www.beaffable.in
Reflecting glorious India
~ Written by Manju Daga
Terracotta literally means ‘baked earth’ and is made from
natural clay, giving it a reddish-brown color. It may be glazed for durability
or to add color. It is water proof and sturdy. Terracotta was traditionally
used to create figures of deities on festive occasions and ceremonies besides
its use in jewellery and handicrafts.
#BeAffable
~ Written by Manju Daga
#BeAffable welcomes you to a truly Indian one stop shop.
BeAffable is a wish; a wish to bring India to the fore. A wish to, do its bit in strengthening the rich roots and culture.
BeAffable is a dream; a dream, for the craftsmen to weave their way
forward, in the global sphere. With the concept of promoting the country’s
creative artisans and their products, the outlet also promises to offer
attractive prices for their creations.
The
Rustic Charm of Jewellery
BeAffable brings a wide collection of jewellery to match
with our attire to enhance our charisma.
With the changing trend,
gold and platinum are not the only metals getting the shape of ornaments but
unconventional materials (viz.
Terracotta, Jute, Shell, etc.) are being used artistically to make
jewellery. Today’s woman finds art jewellery fashionable, stylish and modern.
vThe
Sahariya’s Clay Necklaces
The clay culture of Sahariya is counted as richest folk art
of Central India that was believed to have faded in oblivion time long past. As
nature is the store house of resources, a mirror of and for culture, the tribe
has been using this valuable gift of Earth for limning their culture, religion
and even the problems they faced.
The process on the whole takes 15-20 days to turn raw clay
into an aesthetic work of art. After giving the desired shape with simple
knives, intricate motifs are engraved on the greenware. The moulded clay is
then allowed to dry in shade till the moisture content reduces to zero after
which it is heated in the ground covering it with cow dung cakes. The process
imparts amazing shades giving each piece a look of its own. Hence, no two
pieces are ever alike.
The skilled hands then finely paint this creativity with the
help of a tool made from the wood of pomegranate tree. The ink used is made by
mixing the gum of Dhawda tree and graphite. The pendant is finally ornamented
with gems like Agate (Hakik in Persian), Zed stone (Jade), Chinese Zed stone,
Feroza and so on. To complement, different strings of beads are used to give
extra finesse to the ornament.
vEarrings
Filigree is an
ornamental work of fine metal wires (interwoven gold and silver wires) formed
into delicate tracery. Historically, the silver filigree work (Tarakasi) from
Cuttack, a city in Odisha, is more than 500 years old and traditionally done by
local artisans.
They work with
an alloy of 90% or more pure silver. The lump of silver is melted and poured
into rod like mould and after cooling it is placed into a machine which presses
the moulded alloy into long, thin workable wires. It is then hand crafted into,
intricate designs before it is cooled and soldered which ensures detailing to
remain intact. Techniques such as granulation, snow glazing and casting are
used innovatively to heighten the effect.
With the
changing trends and varied taste of customers, a tinge of modernity has been
fused with tradition. The store has some good collection of such silver
filigree earrings to match ethnic and modern wear.... Take a look!
Terracotta earrings one of the favourites these days is made of natural clay.
Jute earrings
Jute, also called as the golden fibre, is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. Jute is
used for preparing ropes, gunny bags, textiles and now jewellery. The handmade jute earrings decked in beads, painted in
bright shades are quite enticing especially for young crowd who like to team it
with Indian ethnic and Indo western outfits. This eco-friendly jewellery can
serve as an excellent gift for your friends as well.
Shell earrings
Sea shells have been made into beautiful earrings. These pieces
of jewellery are unique in the sense that they are made of real sea shells.
Also look for some really ethnic bronze jhumkas and go
traditional.