Chikan Embroidery

[vintimehra 0]

Chikan is a basic part of Indian culture since 655 AD believed to be rekindled by the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir, Nur Jehan. It is a traditional embroidery style which took birth in city of Nawabs, Lucknow, India. The embroidery is one of the Lucknow’s most famous textile decoration styles.

 

The word ‘chikan’ actually means embroidery. There have been many explanations behind the evolution of the term ‘Chikankari’. Some say that the word, ‘Chikankari’ is derived from a Persian word Chakin or Chakeen while others claim that it is a bent version of Chikeen or Siquin.

 

The history behind the Indian Chikan work is very rich. It is said that in the 3rd century BC, a Greek traveler who was passing by a village in Lucknow stopped and requested a poor man for water. Delighted with his hospitality, the traveler taught him the art of Chikankari. But, some credits Noorjahan for introducing the art to India.

 

Method of Chikankari embroidery work depends on the stitches used. There are three types of unique stitches that are employed in the art.

Flat Stitches

Embossed Stitches

Jali Work

Flat stitches are elusive and delicate which lie close to the surface of the fabric. It gives a unique textural appearance while Embossed stitches which are decorated from the fabric surface providing it a distinguishing granular texture. But, the Jali work is the famous of all as it gives striking delicate net effect.

 

There are some basic steps involved in getting the finish product of the Indian Chikan work. The basic processes involved in the art are namely: cutting, stitching, printing, embroidery, washing and finishing.

 

After completing the cutting and stitching process the printing work is carried out with wooden blocks dipped in dye. The next step is to design the embroidery which is generally done by women. The last step involves the washing and finishing, which takes almost 10 to 12 days including bleaching, acid treatment, stiffening and ironing.

 

In recent time, the demand of the Chikankari work is increasing and has spread to cushion covers, pillow covers and so on. The market of the embroidery is flourishing, enriching not only in India but also in International market including U.S. and Europe.

 

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[chikanbarn 0]

Really this is the very interesting post about chikan embroidery because this type of art is dying gradually so there is a need to take steps to restore this art. One can find chikan embroidery done over kurta- pajamas, suits, salwaaar-kameez and sarees which makes them look gorgeous. This type of art is dying gradually so there is a need to take steps to restore this art.

 

Chikanbarn

Edited January 9, 2013 by jlhaslip
delete duplicated information (see edit history)

[jlhaslip 4]

Would it be possible for you to post up a picture or 2 showing the various stages and/or the different stitches you have described above?I think we all might be familiar with the product, but a visual image would confirm this.

[k_nitin_r 8]

I'm familiar with the jali (net-like) chikan work, but I am unfamiliar with the flat and embossed chikan. Sofa cushion covers with the net-style designs were quite popular back in the day and I saw some in the not too distant past when I visited someone. The net-styling does make the fabric difficult to wash in a washing machine, which is probably why they are not as common these days. There are ways to deal with delicate fabrics, one of which is to have it in a net-style bag, similar to the filter in the washing machines and I've seen one of those net bags at Carrefour. The other approach involves running the washing machine till the spin cycle and just skipping the spin cycle in favor of a tumble dry on a clothes line.The use of tiny round mirrors and other shiny decorative bits is used in a similar manner to chikan decorations, with the exception that they have the decoration in place of a net-gap.PS: I wish they would not call it Chikankari because of the implications of consuming meat (if you don't get it, try pronouncing it aloud a couple of times).

[sheepdog 10]

It's heartening to see a discussion about this sort of what might be considered a "lost art." In this day and age computers can be programed to embroidery with the touch of a few buttons. (and of course a good computer programer) There are so many old fashion things that are falling by the wayside as technoligy advances. While it is intended to make our lives easier, the lose of these hands on type activities I believe actually lessn our quality of life. The feeling of satisfaction that we as humans get when we create something beautiful with our own 2 hands. Lots of things coming onto this list these days, from making quilts and rugs even rugs and other home furnishing to more complex works, like working wrought iron, and lets not forget a really rare occupation these days, horse shoeing. How many horse shoers do you all know these days? There used to be one or more in ever single town. Putting a pair of iron circles with nails to the feet of an not nessarily agreeable 1/2 ton of horse flesh is not something a person with no training can do. As one of the other posters mentioned, it would be great to see some pictures for examples of the different types of embroidery you have been telling us about.

[k_nitin_r 8]

Trivandrum Buzz and Dolls of India have some classic examples of Chikan design. While the design was popular about two decade ago, right now it is seen as a fashion that has passed. It just seems a little too simple for the flashy fashionable embroidery today with crystals and other shiny confetti-like embroidery. The one embroidery design that still stands as popular today is embroidery done with a Jerri (golden) thread. There are many other different kinds of embroidery, such as the mirror-work where tiny round or diamond-shaped mirrors are 'stitched' into a cloth by means of creating a net or a web around a tiny ring, which acts like a frame to the mirror. I'm often surprised at how the threads hold a mirror that is smaller than the nail of a thumb into place without the mirrors falling off. Usually, the mirrors lose their reflective surface while washing but they do not actually fall off. It probably is an art or craftsmanship to stitch the mirrors in place so well.Chikan embroidery is perhaps less of a craft but more about persistence and patience, and as with everything that takes more human labor, it costs much more than regular printed patterns. The fine-ness of the embroidery is what decides the price though it would probably go unsold today, considering how it just isn't fashionable any more.

[pridzx 0]

thank you for goods