ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Filigree -- a delicate art cries from its death bed

Balavadra Das

The 'silver city' of Cuttack in Orissa is but a shadow of its former self today. Increasing commercialisation coupled with governmental apathy seems to be tolling the death knell for the silver filigree work for which the city was renowned from the Mughal era.

A delicately carved silver rose, thrown high into the air, floats down slowly like a falling leaf. Such is the mastery of the filigree workers over the craft in Cuttack -- the silver city of Orissa.

But the art, like the old dry leaf, is getting crushed under pressures of insensitive commercialisation with craftsmen getting paltry wages, middlemen hogging large commissions, cut-throat competition from mechanised units and above all, the apathetic attitude of the state and central governments.

Filigree is ornamental work of fine (usually gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery. Silver filigree work in Cuttack dates back to the Mughal era. It involves melting pure silver into fine rods and wires which are then used to fashion ornaments or decorative items.

Such is the disillusionment of the artisans, especially the younger generation that they prefer to open a paan shop, sell eggs or even work as labourers, than take up their ancestral profession.

The craftsmen, who spend hours twisting and curling the thin wires into objects of beauty, are paid only Rs 20 to 25 per day by middlemen. "However, middlemen make hefty profit by selling these products at very high prices," says national award winner for filigree Pankaj Sahu.

''Why should one put in so much labour and expertise to earn a meagre Rs 25 while he can earn more than Rs 50 by selling eggs or paan?'' he asks.

''If we are still in it, it is because of two reaons -- we have been doing it for generations and because we have no other alternative. But I will not allow my children to do it," says another artisan, Pratap Jethy.

Cuttack no longer remains an exclusive centre for filigree work. Hardly five per cent of the filigree products available in the market at present is manufactured in the city. It has been ''virtually turned into a sales counter for products manufactured in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal,'' says Shanker Maharana, working president of the Akhil Bharatiya Swarna Shilpi Sangha.

According to Ramachandra Sahoo, president of the Nikhil Utkal Swarnakar Sangha, the number of craftsmen engaged in filigree work has come down from around 500 a decade ago to just about 150 now. Sahoo believes that unless middlemen are fully eliminated and direct contact between artisans and customers established, it would be difficult to attract more people into it and ensure the survival of the art.

The entry of big businessmen with neither any expertise nor attachment to the craft, has affected the quality of the products. "They often use silver of low purity which turns blackish after some time thereby bringing a bad name to the trade," adds Sahoo.

Mechanisation has adversely affected the craft and artisans to a great extent. Machine-made goods are cheaper than handmade ones and look more attractive, though the purity content is only 50 to 60 per cent.

''Why should one pay Rs 100 for an article when the same is available for less than half the price? A customer does not check whether it is man or machine or man. He goes only by the looks and the price,'' says Maharana.

However, says a proud Sahoo: "Machine-made products cannot replicate the delicacy and finesse that human fingers provide, like the silver rose that floats down like a leaf. We still have craftsmen of this calibre.'' Sahoo also says the use of machines in filigree trade should be banned in the larger interests of the dying craft.

The apathy of the government is also considered equally responsible for the sorry state of affairs. Since Independence, only two filigree craftsmen have received national awards. As for the state government, it is yet to bestow any honours on anyone from this field.

Training centers started by the Centre in 1984 for this art form were closed down in 1993. "Repeated requests to reopen them have fallen on deaf years," says an artisan requesting anonymity.

Sahoo indicates that such training centers are of little use, if not backed by adequate financial assistance and raw materials.

To add to the craftspersons' woes, the central handloom development commissioner, has, of late, been refusing to pay travel and dearness allowances to artisans participating in fairs organised by the commission in different parts of the country.

Pankaj Sahu was asked to attend an exhibition in Guwahati at his own cost recently.

Meanwhile, the sale of filigree items have reduced drastically in the past few years. Daily sales have fallen to Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 from the Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 a few years ago. Even sales at exhibitions and fairs are not very encouraging, adds Ganesh Jena, a co-operative society official who has been attending such fairs regularly.

One of the reasons for the drop in sales could be the inaccessibility of filigree to the common man due to its high cost. Meanwhile, the affluent refrain from buying, as they fear that possession of expensive art objects might attract the attention of the income tax department or other government agencies.

"With the rapid shrinking of the domestic market, only a massive export drive could save the art from dying," says Maharana. "The government should create a market for filigree in different parts of the world through its agencies," he adds.

A number of co-operative societies were formed over the years with a view to help the craftsmen and promote the craft. "But they failed mainly due to corruption and lack of interest shown by both the artisans as well as the officials," reveals Jethy.

Artisans are not interested in working for co-operatives because they get paid almost a month after the delivery due to procedural delays. ''How will a poor artisan feed his children during this period?'' asks Jethy.

He says the policy of paying the artisans in cash at the rate prevailing on the day of delivery also puts the societies at a loss. A proposal to provide silver in lieu of the art works have not been acceded to so far.

Meanwhile, the All Orissa Goldsmiths Association has demanded filigree be declared a cottage industry, and to provide raw material to artisans at international rates through nationalised banks.

Ramachandra Sahoo suggests organising more fairs and exhibitions all over the country to popularise the craft. Shyam Sahoo, a senior craftsperson, said craftsmen should be appointed at government-run factories with attractive salaries to save the art from becoming extinct.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this feature