Eri are a combination of the visual appearance of handspun cotton or wool, with a muted sheen of silk, and it has unique thermal properties of being cool in summers and warm in winters.

Women are the majority of the population that work with Khneng embroidery. To talk of Meghalaya or equally of Scotland and not to mention the rain is impossible.

New Delhi, at the start of the millennium.

The aim of the revival project is to facilitate the transfer of skills through workshops for new trainees, to research the history of Mustoh and launch an awareness campaign to address the lack of demand.

Turmeric dyed warp and twisted turmeric and lac red weft. It is cooling in the summer and warming in the winter.

Layout, Madivala, Hosur Road, Bangalore – 560 068, Karnataka State, INDIA. The Khasi Bhoi people have very clear geometric patterns, yet use the same technique of supplementary weft.

Eri silk’s natural color is white to very light cream and always carries some difference between yarns.

Nutritional Manual for School MDM Programs, 6. The Eri filaments are delicate; the cloth is warm and the material is durable like wool but softer.

I have found sophisticated supplementary weft designs that were woven on simple floor looms. Each time I visit an artisan village on ‘work’ I leave feeling truly blessed to be able to overcome language barriers, by communicating through the language of textiles – its warp and weft – a mutual understanding of the craft of weaving. Ltd. Fluidity in spaces - Adaptive trends in architecture, Disruptive Dining Decor: A Periodic Check, Michael Jantzen: Fantasy Innovations for Sustainable Solutions, Disruptive Brew: Radical Coffee Shop Designs.

Thanks for your comment Sahar, it is great to receive such encouraging feedback! The inspiration for the embroidery comes from a local insect in the surrounding called ‘ktiar’, which resembles a centipede. Shop Muezart. The Eri silk worm however is either taken out by breaking open the cocoon, or the worm is allowed to eat its way out through the cocoon to emerge as a moth and continue the cycle.

The artisans also shared that they face a number of problems with the Khneng embroidery; they get seasonal orders from very few clients and  find it difficult to transfer knowledge from the elder Khneng artisans to the younger generation. This embroidery technique is an expression of local cultural identity, and an important physical illustration of historic trading routes in the state of Meghalaya. Traditionally, black wool is used on the checked Eri fabric because it balances the thickness of the fabric and the spaces of the checks.

Eri silk woven on the floor loom. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bold tribal textiles of Nagaland, Eri and Muga silk with figurative motifs of tribal Assam are well established on the textile map. Our hosts’ grandfather was one of the few villagers who did not convert to Christianity in colonial times, a fierce defender of the indigenous Khasi religion.

After receiving a very encouraging response, the project has now developed to look into various aspects of quality control, training, supply chain, product design & branding.

One particularly poignant moment for me was in Mustoh, a village in the hills bordering Bangladesh. The amusing irony that I have observed with this reference for Eri silk (‘ahimsa silk’), is that once out of the cocoon the majority of the worms will be served up for dinner or turned into pickle! This event, to be held in Meghalaya between 3rd & 7th November 2015, will celebrate the wonderful cultural and biological diversity of indigenous communities as primarily expressed through food, but also their songs, dance and dress that have evolved through generations of close interaction with nature. Showcasing the lesser known Eri silk of Meghalaya, that along with Khneng embroidery tells the stories of the communities that create these pieces.

In fact, all the materials involved in the process are sourced from the district itself. Though Khneng embroidery is in danger of disappearing due to the lack of demand and the consequent lack of knowledge and skills transfer, Eri silk is more popular and is slowly coming into the mainstream thanks to the efforts of some local fashion designers from the North East, who have taken it upon themselves to contemporize the use of the fabric for a broader market.

Presently, there are around 10 female artisans who are engaged in the art of Khneng embroidery. Weavers work full time and some do not work in the field at all. The eri silk worm is mostly found in tribal areas of Assam. According to the artisans, fabric weaved with thicker yarn is easier to stitch than a finer weaved fabric because it causes less stress to the eyes when counting the weaves/threads. Stories from this blog recorded on You Tube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHxL46eLqDfr5en14HLZjAQ, Aaro Aakash…….A Memologue of Leisure - Guest Post - Sunetra Lahiri, O Lord White as Jasmine [Signature line from poetry of 12th century poet Mahadeviyakka], I Am The Music I Could Never Be - Guest Post by Neeta Gupta, Personal Threads: A Dentist Becomes a Crochet Artist, Guest Post by Monica Dalvi, Viraj Naik's Imagined World, Sunaparanta Goa Centre for Arts, Goa. NESFAS aims to enhance local livelihood activities, thus the artisans need a proper platform to showcase and market to sell their products. The humble floor handloom moistened my eyes. Today they do not use the powder, though black magic powers are still respected or feared.

Traditionally the colours used in Meghalaya were stick lac red, turmeric yellow and black from iron ore. Today, with training and support from government and NGO’s, the artisans have greatly increased their repertoire of colours, experimenting with all kinds of leaves, flowers, roots and fruits in and around the forests. Eri silk from Meghalaya is a tangible reflection of the rural communities it is produced in. I have spent much time staying with the weavers, observing their rhythm of working, delving into their tribal history, and studying the textiles in their family collections. I have been undertaking an ethnographic documentation of the socio-cultural context of Eri silk production in the Ri Bhoi District, and a technical analysis of the weaving process, recording their skills as new technology is introduced to their current practices.

Simple theme. STORIES FROM THIS BLOG HAVE ALSO BEEN RECORDED ON YOU TUBE. Hi,Welcome to 'garam masala chai' . Changing gender roles and relations in food provisioning among matrilineal Khasi and patrilineal Chakhesang Indigenous rural People of NE India, 5.

Pingback: TEXTILES OF MEGHALAYA - TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN, Your email address will not be published. The state of Meghalaya is well known for various crafts. The yarn is made by hand and dyed with natural, plant-based ingredients.

Meghalaya produces three out of the four varieties of silk available in the world.

When one delves into the tribal history of the area it becomes clear that this is really a rich land of many layers. I hope Anna writes a book soon. In these two years, NESFAS organized workshops on the preservation of Khneng and capacity building of the Artisans’, under the constant support and guidance of Lajoplin Nongsiej and Anna Louise Meynell who have been working closely with the artisans for years.

The previous day had been a challenging one, especially the morning half of it. Her consultancy work in handwoven textiles takes her to inspiring communities in India, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Each person I meet reminds me that Meghalaya was affectionately named ‘Scotland of the East’ by the British. Dokka, the cottage for two where we stayed I met Uday Hazra at a photography exhibition where he was one of the exhibitors. Colony, Bandra (East). After product analysis & a small test order under Ms. Cassidy’s design direction, the Eri was showcased at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Conference in February 2015, under the brand name Mei-Ramew Weaves. What a wonderful morning read. I'm now following her on Insta.

The fraternity has thus shaped this forum, to make the design journey easy and enjoyable for the end-users!! I hope you enjoy reading these stories and will share some of your own. Cocoons are washed, hand-spun and the yarn is dyed with natural dyes.

The training sessions have received much appreciation, from the participants, the villagers and from the wider audience.

North East Slow Food & Agrobiodiversity Society, TEXTILES OF MEGHALAYA - TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN, 1. My own interest in textiles has led me into deep discussions on tribal culture, the matrilineal system of the Khasis and role of women in Meghalaya, community systems of authority, the relationship with colonial settlers, the mass conversions to Christianity, the list goes on.

I (try to) respond with equal enthusiasm every time as I talk of the similarities with Scotland; the rolling hills, the deep gorges, pine forests and clean fresh rivers.

Like the condiments that go into making a good, tasty cup of masala chai; these stories about people, places and events surrounding the ritual of drinking or making tea, draw a portrait of city/nation/self. Women are the majority of the population that work with Khneng embroidery. As part of a follow up programme and with the purpose of sustaining the art, a team from NESFAS visited Mustoh from the 21st to 22nd June 2018. By creating new markets and new uses for Eri Silk, Muezart creates new opportunities for the women living in remote villages, and help to revive and to keep alive the old tradition of Eri Silk making.

The techniques that are used in the art of Khneng embroidery are needles and threads with basic running stitches and with attentive application of the mind, eyes, and hands. Though Khneng embroidery is in danger of disappearing due to the lack of demand and the consequent lack of knowledge and skills transfer, Eri silk is slowly coming into the mainstream - thanks to the efforts of some local fashion designers from the North East, who have taken it upon themselves to contemporize the use of the fabric for a broader market. In fact, weaving forms an integral part in the culture of the state and its tribes.

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