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YUKTI- yogya kalakriti ki takneekDIPLOMA PROJECT

Submitted byParul Mishra

4 year, Graduation

Mentor:Ms. Koumudi Patil

Ms. Lakshmi MurthyMr. Mangesh Afre

Project Duration:4th January - 7th May 2015

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AcknowledgmentI am greatful to my college, IICD, its director, Mr. Satish Bharadwaj, faculties, and friends who helped me and supported me in my diploma project. I would also be thankful to Dr Koumudi Patil (industry mentor at IIT Kanpur), Ms. Lakshmi Murthy ( IICD mentor) and Mr. Mangesh Afre ( IICD mentor) who guided me well throughout my diploma project.

I would like to express my heart felt gratitude to the YUKTI team (T.N. Subramanya subbu sir, Mrs. Jyoti Kuswaha, Mr. Neeraj Sahu, Mr. Hemant Tiwari, Ms. Vaishali Parmar, Mrs. Anamika Rathore, Ms. Pooja Misra, Mrs. Krishna Chaurasiya, Mr. Satish Shukla, Mr. Paritosh Singh, Mr. Dhirendra Kumar, Mr. Naresh ji, Ms. Koel Sinha) at IIT Kanpur.

Last but not the least I would like to thank my family for their never ending love and support.

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About IICD....................................................................................................................................................6YUKTI..............................................................................................................................................................8 -Frugal inspirations..............................................................................................................................9 -Aims and objectives.........................................................................................................................10Cluster research...........................................................................................................................................11-33 -Local pottery of Kanpur...................................................................................................................11-16 -Chinhat pottery of Lucknow............................................................................................................17-22 -Moonj craft of Allahabad................................................................................................................23-33Skill test of potters........................................................................................................................................34-40Trend line......................................................................................................................................................41-51 -Trendline of Terracotta.....................................................................................................................41-45 -Trendline of Moonj.............................................................................................................................46-51Trend flow chart for Moonj.........................................................................................................................53Manufacturing possibility in Moonj and Terracotta.................................................................................54Tableware industy in India..........................................................................................................................55Pottery reserach..........................................................................................................................................56-68Finalizing product range.............................................................................................................................69-72Thermal insulation........................................................................................................................................73-78Stacking concept........................................................................................................................................79-81Tiffin box........................................................................................................................................................82-88Final drawing................................................................................................................................................89-91Mockups and explorations.........................................................................................................................92-933d drawing...................................................................................................................................................94-96Making process............................................................................................................................................98-122 -Terracotta..........................................................................................................................................98-116 -Moonj.................................................................................................................................................117-122Final product................................................................................................................................................123References...................................................................................................................................................124-125

Index

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Indian Institute of Craft and Design (IICD) is a unique institution that is synergizing traditional knowledge and skills with contemporary needs to evolve methodologies that are relevant to modern India. Conceived as a nodal centre for excellence in Craft and Design it has programs in Education, Training & Outreach, Research and Documentation and Advisory & Consultancy services.

The central idea of the Institute is to evolve a sustained programme of growth and development of both crafts sector and craftsmen in an integrated manner, i.e. to generate requisite knowledge, to upgrade relevant skills and to foster right attitudes in order to develop high quality, motivated human resource and change agents, in a vibrant climate of experimentation and innovation.The aim of this is to prepare students as Craft designers to act as a bridge between the artisan and the market, also to work with handicraft industry to add value through Design. The programme was first introduced in 2005. Since then the programme has nurtured three motivated batches of Craft Design professionals, who are currently working as catalysts in the crafts value chain.

The students are trained to be well versed with conceptual understanding of design and are equipped in representing their ideas through various materials and processes. Rigorous market orientation and understanding of the socio-economic context of the craft sector helps them evolve as craft professionals. Emphasis is being given to understand traditional cultural wisdom and re-contextualization of the same in today’s global context.The programme is increasingly finding attention from international students from various countries due to its universal appeal and unique proposition of artisanship that India stands to offer. The Craft design professionals of the programme are able to tackle complex issues related to the sector and are able to participate in the development of the sector holistically.

About IICD

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The word ‘frugal’ conjures up a plethora of concepts – which seem to be the key to upliftment of low income communities who are busy minimizing impact on the environment and the cost of produce. Such a promising paradigm could go a long way, if properly implemented. Despite the hurdles of low literacy, poor infrastructure, lack of access to mainstream markets and the hegemony of the manufacturing giants, small pockets of designers and innovators have survived at the grassroots level. These pockets are not just a source of livelihood but also a veritable pool of traditional knowledge which has been often neglected by the formal sector. We believe that a context specific combination of traditional skills and modern methods of design and innovation assisted by appropriate technology introduced early in the learning trajectory of a young apprentice can lead to a new generation of informed craftsmen and technicians adapted to the global scenario. This will ensure growth that is not limited to one time external interventions alone, but in the long run trigger a chain reaction of further innovations that may build a self-reliant community similar to all living and evolving practices. Therefore, the Facility is envisaged as a Skill knowledge developer as notice as a Skill knowledge provider of appropriate Design and Technology from the perspective of appropriateness, affordability and sustainability for craft communities as notice as MSMEs in Uttar Pradesh.

The facility will develop community relevant pedagogical methods and use the same for skill development and up-gradation for adoption of appropriate design and technologies for enhancing the prospects of self/waged employed designers at the grassroots. The scope of the Facility is limited to the informal sector that varies in the range of traditional craftsmen to community specific cottage and micro scale industries. Given the significant impact that such a Facility could hold in upgrading the livelihood and dignity of many besides its obvious reflection in the generation of revenue and preservation of living cultural practices in Design & Technology, we believe that an initiative in the same is worthwhile.

YUKTI

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Mr. Arvind Gupta Shares Simple Yet Stunning Plans For Turning Trash Into Seriously Entertaining, Well-Designed Toys That Kids Can Build Themselves — While Learning Basic Principles Of Science And Design.“All teaching aids we use are handmade. It‘s important for children to see that you don‘t need fancy materials. Science can also help you look critically at materials that are often considered trash, there is a lot of learning in that itself.” says Mr. Arvind Gupta.

Mr. Arvind Gupta is an Indian toy inventor and popularizer of science. His thinking for learning gives an insight into his work and philosophy. This talk was among the 10 best TED talks compiled by Sir Ken Robinson and Sugata Metra’s 5 favorite education talks. As a student in the 1970s in Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Mr. Gupta became a socialist in belief but eschewed action-less discourse; he stated that instead he “placed more faith in small positive action than empty rhetoric.” Prof. Gupta began his social service by teaching the children of the mess staff who had no opportunities for formal education.

Mr. Arvind has won about 20 awards for his lifelong efforts at popularizing science and in designing teaching aids for young children. These include:1. IBN-Lokmat Prerna Award (2014)2. The C. N. R. Rao Education Foundation Prize for Outstanding Science Teachers (2010)3. The Indira Gandhi Award conferred by INSA(2008)4. The Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur in 2001Connect with Mr. Arvind Gupta Toys to dub lesson videos in your language, and help bring fun science to children everywhere. Reach Mr. Gupta at arvindtoys@gmail.com.

Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan

Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan established in 1956 by the Department of Industries, Government of Bihar.Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan is aimed to preserve research and promote the various forms of Bihari handicrafts. The institute is continuously working on growth and development of crafts sector and craftsmen in an integrated manner by generating requisite knowledge, training program and workshops for up gradation of relevant skills. The Institute conducts product development, research and training activities and also attempts to safeguard the languishing crafts of the state.

The Better India: An Attempt To Bring Out The Happy Stories, The Unsung Heroes (And Heroines!), The Small Good Deeds, And Showcase Them To The World.The Better India was founded on 10th of July 2008, as an outcome of scarcity of positive & developmental news in conventional sources of media.The Better India is an attempt to bring out the happy stories, the unsung heroes (and heroines!), the small good deeds, and showcase them to the world. Over here, you will read about the incremental progress being made by the people of this country, the developments happening on the social and economic front. We hope that by showcasing these here, we might be able to inspire at least one amongst you, the readers, to do something that leaves an impact. Small or big.

Frugal Inspirations

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Aims and Objectives Frugal Innovation in Design & Technology is a research project at IIT Kanpur, funded by the MHRD to thrive the languished craft communities of U.P. We develop community relevant pedagogical methods and use the same for skill development and up-gradation for adoption of appropriate design and technologies for enhancing the prospects of self/waged employed designers working at the grass-root level.

We believe that there is a possibility of training and up-gradation of specific skill sets for adapting craftswoman of Allahabad to the changing market scenario from the perspective of appropriateness, affordability and sustainability of design & skills. Thus we are intently working with the Moonj craft community residing in Mahewa.

Despite the hurdles of low literacy, poor infrastructure, lack of access to mainstream markets and the hegemony of the manufacturing giants, small pockets of designers and innovators have survived at the grassroots level. These pockets are not just a source of livelihood but also a veritable pool of traditional knowledge which has been often neglected by the formal sector. We believe that a context specific combination of traditional skills and modern methods of design and innovation assisted by appropriate technology introduced early in the learning trajectory of a young apprentice can lead to a new generation of informed craftsmen and technicians adapted to the global scenario. This will ensure growth that is not limited to one time external interventions alone, but in the long run trigger a chain reaction of further innovations that may build a self-reliant community similar to all living and evolving practices.

Therefore, the Facility is envisaged as a Skill knowledge developer as well as a Skill knowledge provider of appropriate Design and Technology from the perspective of appropriateness, affordability and sustainability for craft communities as well as MSMEs in Uttar

Pradesh. The facility will develop community relevant pedagogical methods and use the same for skill development and up-gradation for adoption of appropriate design and technologies for enhancing the prospects of self/waged employed designers at the grassroots. The scope of the Facility is limited to the informal sector that varies in the range of traditional craftsmen to community specific cottage and micro scale industries. With this in view the Facility aims at

- Developing appropriate designs in design communities for innovation and acceptability- Developing appropriate technology that is either embedded in the design or helps in producing it- Designing pedagogical methods for introducing skills for up-gradation in both design and technology in design communities at the grass-root level. - Conceiving short modules for up-gradation of existing skills and development of related skills to enhance the level of design and technology appropriate to the community. - Forming structures for evaluation that are community specific and geared towards employment rather than concept learning. - Documenting knowledge of indigenous technology, design practices and systems of measurement (cues that help in deciding a furnace temperature without a thermostat or proportions without a drawing) and recognition (visual cues that help in deciding the age of wood)

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Questionnaire for local potterHistory1- What do artisans think about history of pottery?2- Actual evaluation of the pottery?3- Why was this started?4- who started this pottery?

Background1-Who was the initial person to start pottery in their house?2- When was it started?3- Where do they learn it from?4-What are their educational background?

Process1- What raw material are used?2- Where does it come from?3- Do they have suppliers or they make their own clay?4- What manufacturing process is followed by artisans?5- How many products are manufactured in a day?6-What kind of firing technique is used by them?7- Which type of kiln is used for firing?8- What tools are used by them?9- how old are these tools? are they ever changed?10- How many firing are done in an year?

Finishing1-Which kind of finishing technique is used?2- Why do they do such kind of finishing?3- What are the tools used for finishing?4- Do they have changes in finishing styles?

Products1- What kind of product range is popular in Kanpur?2- Have they tried any other products in terracotta?3- Which kind of product is most selling?4- Who design products for them?5- Have they ever tried any other material than terracotta?

Market1- Who are the buyers of their pottery?2- Are there any middlemen dealing with them?3- Do any big organization buy their product for selling or give them new designs to make?4- What are the export possibilities?5- Do they earn sufficient profit?6- How do they value their products?7- What is the most selling product?

Government services1- What kind of government help is provided to you?2- Have you ever asked for any government help?3- What are your expectations from the government?4- Is there any non government organization helping them?

others1- What are the challenges faced?2- Do you what to continue this pottery further?3- What is the future of this pottery?4- What are the design interventions you have deal with?5- Does climate affect your craft?6- What are your working seasons?7- What is the geographical location?

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Residing near the Ganga river, Kanpur is one of the largest city. Known for its leather Kanpur also flourish is pottery. Pottery is not a craft but a tradition in Kanpur. Places near IIT Kanpur consists of few potters who works from generations in the field of pottery. Around 200 potters are found in nearby areas who work in terracotta. Every potter works with terracotta clay and make items like matka, hunda and other local items. These potters are also not happy with the current situation of pottery they are dealing with. Many potters have left their profession and many are about to. It is very easy to say that terracotta will one day be deleted from these areas.

Local pottery of Kanpur

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Terracotta work done in these areas is very common.

Clay body- earlier these potters use clay from nearby empty plots. Which cost them nothing for clay. The clay was easily available. But now there are all buildings and houses so they have to buy clay from nearby villages which is 3000 rs a truck which lasts for half year. They clay which comes is not ready made so they have to put their efforts to refine it and make it ready for use.

Method- local potters usually work on potters wheel. It is easier to make products and production is also fast. Females of the house does press moulding because according to their myth a women cannot work on wheel until her husband is alive. So they make toys in moulds and later on color it.

Finishing- these potters finish their products while making. They don’t waste their time in later finishing of products. In idols and toys they color it with poster colors to give it a finished look. The products they make even doesn’t require finishing.

Firing- one of the major issue faced by these potters is firing. Located near the residential area they occur problems in firing. People in nearby areas stop them to fire. They make their kiln either in open fields or request then to let them fire. They don’t have a permanent kiln. Every time they make a pit kiln whose size vary according to the stuff that is fired. As a medium of firing they use dried cow dung. Which is also bought from cow owners.

Products- products made by these potters are sold in local areas of Kanpur and also they have fixed supply to the places where marriages happen.

Process and techniques

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Clay digged from pits Clay sieved and left for drying so it can be used.

Wheel used by an old potter for making products.

Pit firing done for the products made. Product left for complete drying. Young potter making tea cups.

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Products of red clay in terracotta are matkas, surahi, small tea containers, coin collection and other terracotta products used in diwali. Potters of Kanpur target local market places so that sale is maximum. It is not possible for them to sell the products in other places so they have customers where terracotta user is lar such as tea stalls, party places, shops etc. These are regular buyer of these products.

Products

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Terracotta as a material is found everywhere. This is not just a cheaper material but also have great qualities. Everyone use terracotta in various uses. A lot of cultural, traditional and medicinal properties are combined in this material. Still their are various reasons due to which it is ending in Kanpur:

• Earlier raw material was easily available in the nearby areas. Mostly clay was bought from the beds of Ganga or from naked lands, but as the industrialization flourished in Kanpur and more urbanization started coming the raw material availability decreased. Even today potters have to struggle a lot for raw material. The material come from a distance place and at a time when nobody sees or a fee is charged to them for bringing clay.

• Firing is another issued faced by them. Firing was done earlier in the open fields but today they have to do it in the roadside where they are not allowed to. The space is not proper for them to work. The firing material is also expensive as it is also bought from market.

• From a very long time these potters are busy in making kulhads, diya, matka and all kind of common stuff. Due to which the utility of these products have decreased. No new designs are developed in their pottery from a very long time. They are working with old designs which has less sale. Even when clay ad ful both are bought the rates from a particular terracotta products are cheaper. Because of lack of sale they have to sell their products at cheaper rate.

• Plastic is one of the reasons why they had stopped working. Potters feel that due to the increase of plastic cups, bottle the use of traditional means has lacked. Plastic is very cheap and easy to carry while terracotta is costly and heavy. It require maintenance while plastic is easy to use.

Reasons which made terracotta to end

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Questionnaire for Chinhat PotteryHistory1- What do artisans think about history of Chinhat pottery?2- Actual evaluation of the pottery?3- How was this started?4- Who started this pottery?5- Is it originated in Lucknow only?

Background1- Where do they learn it from?2- How do you start teaching your children?3- How many members work in your family?4- Do you work individually or your family members get involved in the process?5- What is the educational background of your family?6- How many income earners are there in the family?7-

Process1- What is the process of making a product?2- What raw material are used?3- Where does it comes from?4- Do they have suppliers or they make their own clay?5- What manufacturing process is followed by artisans?6- How many products are manufactured in a day?7-What kind of firing technique is used by them?8- Which type of kiln is used for firing?9- What tools are used by them? Are these traditional or new?10- Have you tried any other tools?

Glazing/Finishing1-Which kind of finishing technique is used?2- What is the kind of colors used to make motifs on the products?3- How much time is used to complete painting on a product?4- What motifs are used in paintings?5- What are the changes in motifs seen from the past?6- Do they design new motifs in pottery? If yes, how?

7- How important are these motifs in Chinhat?8- Will you make other motifs as per customer needs?9- Does these motifs have religious value too?

Products1- What kind of product range is popular in Chinhat?2- Have they tried any other products in Chinhat?3- Which kind of product is most selling?4- Who design products for them?

Market1- Who are the buyers of Chinhat pottery?2- Are there any middlemen dealing with them?3- What is the market of their products?4- What are the export possibilities?5- Do they earn sufficient profit?6- How do they do costing of their products?

Government services1- What kind of government help is provided to you?2- Have you ever asked for any government help?3- What are your expectations from the government?4- Is there any non government organization helping them?

Others1- What are the challenges faced?2- Do you what to continue this pottery further?3- What is the future of this pottery?4- What are the design interventions you have deal with?5- Does climate affect your craft?6- What are the working seasons of Chinhat?7- What is the geographical location of Chinhat?

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A proud place on the pottery map of Uttar Pradesh is Chinhat, small village at Lucknow- Barabanki road at about 14 kilometers from Lucknow. Chinhat commences of one of the fine pottery cluster with the gift of artistic pottery works. Potters at Chinhat has a fine sense of quality and art which is easily seen in their previous works. The known history of Chinhat resides its beauty in golden old days. It Is also foretold that after having so much production the demand of Chinhat rose day by day. Even the route from Delhi to Calcutta was routed from Chinhat which increased sale of Chinhat pottery. How this pottery actually evolved is still unknown. Potters of Chinhat were working in terracotta for a very long time. Their hand skills were sharp and very artistic. They used to make idols, toys and crockery which were very well sold in the market. Use of red clay was very much popular at that time. When did the use of white clay body flourished is still a question.

History of Chinhat

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Initiative and assistance provided by state government at Chinhat has affected the localization of pottery. A pilot project started by Planning Research and Action Institute of Uttar Pradesh had put their efforts in the development of Chinhat pottery. They started to train local youth and acted as a common service centre to the potters of the village. Proximity to market was another significant consideration for starting pottery industry at Chinhat. Like other leading pottery centers in state, Chinhat too is quite far-off from the sources of raw material. But it was being near to the state capital, Lucknow has a big market for its products. In their case of pottery industry nearness to market is a greater consideration than proximity to raw material. In ceramics transportation of finished product is always considered more important than transportation of raw material.

Independent units 1 U.P.S.I.C. potteries ltd.

Semi-independent units

3 Owned and operated by private owners

Dependent units 7 Formed themselves into co-operative societies which were dependent on U.P.S.I.C.

Chinhat till 1991 was working as a major ceramic industry of India.

Planning research and action institute project in 1988

A large number of potters families engaged in the manufacture of red clay pottery at Chinhat which was a positive approach to develop white clay ware in Chinhat. They were trained and assisted to take up the manufacture of white ware. Chinhat also got advantage of being well linked by roads and railways. It is situated on the main road which served an ease of transportation of raw material from distant places and quick access to market.

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Chinhat artisans are well educated and have sense of ceramics. When Chinhat was developing very few potters came to learn the new and developed techniques. They were well educated and have a keen desire to learn ceramics. They even taught their children the ceramics they learnt. Potters like Kamalkant, state awardee in terracotta idol was one of the fine learner. Potters of Chinhat not only take pottery as a profession but their keen interest is visible in their works. Their family background is pottery which has flourished in their veins. Now they are trying to teach other people residing nearby.

Artisans

Siddiqui, an old artisan of Chinhat who now runs a crockery shop where both current Chinhat products and Khurja products are sold.

Kamalkant, old artisan and state awardee of Chinhat pottery. Now he works with red clay body.

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Chinhat is said to be as similar as Khurja pottery. But truth is not same. There are similarities in both potteries but a lot different.

Clay body- Earlier chinhat potters used to buy clay from Gujarat, Rajasthan which produce best clay bodies. Than they started buying from Khurja as it was more close to Chinhat. Their clay recipe is also very similar to Khurja’s. It has a shrinkage of 10%.China clay-40%Ball clay-10%Feldspar-25%Quartz-25%

Technique- Chinhat was very well specialized in artistic products. To mass produce the most easier way was casting. Slip casting and press mould were two techniques which they worked with. According to the product the method of casting was decided. They made master model in clay and then take mould of it with plaster of Paris or quartz powder. When the mould is completely dried they pour liquefied clay and take final piece. As the piece gets ready they dry it and glaze it. Once it is glazed it goes for firing.

Glazes- Chinhat pottery is said to be painted pottery. They do paint with under glazes and glazes which they used at that time were metallic glazes which were made with bronze . These glazes used to give beautiful brown and green color. These glazes are toxic in nature as they use lead bi silicate and metal when burn release toxic fumes. These glazes are not human friendly and cannot be used in fooding utensils.

Kilns- at that time ceramics at Chinhat was not so advanced so material used in kiln and firing was old. kilns at Chinhat are handmade with bricks and fired bricks. They used to fire at 1200 degrees which was 20 hours firing. These kilns were updraft kilns with a medium of coal firing. They also had a section which was used for checking the test piece while firing. For stacking products they used cylindrical sagger pots. These pots are made of china clay with a very high firing temperature. Products were fired just once after the complete glaze.

Process and techniques

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Products- Earlier potters at Chinhat made decorative items, tableware products, idols and toys. Their were very few units so they had decided by themselves who will be dealing in which product category. Products which were earlier made at Chinhat. The colors and shine of glazes clearly depict that lead was used at that particular time. Every piece is molded with one piece or two piece of mould. Chinhat products clearly show that they were moving fast towards industrialization .

Products

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Chinhat now is just a name left. Pottery which used to happen has came to an end. The beauty of its artistic works is in the verge of end.

Khurja is one the major reason which has brought this beautiful craft to end. Chinhat has always limits itself in the boundaries of chinhat. Khurja flourished all over the India in very less time. This has declined the beauty of Chinhat and also raise on the bad quality finish of Khurja.

Raw material which was used by Chinhat potters was supplied from U.P.S.I.C., a government factory in Chinhat. But as it closed the raw material supply has also stopped. Potters used to buy from Khurja which had increased transportation cost.

The kilns used earlier were coal fired. Which is no longer used as medium of firing. Other mediums are costly and not bearable by potters.

Chinhat potters used to make products, the selling of the products was done by government at their shop in Chinhat. As the factory got shut so the shop. Now it is used to sell Khurja products.

Khurja does more industrialized pottery and Chinhat does more artistic pottery. The time consumed by Chinhat is not valuable to the amount earned by them.

Reasons that ended Chinhat pottery

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Today red clay is back in Chinhat. Potters had shifted back to red clay. They feel it is much better option. They does similar work but clay body is not same. They have small pit kiln to fire. Terracotta can easily be press moulded, potters use this method to make products. They use enamel paints to color their products now. Now they make products in bulk and sell in government exhibitions where they earn sufficient amount. At present potters make decorative pieces. According to them red clay is cheaper and easier to make, which are easily sold and they earn sufficient amount.

Independent units 0 Was shut down in 1991

Semi independent units 3 Works in red clay

Dependent units 3 Works in red clay

Present situation of Chinhat pottery

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Clay body bought Clay processed for removing impurities. It is sieved wet and left for drying in these pits.

Model made with the ready clay.

Final pieces are fired in these pit kilns using wood as a medium of firing.

Artisans press molding red clay for the final piece.

Mould made out with the model. It is kept in mind that mould should be two pieces.

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Chinhat is currently working with red clay. These are decorative products which are painted with enamel paints. So these products have a differ-ent kind of art in them. The products are molded and master model is made by the artist itself.

Current products

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Moonj grass grows wild in wastelands in eastern Uttar Pradesh ,Rajasthan and other states in India. Coiling basketry technique is used by rural women in Allahabad, Behraich and Gorakhpur districts in Uttar Pradesh to make objects for use in the kitchen from Moonj Grass. The baskets are used in the kitchen for storing flour and food grains. They are so tightly coiled that they are almost waterproof and long lasting. Food, especially rotis, flat bread, stored in them stays fresh. The moonj is harvested in winter and the peel of the stalks left out in the dew for about 3 days, for the colour to lighten. Some splits are dyed in bright colours to pattern the baskets. The binding of the baskets these days is being done with newer material like colourful plastic strips, tinsel and cloth.

Allahabad whose communities’ existence is in close conjunction with semi forested scrublands.

Here most of these women spend their days in the extensive task of child rearing, and taking care of large families. The younger ones help their mothers or mothers-in-law around the house. Some are involved in small jobs to supplement the family economy by making moonj products.

Moonj (Saccharum spontaneum) is a wild monsoon grass that grows profusely in scrublands of Allahabad, mainly in the months of September and October around the time of Navratri. It’s a tall, graceful and wiry grass, that when picked, cleaned, and sun dried to perfection, yields a fibrous coir that’s perfect for weaving baskets, coasters, picnic hampers, and other delightful knick knacks. It also happens to hold color really well, making way for vibrantly hued cheerful utility products, adorned with well-ordered geometric patterns.

The grass is harvested by chopping off the stalk at its base, separating into segments and then subsequently washing and then sun drying it. This lightens its color from a leafy green to a more bleached yellow. It is then rolled into small bundles that look like figures of eight, called ‘Balla’s, hence the alternative name of Balla for the craft itself. These ballas are packed in gunny sacks which are covered in tarpaulin sheets. Being a seasonal grass, most households where it’s a family trade have a storage area demarcated, to stock the ballas for year-round use. Sometimes rot gets to it, sometimes mildew in winter, but for the most part, it stores well. Before weaving, it is partly softened a second time, boil-dyed in chosen colors, and then braided and rolled into a dense structure that won’t come apart easily.

The work itself is meticulous and time consuming. The ballas are softened, segmented, tightly braided and then re-braided, and coiled into interwoven spiraling sections. These are then subsequently stacked in various ways, to give desired structure. A regular 9 inch Puja basket can take upwards of a day’s labor, and the women say the pay is not good enough. This is probably a reason why some are cautious about committing to it, and building a substantial client base willing to pay the craft’s worth seems to be a crucial issue.

Moonj grass

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Plucking moonj grass

Wrapping of moonj grass after plucking

Moonj (Saccharum bengalense/ Erianthus munja) is a wild monsoon grass that grows profusely in scrublands, mainly in the months of September and October around the time of Navratri.

It’s a tall, graceful and wiry grass, when harvested by chopping off the stalk at its base, separating into segments, subsequently washing and then sun dried to perfection, which lightens its color from a leafy green to a more bleached yellow. It is then rolled into small bundles that look like figures of eight, called ‘Balla’s, hence the alternative name of Balla for the craft itself. These ballas are packed in gunny sacks which are covered in tarpaulin sheets.

This fibrous coir is perfect for weaving baskets, coasters, picnic hampers, and other delightful knick knacks.

Colored Balla: - Ballas are colored for pattern designing.

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Kans grass (Saccharum spontaneum) khagori is a grass native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots.

In the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands, a lowland ecoregion at the base of the Himalaya range in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, kans grass quickly colonises exposed silt plains created each year by the retreating monsoon floods, forming almost pure stands on the lowest portions of the floodplain. Kans grasslands are an important habitat for the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). In Nepal, kans grass is harvested to thatch roofs or fence vegetable gardens.

Elsewhere, its ability to quickly colonize disturbed soil has allowed it to become an invasive species that takes over croplands and pasturelands.Saccharum spontaneum has a considerable number of regional names in the Indian Subcontinent, for instance kash being common

in Bengali/Bangla. Some of these are given, along with Ayurvedic medical properties.

Hamirpur have some stretches of grasslands, which used as pastures or grazing land’.Significant area of permanent pastures is not found anywhere in the districts, except in the southern portion of the district but according to State of Forest Report 2005 District have 1.6% Moderately dense forest and 2.6% open forest is Considered as grasslands .

generally the noncultivated land which produces grasses like doob (Cynodon dactylon), and the kans (Saccharum spontaneum) turns to grass land.

Kail and mushial are found in black soil in plain areas.while kans (kansa), an invasive, perennial grass that grows up to three metres in height.does not have any significant area.It is particularly seen after a season of rainfall, and grows rapidly in poorly cultivated soils; it does not generally grow in fields continuously cultivated and carefully prepared for the wheat crop.

Its long and tenacious roots gain a firm hold with the soil and it becomes almost impossible to remove till 12 to 15 years, after which it loses its vitality and the land becomes fit to plough again.No permanent or sure remedy has been found to prevent appearance or growth of kans. The area under permanent pastures has been reducing rapidly, due to high livestock population and pressure to bring more area under cultivation.

Kansa grass

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Naika/ Lehariya designBaag design

Coloured moonj strips are weaved in different manners to generate patterns and designs in moonj. From base to top various kind of patterns are made. The name of these patterns are according to the design build in them. Coloured Base can have patterns like Taraiya, Patariya, Paan Bharna, Chitta Bhawri, Baag, Naika, Tikuliya, Jangeera design.

Patterns in moonj

32

Panauna designTaraiya design

Patariya design Paan design

33

Tikuliya designChitta bhawri design

Janjeera designBhamri design

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Skill test for pottersAny craft and its artisans are blessed with certain skills. Before working further it was necessary to know their skills so that while designing a product it is kept in mind. As for a potter the skills are never limited because clay is an undefined material. But local potters wok only with wheel so it is easy to understand their skills. For knowing the skill of potters I made a chart with few parameters which has 6 levels. Each potter needs to understand and achieve the highest level he could.

The area I am working compiles of around 100 potters but many of them work part time. It was not easy to skill check each potter because it require a lot of time. So I shortlisted 6 potters who amongst everyone said was best working. According to the community these potters were best in works, gets good sale.

After selecting these potters I asked them to make shapes specified in each level and sizes given. This helped me know what kind of communication will help me for final prototyping. Every potter works similarly because they have never made anything apart from regular products. So it was not easy to know their exact skill. So i set 4 parameters on which they were marked. Speed, finishing. Uniformity of walls and level criteria. According to these marking was easy to do.

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Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6

Amount of the clay can be han-dled

5kg 6kg 7kg 8kg 10kg More than 10kg

Height achieved at each level 8cm 9cm 12cm 15cm 20cm More than 20cm

Width achieved at each level 5cm 6cm 8cm 8cm 15cm More than 15

Wall thickness and thinness 2cm 1cm 50mm 30mm 20mm Less than 20mm

Shapes kulhad kulhad 2 kulhad 3 cylinder bottle

Shapes with sizes cylinder size specified

bottle size speci-fied

Evaluation criteria

0-3Speed 4-7

8-10

0-3Finishing 4-7

8-10

0-3Uniformity of walls 4-7

8-10

0-3level criteria 4-7

8-10

average time taken

kulhad 10seckulhad 2 12.2seckulhad 3 15.6seccylinder 70secbottle 2.20sec

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Ravi prajapati Kulhad Kulhad 2 Kulhad 3 Cylinder Bottle

Height 6cm 8cm 11cm 10cm

Base Width 2cm 2.5cm 4cm 8cm

Wall thickness

20mm 30mm 30mm 30mm

mouth width

5cm 6cm 7cm

time taken 8sec 10sec 15sec 30sec

Speed 9 8 8 9

Finishing 3 4 3 2

Uniformity 4 5 4 3

level criteria 5 3 4 5

total 21 20 19 19

mouth and base of each kulhad is not perfectly made. He work too fast due to which a lot of finishing is noticed in

the work.

cylinder walls are not

straight.

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Khemchand Kulhad Kulhad 2 Kulhad 3 Cylinder Bottle

Height 7cm 11cm 13cm

Base Width 4cm 5cm 9cm

Wall thickness

30mm 30mm 50mm

mouth width

6cm 8cm

time taken 8sec 13sec 30sec

Speed 9 4 9

Finishing 9 7 8

Uniformity 8 8 9

level criteria 6 7 8

total 32 26 34

Kulhad are similar to each other in shape and size.

cylinder has finishing but not straight

wall.

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Munna lal Kulhad kulhad 2 kulhad 3 Cylinder Bottle

Height 8cm 12cm 15cm

Base Width 4cm 5cm 10cm

Wall thickness

40mm 30mm 50mm

mouth width

6cm 9cm

time taken 8sec 12 sec 1.25sec

Speed 9 5 5

Finishing 5 5 6

Uniformity 5 6 9

level criteria 8 7 4

total 27 23 24

base of kulhad are too small to stand still. Mouth of each cylinder is also not perfectly round.

very less finishing.

Uneven base.

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Suraj prajapati Kulhad kulhad 2 kulhad 3 Cylinder Bottle

Height 7cm 9cm 12cm 18cm 20cm

Base Width 3cm 4cm 5.5cm 13cm 10cm

Wall thickness

30mm 30mm 40mm 40mm 50mm

mouth width

5cm 6cm 8cm 3cm

time taken 9sec 10sec 12sec 2min 3min

Speed 8 9 9 5 3

Finishing 9 9 8 9 9

Uniformity 7 8 9 9 9

level criteria

7 8 8 9 8

total 31 34 34 32 29

all kulhad were equal in shape and size.mouth and base is perfectly made.

Tried to make straight

cylinder with the help of

scale. A lot of finishing.

very well finished bottle.

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Naresh prajapati Kulhad kulhad 2 kulhad 3 Cylinder Bottle

Height 6cm 8cm 11cm 13cm 20cm

Base Width 3cm 5cm 4cm 8cm 12cm

Wall thickness

30mm 30mm 30mm 30mm 30mm

mouth width

6cm 7cm 8cm 2cm

time taken 15sec 16sec 20sec 1.25sec 1.40sec

Speed 3 3 3 5 8

Finishing 6 7 7 7 6

Uniformity 8 8 8 9 8

level criteria

6 7 7 6 5

total 23 25 25 27 27

mouth of each kulhad were unequal. Base was made flat and stable.

cylinder was not perfectly

straight.

bottle was too heavy.

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Trendline for clay

42

5500Mehrgarh II-VI

(ceramic Neolithic)

3300

Mehrgarh is the city, from where the oldest ceram-ic figurines of South Asia were found.

2600

Early Harappan

Pottery of the early period was handmade, not wheel made, with fairly plain decorations of leaves, geometric shapes and simple animals.

Mature Harappan (Indus Valley Civilization)

1900

Indus valley people also had knowledge of ceramic pottery which is revealed by one of the broken pieces of pottery found during excavations.

The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a 2nd millennium BC Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (Ganges-Yamuna plain). It is a contemporary of and successor to the Indus Valley Civilization.

1300

Late Harap-pan (Ceme-tery H); Ochre Coloured Pottery

A luxury style of burnished pottery used by elites, it is associated with the emergence of South Asia’s first cities since the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization

Painted Gray Ware, Northern Black Polished Ware

300

Nanda Empire (424–321 )

30

Kushan Em-pire (375–30)

Kanva em-pire (75–26)

Indo-Greek King-dom (180–10)

Sunga Em-pire (185–73)

Kuninda Kingdom (300-200)

Indo-Scythian King-dom (400-200)

Satavahana Em-pire (230– 220)

Maha-Megha-Vahana Em-pire (400-250)

Pallava Kingdom (800-250)

Chola Kingdom (1279-300)

Chera Kingdom (1102- 300)

Pandya Kingdom (1345-300)

Sangam Peri-od (300– 300)

Maurya Em-pire (321–184)

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1100Gupta period

10th century india

Pallavas

Two phases in Indian history can be truly defined as the ‘Golden Age of India’, as there was peace, development and prosperity in the country then. The dominant one was an era between the 3rd century and 6th century CE of ancient India during the Gupta Empire and the other one was the period between the 10th and 11th century CE of medieval India during the Chola Dynasty in South India.

Chola dynasty

1200

Chola dynasty

Khilji dynasty

Pandaya dynasty

1800

In India, the making of Glazed pottery came into being with the advent of the Arab influence in India.

Start of glazed pottery

Glazed pottery with white background and blue and green patterns is developed in Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Khurja, Chunar and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, and Karigari in Tamilnadu. In Chunar, the raised

designs in Surahis are adapted for glazed pottery. A brown slip is given finally.

In Karigari in Tamilnadu, biscuit ware is created with incised patterns and given a blue or green glaze.Khurja is one of the oldest Pottery

Centers. It was established in the thirteenth century by families of Afghan Potters, who specialized in making glazed tiles and some amount of utility ware. Today Khurja is the largest producer of medium-range utilitarian glazed pottery for the average Indian home.

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Golden Bridge Potteries was established in Auroville in the early seventies, by American ceramic artists Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith. Nearly thirty years since they started it, it is one of the best-loved utility art potteries in Indian homes.

In 1913, Dr. D. C. Majumdar who had his training in Japan started porcelin factory in India.

1900

The founder of Banaras Hindu University, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaji instituted a course in Ceramic technology as early as 1924 with the noble objective of advancing glass and ceramic technology in India.

Bengal potteries started working in 1925-1926 and the concern has made a great progression pottery manufacture and at present one of the biggest concern in India.

From 1928-1930 many state government became interested in pottery industry.

During 1938 in world war II when imports became difficult and civil and defence requirements need to be met from indigenous production.

1948 1st bone china company (UP Ceramics) was established. This took anchor phase of white ware in India.

In the early 1800s imports of Indian cotton and silk goods faced duties of 70-80%. British imports faced duties of 2-4%! As a result, British imports of cotton manufactures into India increased by a factor of 50, and Indian exports dropped to one-fourth! A similar trend was noted in pottery, glassware also. millions of ruined artisans and craftsmen potters were rendered jobless and had to become landless agricultural workers.”

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Terracotta tableware made in India which is exported to various countries. Some of these are glazed and some are unglazed. Recently thedemand of terracotta has increased which results in export of terracotta from India.

2014

Wheel thrown and hand made pottery are more in demand. This gave studio potters an upliftment in Indian market.

Bone china has a wide range of products. This material was always in demand and recently the demand has increased. Now bone china covers the largest part in indian ceramics.

Leading companies in glazed terracotta tableware.

Termed by many as the capital of ceramic tableware, Khurja has been able to carve a niche for itself in last decade. Supplying mostly to the mid and lower end of the tableware Market, this small town’s ceramic industry and manufacturing got a much needed boost by the availability of natural gas as the energy source a couple of years ago.

46

Trendline for moonj

47

In the shastras it is said that Ganesha should be worshiped with blades of fresh green grass. Is Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, vegetarian? The offering of the blade of grass is actually symbolic, say the faithful. The blade of grass offered to Ganapati denotes that man should be as humble as the blade of grass.

Lets start with the story of a betrayed village. Sukhomajri, a small village in Haryana. A community watershed programme adopted by the villagers covered the bare brown hills with a carpet of lush grass. Bhabbar grass primarily used as fodder opened the gates to prosperity for Sukhomajri as saleable bhabbar fetched profits to the village. The government also wanted to be part of the success so they decided to play: the big bully.

Mahishyas , the weavers of Midnapore in the southern corner of West Bengal are skilled at weaving the most popular mats Madur. Weavers weave this on an uncomplicated frame loom made out of bamboo. Warp is of cotton thread and the weft is a thin soft reed known as madur kathi.

Mats made with kora / sedge grass are extremely delicate and highly valued. Kora grass is found in abundance along the banks of the rivers and in marshy areas in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. b Kora Grass Mat Rolls For Muslim Prayer Hall / Masjid Floor Use , Home & Sleeping Use

The most commonly used broom in India is made from broom grass (thymolacna maxima). The grass is cut and dried after which blades are tied together to form a boom. It is a booming industry in Meghalaya.

MATS

Tribal use grass to make roof of their houses. this Toda tribe made their house with dried palm leaves. Houses of Bengal and remote villages were made of grass roof. These houses have natural heat insulation.

Manjna- grass was also used ear-lier to wipe utensils as it can easily remove the dirt from utensils.

It is burnt near women after delivery and near burns and scalds, its smoke is considered benificial.

Munj matting is said to be the proof against attack of white ants.

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Roofing of kachcha wheel and covering of stores of grains. Bottom of the daliya was cut to make a funnel which was used to pour grains

During grinding of grains, raw grains was kept in these daliya as they absorb moisture which keeps the grains fresh.

For storing grains, grain containers were hung so that mallets don’t spoil it.

Daliya was initially made in munj grass for various uses. It was used to feed cattle, in ritualls, for storing dry food.

Daliya was also used to bring grains, food from place to another as it was light in weight.

Tri wooden stands were used to keep n the top. Dahi containers, or food were kept which keeps it safe from insects.

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Other than people even weaver bird weave her nest with dried grass. To make the nest strong and protected she uses this technique of weaving for her nest. They depend on wild grasses such as Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum)

Fans- Munj is a very light material due to which fans were weaved from this. These fans and other items were used in marriages

Bhabbar grass and munj grass in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana is very popular for rope making. It is stringy and flexible which makes it ideal for use in charpais or string beds.

Also called ‘chik’ doors. The stronger ones are made of strong parallel sliced bamboo sticks, while the finer ones are made of munj stalks (saccharum munja). This variety of grass grows upto 15 feet. Its leaves are used for thatching and flower stalk sheaths for string making. The higher part of the flower stalk is left for chik-making.

Pen were made of s a r k a n d a grass which is used in filling while making baskets.

Munj ans sikki both are ritually treated. Suhag pitara is made in both these grass which is given in daughters marriage by their parents. These are made colorful.

Toys were also made of munj grass. these containers small version of products. The material is flexible and can easily take any shape.

The munj is burnt at one end, then beatted with a mallet and finally wisted into a rope, these are later used in making furniture.

Sabai grass and date palm leaves are abundant in Orissa and are used to make rope and plaits which are further converted into baskets or covering furniture.

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The little basket with a lid is also called punti or pautiya generally made of munj grass.

Seeni, decorative basket made by artisans. This was used during wedding.

Pooja basket made in munj grass had a handle attached to it. This was used to hold things needed in pooja.

Fruit basket made of munj grass. Since the grass is dry so fruits don’t get damaged easily.

Pen stand and dustbin made by artisans recent development in moonj.

NON-TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS

A small number of Sapera have also been involved in the manufacture of a course rope called the munj.

Basket weaving was also done with plastic and kansa grass. this made the product water proof.

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Toys made in moonj. These toys are different from the toys earlier made as they have now included a different material such as cloth and wood.

Utensil covers made of moonj. moonj is a good insulator of heat. These covers help to hold hot utensils from which food is directly served.

Teapot and glass covers made in moonj. These easily let to hold hot glass.

Lamp and storage basket are also made from moonj.

Coasters and table mats

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MOONJ TERRACOTTA

Rust proof

Spiral

Hand weaving

Strength

Flexible

Colourful

Textured

Insulator

Heat resistant

NaturalOrganic

Eco-friendlyTraditional

Various shapes possible

Availability in abundance

Prevent breakage

Stacking

Good for packaging

Less elastic

Maintains shapesIt takes weight

Heavy

Porous

Fragile

Round shape

Non-elasticGlazed

Insulator

Circular

Natural

Textured and smooth

Opaque

Keeps water cool

reasonable

mass production possiblesemi-permeable to air and water

inexpensive materialbuilding material

lighter than stone

reddish-brown color

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Table mats

Pen standCoasters

Dustbin

Shagun jew-elery box

Storage container

Pooja basket

Seeni Fruit basket

Chappati box

MOONJ(Allahabad)

Suhag pitaraDaliya

Jewellery box

Utensil cover

Lamp

TraditionalSemi traditional

Non traditional

Designer

Mix material

Wood/metal

Ceramic

Fabric

TablewareKitchen wareDining tabletop accessory

Decor

Serving bowl/platterTeasetDinner setSoup setGlass setSweetdish bowl

Napkin holderNapkin ringSalt & pepper holderSauce bottle holderFruit bowlsFork & spoon holderCentre bowl

Storage boxKnife holderHerb container

Bag

Accessory

FurnitureDecor

Sitting Storage

ChairStoolSwing

TableStoolRacksDrawers

Trend Flow Chart for Moonj

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Weaving- hand weaving - loom weavingKnottingStitchingBraidingTwistingPastingChains

ThrowingPinchingSlab methodCoilingSlip castingCasting with jigger jollyPress mouldingBeating

Decoration possibilityPatternsJali workExtra element with beads, cloth, woolHandles of other material

Decoration possibilityBurnishingGlazeSlip decorationScraffitoMarbellingCarvingInlayDecoration with toolsRaku firingSmoke firing

Manufacturing techniques

Fillers-all kind of natural materialMetalWoodElasticRaxinRopeClothWirePlastic tubeWool

Moonj- As a material is very strong and various kind of manufacturing are possible on it. As a material it is flexible and can take any shape easily. Till now mostly weaving is done on moonj because it is not only easy but most comfortable means of production possibility. But now we can redefine moonj and have various kind of manufacturing possibility . Even various kind of fillers and decoration are also possible in moonj. Various tests done on moonj shows how much flexible is this material.

Terracotta- is a tough material but can take any possible shape. Various techniques are possible in terracotta which are tried and tested by various people. Still various possibilities are left in terracotta and can happen easily. Decoration in terracotta is always said to be limit-ed but ceramic itself is a vast explored field where possibility never ends up so easily.

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Tableware industry

Increasing per capita income

Increasing middle class population

Increasing hotel and catering

industry

Increasing organic market

in India

Attraction towards luxury

products

Impact of growth in organized sec-

tor

Tableware industry in India is increasing day by day due to following reasons. This also created an impact on Bone china, which is a leading importer and exporter in Indian tableware.

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Chai Daani (Teapot)The tea (Chai) pot (Daani) was introduced during British Raj. The tea was cooked/prepared in Tea kettle or stock pots. The hot tea was poured in the teapot for service. Cotton quilted cap was sewn to cover the teapot to keep tea hot. The teapots were made of copper or brass. The inside of teapot was coated with Tin. The shapes and capacity of teapots varied. Some were made taller. The average capacity of tea pot was about 24 fluid once. Matching sugar-bowl, and creamer were made to complete the set. The conceptual art depicts traditional Brass teapot.

Thali is a round platter with eared rim. Entire meal is served on a Thali. Small bowls called ‘Katori’ are arranged around the periphery. The Katori are filled with Dal, Curries, Raita, sweets, and condiments. The un-populated area is used to pile Rice and Roti. The eared rim prevents the Katori to slide off the platter as well helps to lift the platter off the flat surface.- ‘Khana Thali’ to serve meal is about 13” to 14” in diameter, with rim raised about ¾”.- Larger version Thali is called ‘Thal’. These are 14” to 18” in diameter. They are used to display foods. In the olden days, Thal were used for major announcements. The middle area was engraved with the announcement. The Thal may be loaded with sweets such as Laddu and given out to neighbors, friends and family clan. - Smaller version is called ‘Tashtari’. These are 6” to 8” in diameter and used to serve snacks- ‘Aaarti Thali’ is made of silver and used for Pooja, Diwali, Weddings, and Rakhi etcetera. Aarti Thali is about 10 to 11” in diameter.Traditional Thali to is made of: Clay, Brass, Copper, Kansa, Silver decorated with GOLD for rich people. Nowadays, stainless steel Thali are used.

Surahi is a long neck earthen pitcher to store and serve cool waterTraditional materials: Black clay, Red clay. Nowadays plastic and glass pitchers are used to serve cold beverages. The nobles used Surahi made out of Brass, Silver, or copper.In the olden days, master craftsmen would etch and carve the the surface with elaborate designs, complete with inlay work. These items have become collectibles and sold as vase or urns in the market place.

KulhadA disposable earthen tumbler holds about 7 ounce of fluid. It is used to drink hot beverages such as Garam Chai (hot tea latte) or cold beverages such as Thandai. Kulhar is not used at home. It is primarily used by street vendors or at social gathering. Kulhar is made of local red clay.

Basic utensils used in India made in Terracotta

57

The word “Thali” means a plate. Typically a plate during most meals would have a minimum of three or four dishes that are placed in it. A word commonly used in the Indian context for a plated meal, a Thali meal basically consists of dishes native to the region or part of the country that you are in. Earlier on when the concept of Thali meals was introduced in the restaurants, it meant that you could have unlimited food that was restricted to the dishes on offer for that Thali meal, for a fixed price. This concept has remained though now most restaurants also have a Mini Thali meal or a Limited Thali Meal wherein you had to make do with the food that is served only once in the plate. This works pretty well for those who do not have a large appetite or would like to restrict their intake and eat on a budget.

The Thali meal got its name also to denote the dishes characteristic to a particular state or region. For example if you are eating at a restaurant that serves food from Rajasthan, it would be referred to as a Rajasthani Thali, Gujarati Thali, South Indian Thali

In rural part of India or in smaller towns, the plated meal is served in a Thali which has compartments and each compartment is for a particular dish. Nowadays though, the Thali meal has many small bowls that are filled with dishes in a particular order. This again differs from one restaurant to another. Some restaurants plate the entire meal before serving while others fill in the bowls after the plate is placed on the table. The South Indian Thali meal is generally served on a plantain leaf and in this kind too each dish has a particular place where it is to be served. Also in most Thali meals where the food is served one dish after another, the Rotis are served first and then the Rice comes in. Typically, Dals, Vegetables and Curd are served in most kind of Thali meals.

History & Evolution of ‘Thali’ in India

58

Harrapan pottery

Wheel made potteryGroup of pottery vessels found in a grave at Harappa. The variety of forms probably indicates a variety of functions such as storing water, milk or crops and serving food. The local Harappan potters manufactured a large array of specialized pottery

Ravi Phase Cooking PotCooking pots during the Ravi Phase were made in large globular shapes that had a low center of gravity to keep them from tipping over when filled with food. In order to protect the fine clay from cracking due to the heat of the fire, the exterior was covered with a slurry of coarse sandy clay mixed with calcium carbonate nodules and some pebbles.Pointed Base Goblets

The pointed base results from rapid manufacture off a fast wheel and makes it easy for stacking in the kiln. The grooves around the body may serve as a simple decoration, but they also allow for a better grip.

Found only in the largest cities and towns, these cups appear to have been used once and then tossed away, as is the case with disposable terra cotta cups in the cities of Pakistan and India today. Some of these disposable drinking cups have a seal impression on the shoulder or base and may have been made for specific owners or for specific rituals. Wheel thrown off the hump and string cut base.

59

Civilization that flourished in the Indus Valley from the 4th millennium B.C. is one of the four oldest great civilizations. Although the civilization producing painted pottery and copper tools originated in small settlements along the banks of the Indus River and on the hills of Baluchistan province of nowadays Pakistan even earlier, sudden growth of population and changes in the organization of the society towards craft production resulted in growth of the cities. Unearthed cities of Mohejo Daro and Harappa are the most famous proofs of a high level urban civilization. The cities with foundations made of baked mud brick have domestic quarters with bath and lavatory facilities, granaries, industrial districts and fortifications.There are two kinds of painted pottery of the Indus Valley Civilization both shaped on a potter’s wheel and made of clay of a very fine grain.Vessels of the first type are thick and heavy with almost monochromatic decoration like this piece of pottery found in site called Khuzdar in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan.

The decorative design consisting of 2 rows of goats and two kinds of geometric pattern is almost all painted in black with some

Vessel Cup Jar

brownish red accent. The shape of goats is so highly stylized that the row is close to a band with a geometric pattern. Moreover, confident but playful strokes of the show prove high skills of the painter. Other animals depicted on the monochromatic pottery from the Indus Valley are humped bulls, pumas, birds, etc. Bulls and pumas symbolized abundance, fecundity and power. It is significant that the pipal tree had so important significance being depicted on the pottery of the Indus Valley civilization, and 2 thousand years later the Buddha attained enlightenment under the pipal tree in the same region.

In contrary to monochromatic pottery another type of was multicolored and extremely thin and light. Vessels were first painted with black outlines of design and after firing coloured with yellow, white, blue and red pigments. Examples of multicoloured pottery found in Mehrharh, another ancient site located ca. 100 km North from Khuzdar, are shown on the right. The pottery is decorated with geometric patterns, fish, birds, cows, antelopes, scorpions, fantastic beasts, griffins, etc. However, instead of a whole pipal tree only as a single leaves are depicted.

Indus valley pottery

60

Clay Pot Cooking is a traditional and old way of cooking food in an unglazed clay pot which has been soaked in water to release steam while cooking. Clay pot has a long history, dating back to ancient times and has been used in several cuisines in Europe and most parts of Asia.How does clay pot provides a different taste in cooking? Since clay pot is a porous material, it is usually submerged or saturated with water for approximately 15 to 30 minutes. This is to absorb water before cooking. You may then fill the pot with food and put it into oven.

You may notice that the walls of the pot helps diffuse heat and it releases water as steams. A slow evaporation of steam arises within the clay itself, thus eliminating the food’s moisture. This process creates a flavorful, tender and delicious dish unlike other common metal pots.

The evaporation of water prevents burning so long as the pot is not allowed to heat until its completely dry. During this process, the food forms its own juices which cannot escape till the pot dried out. When it comes to a complete dry, the food is cooked and ready to serve.

There is no oil needed when cooking in a clay pot. The food contains lesser fats and lower in cholesterol, which are basically good if you are a health buff individual. Also, essential nutrients are maintained within the food because it doesn’t leaked out through the water unlike boiling in metal pots. So basically, clay pots offers much more health advantage than today’s cooking tools.

However, clay pots requires longer cooking time but lower oven temperature than modern cooking pots, casserole or pans due to the lost of heat to the evaporating water. The constant use of

clay pot will create a dark and mottled appearance on its body, taking out its glassy look.

Scrubbing is the best recourse in cleaning a clay pot. Blemishes and dark stains will be much harder to clean and most probably will become permanent. But over all, clay pots are easy to clean because foods won’t stick to the surface. Using salt is the best way to clean clay pots and usual detergents and soaps must be avoided because it will be absorbed by the clay.

Clay Pot cooking essential

61

Tabaak is a ring-shaped terracotta plate used to store chapattis.

Maati, with its broad mouth, was used to make buttermilk.

Tavdo is a terracotta ves-sel used to cook biryani.

The Jandhar is a grinder used to grind grains.

Gujarat traditional tableware made by Kutch potters.These utensils were earlier used in Gujarat.

62

Clay Curry Pots, or Manchatti, Meenchatti or simply Chatti, are earthenware pots are very traditional in Kerala and present in almost every household, some handed down from their ancestors. They are also wildly popular in Malayan cooking. They are used in the making of fish curry and an important element in uplifting the flavors of any fish curry. Somehow, fish curry cooked in the earthen pot brings out the taste of fish curry to perfection.

These pots are hand crafted by our artisans in Tamil Nadu and very traditional, although not the prettiest clay pots we carry as they are roughly made. But if you want traditional, you can’t get more traditional than this. The pots are unglazed, and coated with a coat of the natural clay itself, and totally free of any toxic materials or lead and 100% Eco friendly.

Kalam or the unglazed clay pot as known in Southern India has long history of cooking that dates back to ancient Rome. This slow and delicate cooking technique is no oil cooking and the food cooked is lower in fat compared with food prepared by other methods like sautéing or frying.

Clay being somewhat porous makes it easy for heat and moisture circulate. The juices released don’t escape the pot keeping the flavor intact and the food succulent and juicy, apart from retaining the nutrients and vitamins.

Clay pots fall into two categories: glazed and unglazed. The glazed one is easy when it comes to cleaning while the unglazed pots soak up more liquid and produce more steam.

Traditional cookware from south India. Not only baking but serving is also done in these utensils

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Like Sri Lanka buffet style south Indian people also serve non- vegetarian food in the same manner.

Dum cooking is a slow-cooking method dating back to early sixteenth century. It was introduced to India by Mughals however it was further developed in Awadh (Lucknow). Usually Handi/Deg/Degchi are the cookware used for Dum cooking. Dum Pukht is derived from Persian meaning ‘air-cooked’ or ‘baked’.

Fish curry from Bengal is served in unglazed terracotta pot.

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Poha passam an Indian dish made and served in clay pot is one of the older dish made in India. It is said to be 500 years old recipe. This is traditionally made in clay pots.

Dahi handi hanged from the ceiling which is still used in many villages around India. These handi is also used in Krishna birthday for “Handi food” festival

The food is cooked in clay ovens or tandoor in the traditional style of the Indian North-West Frontier region. The world-renowned Dal Bukhara is cooked overnight in the traditional Bukhara way, simmering on the tandoor an entire night. And served in an ethnic chamber of sorts of clay vessels.

Panta Ilish - a tradtional Bengali platter of stale rice (in soup) with fried Hilsa slice, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal, green chillies and onion - is a popular serving for the Pohela Boishakh festival in Bangladesh.

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Phirni is usually served in clay containers. Wash the containers and soak them in water for a few hours before using. Fill the clay cups with phirni and garnish with saffron (soaked in a tbsp of milk ) and powdered pistachios and cardamom powder.

The Bengali call them Roshogolla and are sold in clay pots in Calcutta, and highly appreciated in summer where they are served chilled.

Kulfi is Indian favorite cold dessert for hot summer afternoons. They are generally served in small clay pots which we call Matka. The ice cream sets well in clay pots.

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Chai from a clay cup — that raw, astringent taste of earth, mixed with gingery-sweet-milky tea — is the taste of India. In Banaras, clay cups are called puruas; in West Bengal, bhaar; and across much of India they are referred to as kullarhs. At train stations, the cups are jokingly nicknamed pi ke puht, pi ke meaning “to drink” and puht referring to the sound it makes when it hits the tracks — drink and chuck.

Lassi, a creamy, frothy yogurt-based drink, blended with water and various fruits or seasonings (such as salt or sugar), that originated in Punjab, India. Traditionally, lassi is served in a handle less clay cup called a kulhar, and extra malai

The water stored in Mataki not only tastes great, but quenches the thirst more effectively without any side effects.

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Terracotta tawa made in India helps making soft rotis with a sweet smell and taste in rotis. These tawas are still used on gases.

Tandoori cooking is one of the highlights of Indian cuisine. The Indian tandoor is a clay oven that can reach temperatures as high as 5500F. It looks like a rounded bee-hive. Tandoori is a hotter and quicker form of cooking than the western barbecue. It is used to make naan breads, kebabs, tandoori meats and stuffed rotis and paranthas.

Clay Handi which can now be used on gas for cook-ing biryani.

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A chillum, or chilam, is a straight conical pipe with end-to-end channel, traditionally made of clay and used since at least the 18th century by wandering Hindu monks, known as sadhus in India. It was invented in India. The culture of owning and smoking in a chillum has spread from India to the world since the mid-1960s.

Hukka, a tradition bought by mughals in India. They were made of brass and copper for high authorities. And terracotta hukkah were popular for people in low ranks. ww

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Various product ranges are possible with moonj and terracotta as both material posses such material property which are complimentary to each other. To decide final product range a research was held. Firstly, we selected properties of both materials we thought could give interesting product results. Then we elected few areas in which we can use these material property. As soon as the material property and areas were decided products were very easy to find. Selected material property on a specific area gave interesting result.

After getting a wider product range we shortlisted four category of products which have more scope of work and creativity. We decided four major category as insulation products which containers products which needs insulations at various levels. Packaging cum display products which fulfill requirements and decoration both, mostly kitchen products were a part of it. Furniture products which containers all kind of furniture possible in both material. Home decor products, a very wide range of products possible with decoration and garden ware products for specific area where not only decoration but also utility is fulfilled.

As soon as the product range was selected we did a quick survey for the products. We set few parameters due to which we could find the requirement of a particular range from a buyers perspective. We did marking for the same and according to the marking we decided the product range we should start working.

As a result insulation products were marked highest. Moonj and terracotta both material are insulator but not much work is done in this field.

Finalizing product range

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Prevents Breakage Insulation Strength & Flexibility Portability Heat Resistant Evaporative

Cooling

PackagingTrivets

Maintains temp of room & Utensils

Cool & Hot

HangingFurniture

SwingDécor

Light WeightCarrying

Movements & Motion

Stacking

ShadeMittensOutdoor

furnitures

Porous

Kitchen StoringCooking

Cooking sets with Handles or Trivets

Dahi HandiRoti CaseLunch BoxTea SetEgg CaseSizzlers

Containers- Milk- Sugar- Milk Powder- Spice

Knife StandFruit containers

Microwave Gloves

Garlic PotsFridgeWater Pots

Kids

ToysAccessories like Table

topsFurniture Toys

Toys- Play- DrawingAccessories

ToysTable top accessories

Garden Garden Décor

Products for Birds- Bird Feeders- Water Bowls- Bird Houses- Bird ToysSculptures

Outdoor furnitures- Seaters- Lamps (Diyali)

Dining Accessories Utility Trivets Fridge Magnets

FurnitureStore

HangingSitting

Home Décor

Lights HangingCovering

Protection

Window BlindsLamp Range- Hanging- Standing- Study

Gifts UtilityAesthetics

Gift Packs- Soap Set- Crockery Set- Serving set- Wine Set- Tea Set

Accessories

BagsJewellery- Ear Rings- Bangles- Neck Piece

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Insulator and semi conductor products

cooking set with handles -Garlic pots

-Wine holders - trivets

-serving sets -Egg case

-Dahihandi-Lunch box

-Gloves/ mittens -Roticase

Selected range of products

Cooking sets with Handles or Trivets Garlic PotsFridge

Water Pots Containers

- Milk- Sugar

- Milk Powder- Spice container

Gift Packs- Soup Set

- Crockery Set- Serving set- Wine Set- Tea Set Knife Stand

Fruit containers Fridge Magnets

Trivets

Dahi HandiRoti CaseLunch Box

Tea SetEgg CaseSizzlers

Products for Birds- Bird Feeders- Water Bowls- Bird Houses

- Bird ToysSculptures

Window BlindsLamp Range

- Hanging- Standing

- Study -Outdoor furniture

- Seaters- Lamps (Diyali)

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Parameters Packaging cum display Insulation Garden Furniture Home décor

Past work done on the range of

products1 4 4 2.5 1

User set (number of user for the

products)4 3.5 3 3.5 4

Decorative to Functional 3.5 4 3 4 1

Competitors 2 4 4 2 1

Relevance of the material to

product4 4 4 2 1

Diversification possiblilities 4 2 1 3.5 4

Total 18.5 21.5 19 17.5 12

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Wine coolers-By revisiting the cooling properties of terracotta, method for chilling and storing water. The terracotta wine cooler keeps contents cool through the slow evaporation of water from the semi-porous, raw clay. Terracotta’s thermal properties will maintain the temperature of pre-chilled wine, and when soaked in cold water prior to use, the terracotta will slowly release moisture to cool the wine inside. Moonj on the other hand is also an insulating and strong material which will help maintain temperature of wine.

Cooking set with handles- Clay is a porous material which, when saturated with water and heated in the oven, provides slow evaporation of steam from the pores. This creates a moist enclosed environment that results in increased flavor, very tender meats and healthier foods. Clay pots require less fat, use less liquid, require little tending and can even brown meats. The food cooked in clay pot also help to keep food hot for a very long time till the meal is served. The insulating property of terracotta helps to maintain temperature of cooked food. A lot of times moving terracotta hot pot from one place to another is a tiring job. The base may crack as coming in direct contact of cool base. So it is kept either on cloth or indi which is an insulating material and also gives support to the pot.

Trivits-A trivet is an object placed between a serving dish or bowl, and a dining table, usually to protect the table from heat or water damage.Trivet also refers to a tripod used to elevate pots from the coals of an open fire (the word trivet itself ultimately comes from Latin tripes meaning “tripod”). Metal trivets are often tripod-like structures with three legs to support the trivet horizontally in order to hold the dish or pot above the table surface. These are often included with modern non-electric pressure cookers. A trivet may often contain a receptacle for a candle that can be lit to keep food warm. They are made of insulating material so that heat does not pass through other object.

Egg container-An egg carton (also known as an egg box in British English) is a carton designed for carrying and transporting whole eggs. These cartons have a dimpled form in which each dimple accommodates an individual egg and isolates that egg from eggs in adjacent dimples. This structure helps protect eggs against stresses exerted during transportation and storage by absorbing a lot of shock and limiting the incidents of fracture to the fragile egg shells. Even for storing eggs at house few people store it in fridge and few store it in egg box. To maintain the temperature of the egg the box xhould be made of material which has insulating property. An egg carton can be made of various materials, including foamed plastics such as polystyrene foam, clear plastic or may be manufactured from recycled paper and molded pulp by means of a mechanized papier-mâché process.

Lunch box-To take food from one place to another lunch boxes are used. It has a property of insulation due to which food is fresh and hot till consumed by the holder. Earlier farmers wifes use to take food in moonj aur sikki basket and water or vegetable in terracotta. Until it reaches to farmer it stays hot and fresh. Later on lighter mate-rials like plastic came into being which ended the concept of terracotta and moonj and sikki basket.

Tiffen box-Food which is carried from one place to another needs to be fresh and warm until it gets consumed. Food packing is done in the morning and consumed till lunch until then food needs to be warm and fresh. Tiffins available in market are made either of plastic or steel. Ceramic tiffins are microwave safe and also insulator.

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Garlic pots-The best way to store garlic is in a cool dry place. Sometimes this accomplished by hanging from a ceiling. However, if your kitchen is warm and sunny then this method will not work very well. A garlic keeper is a piece of kitchenware that every garlic lover needs to have because it accomplishes ideal storing conditions with ease. It is generally a small ceramic pot that is designed to stay cool and has holes in it to allow air to circulate. This is a proper way to store your garlic in the kitchen, since it sustains room temperature and has holes through which sufficient air will pass through. The kitchen maybe warm, from cooking so a garlic keeper can help protect your garlic from the heat.

Dahi handi-In earlier times dahi was made in terracotta as it is a porous material and also served in it. Dahi containers were hanged in kitchen so that nobody touches it and it is made correctly. Terra-cotta absorbs all extra water and give a pure form of curd. Terra-cotta also maintain temperature of curd in that state it is properly made.

Mittens/gloves-Microwave same products are available but to take these pots out either cloth is used or material like hard goveas are used. It is seen that a lot times the gripping is not strong and damages are happened. To avaid accidents insulating material gloves are made.

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Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with specially engineered methods or processes, as well as with suitable object shapes and materials.

Heat flow is an inevitable consequence of contact between objects of differing temperature. Thermal insulation provides a region of insulation in which thermal conduction is reduced or thermal radiation is reflected rather than absorbed by the lower-temperature body.The critical radius depends only on the heat transfer coefficient and the thermal conductivity of the insulation. If the radius of the uninsulated cylinder is larger than the critical radius for insulation, the addition of any amount of insulation will decrease the heat transfer.

DishwareTerra cotta is an ideal natural material used in creating assorted dishware for the kitchen, keeping foods warm and beverages cool. The cazuela is a terra-cotta baking dish commonly found in Spanish households. Its tough insulating qualities makes it suitable for use with heat from the oven, microwave, barbecue grill or gas stovetop. Place a bottle of your favorite beverage inside a chilled terra-cotta cooler to insulate it against the heat, keeping it cool on even the hottest days.

RoofsAs a roofing material, thick terra-cotta tiles help to insulate your home’s interior spaces. The clay’s insulating properties can contribute to reduced energy usage and lower utility bills. Terra-cotta roofs can reflect up to 34 percent of the sun’s rays, while common gray shingles reflect a mere 8 percent. A layer of thick terra-cotta roof tiles also provides a protective insulating barrier against frigid winter temperatures.

Thermal insulation

WallsTerra-cotta wall panels have the ability to help insulate the interior of your home against outdoor noise. The wall panels can also reduce the surface temperature of your home’s structural walls. These insulating terra-cotta wall panels may reduce your energy consumption and costs. Terra-cotta bricks and blocks make ideal, natural building materials for the exterior of a home. They offer an eco-friendly, healthy living habitat with sound-insulating acoustical benefits.

Chimney LinersA chimney’s insulation liner must help maintain a warm temperature all the way up the chimney. Terra cotta makes an ideal chimney liner to help insulate the chimney and keep it warm, reducing the opportunity for condensation to form. Combustion by-products from burning wood tend to attach themselves to condensation, creating dangerous creosote, the leading cause of chimney fires. Also, since terra cotta is a slow conductor of heat, it minimizes the danger of overheating structures surrounding the lining, such as masonry and wood.

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Terracotta as Insulator

Heat AbsorptionTerra cotta can absorb the heat from the sun and other sources. This makes it a good material to use on the exterior of a home. Homes, particularly those in hotter areas of the country, can often be found made from terra cotta bricks or roofed with terra cotta shingles. These materials soak up the heat from the son, helping to keep the home cool inside and reducing the cooling bills for the homeowner.

Even TemperatureIn addition to building materials, some kitchen containers are also made from terra cotta because of its insulating properties. Canisters and bread crocks in the kitchen are meant to keep their contents dry and cool. Warmth and humidity can destroy bread, flour and sugar that is often kept in these types of containers. When these containers are made from terra cotta, the interior temperature stays consistent. Additionally, terra cotta is also somewhat porous, allowing moisture to escape the container.

ConductivityEven in areas where the weather gets cold, terra cotta can help. Because terra cotta is a poor conductor of heat and cold, building a home from terra cotta bricks and using terra cotta roofing tiles help keep the heat inside the home and the cold out during the winter months. While this building material is not as common in the colder areas of the United States, it would still have advantages. Heating bills can sometimes be quite high in the coldest areas of the country. Using terra cotta can reduce those bills.

SoundAs well as being a good weather insulator, terra cotta also serves well as sound insulation, especially when they are made into hollow panels. The thickness of the material and the area between the panels absorbs the noise from either side of the panel. This makes a quiet environment for home owners. Those who live in noisier areas, such as near a busy highway, train tracks or airport can appreciate the sound insulation properties of a terra cotta home.Terra cotta is an Italian word meaning “baked earth.” This reddish-colored fired clay, glazed or unglazed, is used for a variety of purposes. Its weather-resistant and acoustical insulating properties make it especially appealing as a material used for home construction. The clay’s popularity in the kitchen is evidenced by the vast quantities of assorted dishware created to insulate foods and liquids.

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Insulation- As an idea for ideal kitchen. In every era insulation is used as a major property in kitchen. From handles to storing insulation has always played a major role in kitchen. Consisiting insulating material in kitchen are either ruber, plastic, stell or materi-als like that. But a natural material like moonj has never been used as insulator in kitch-en. Both terracotta and moonj are natural and insulating material.

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In Indian context, the concept/idea of transporting/storing food dates back to the mythology of Mahabharat.

Lord Krishna used to steal butter from stacked pots hanging from the ceiling. During olden times, long ago when there was no use of metal vessels, mud pots were extensively used to prepare, store as well as transport food. Starting from bigger size, the next smaller sized pots are filled with food and stacked in size order.

For this purpose, coconut fibre is woven into a thick and firm ring of sorts, and a tight rope passes through 3 equidistant points in the ring, to form a cone when lifted. Now the pots, whose rims are covered securely by cloth, are stacked over the ring in size order. This whole thing can now be lifted by the rope over long distances.

Generally Indian women used to conveniently carry the stacked pots on their heads using the ring. In additional to that, storing food in mud pots is desirable due to their properties, especially water and other liquids.

So the whole process of stacking up food in containers is inspired from this. This tells us that the highly useful Tiffin carriers we use everyday have their root connections to a period since myth began.

Stacking

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Tiffin boxTiffin carriers or dabbas are a kind of lunch box used widely in India for tiffin meals. They are also widely used in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Singapore. They are known as rantang in Indonesian and mangkut tingkat (leveled bowls) in Malay. And in Turkey and West Asian and Northeast African Arab countries they are called Safartas. Arabic meaning travel bowls. They are also used extensively in Hungary, primarily to transport restaurant cheap workday midday meals for consumption at home. The Hungarian word for a tiffin box is “éthordó” (food carrier).

Normally they come in two or three tiers, although more elaborate versions can have four. The bottom-most tier, being the largest, is the one usually used for rice. Tiffin carriers are opened by unlocking a small catch on either side of the handle. The Hungarian version will typically contain a soup, main course and piece of cake.

The lunch box, also referred to as a lunch pail or lunch kit, is used to store food to be taken anywhere. The concept of a food container has existed for a long time, but it was not until people began using tobacco tins to haul meals in the early 20th century, followed by the use of lithographed images on metal, that the containers became a staple of youth, and a marketable product.

The lunch box has most often been used by schoolchildren to take packed lunches, or a snack, from home to school. The most common modern form is a small case with a clasp and handle, often printed with a colorful image that can either be generic or based on children’s television shows or films. Use of lithographed metal to produce lunch boxes in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s gave way in the 1990s to use of injection-molded plastic.

A lunch kit comprises the actual “box” and a matching vacuum bottle. However, pop culture has more often embraced the singular term lunch box, which is now most commonly used.

In the Indian city of Mumbai, there is a complex and efficient delivery system that regularly delivers hot lunches packed in dabbas to city office workers from their suburban homes or from a caterer. It uses delivery workers known as dabbawalas.

Tiffin carriers are generally made out of steel and sometimes of aluminium, but enamel and plastic versions have been made by European companies. They can keep food warm for at least two or three hours.

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HistoryWith increasing industrialization resulting in Americans working outside the home in factories, it became unfeasible to go home to lunch every day, thus it was necessary to have something to protect and transport a meal. Since the 19th century, American industrial workers have used sturdy containers to hold hardy lunches, consisting of foods such as hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, meat, coffee, and pie. David Shayt, curator of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, states that “Some of our earliest examples, from the 19th century, were woven baskets with handles. A meal would be wrapped in a handkerchief. Depending on your station, a fancy wooden box would be used by the wealthy.” Tinplate boxes and recycled biscuit tins commonly were used in the early 1800s, and fitted metal pails and boxes began to appear around the 1850s.Patents started to appear for lunchbox inventions in the 1860s.

The Thermos, a vacuum flask adapted for lunch box use, was introduced in 1904. The Thermos, which enabled hot or cold beverages to remain at optimal temperature until lunchtime, became a common component of the lunch box.

Lunch boxes have been manufactured using various materials. Typically, children’s school lunch boxes are made of plastic or vinyl, while adult workers’ lunch boxes are commonly made of metal, such as tin or aluminium, due to the greater need for durability. The aluminium variant was invented in 1954 by Leo May, a miner in Sudbury, Ontario, after he accidentally crushed his tin lunch box.

In 1935, Geuder, Paeschke and Frey produced the first licensed character lunch box, Mickey Mouse. It was a lithographed oval tin, with a pull-out tray inside. It had no vacuum bottle, but did have a handle.In 1950, Aladdin Industries created the first children’s lunch box based on a television show, Hopalong Cassidy. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit, or “Hoppy,” quickly became Aladdin’s cash

cow. Debuting in time for back-to-school 1950, it would go on to sell 600,000 units in its first year alone, each at a modest $2.39 USD.

While television was experiencing amazing growth during the 1950s, manufacturers saw a potential for sales. Manufacturers grew to include ADCO Liberty, American Thermos (later King Seeley Thermos, or KST), Kruger Manufacturing Company, Landers, Frary and Clark (Universal), Okay Industries, and a number of other producers through the 1980s.The first use of plastics was the lunch box handle, but later spread to the entire box, with the first molded plastic boxes produced during the 1960s. Vinyl lunch boxes debuted in 1959.

During the 1960s, the lunch box had few changes. The vacuum bottle included in them, however, steadily evolved during the course of the decade and into the 1970s. What was originally a steel vacuum bottle with glass liner, cork or rubber stopper, and bakelite cup became an all-plastic bottle, with insulated foam rather than vacuum. Aladdin produced glass liners into the 1970s, but they were soon replaced with plastic.In some South American countries, a lunch box is called “lonchera”, especially among school children, in clear assimilation of the English word “lunch”.

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Commonly used tiffins

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Natural material tiffins

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Ceramic tiffins

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Picnic tiffins

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Designer tiffins

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Sketches

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Form explorationForm explored by mirror image. I folded paper in half and cut it in the required form. Due to this various shapes came out and it was easy to distinguish in the required form.

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Form Exploration

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3d drawings

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Final Mock up

Best way to visualize final prototype is to make it in moonj itself. This mockup also helped in various changes which were not able to visual-ize during sketching and 3d drawing. Prototypng in moonj also helped artisans to relate form in the final protype. They made mistakes at the mockup stage so when they made final prototpe no mistakes were made.

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Mixing of Fuller’s earth in available clay.Clay ready for use Cleaning wheel and applying oil at the tip point before throwing

Making process

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Throwing first pot on wheel Making first pot and giving a curve with bamboo tool

Making rim of first pot Taking dimensions of mouth of first pot for lid

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Filling cracks of leather hard dry pot Making flat base for the division in the pot

Taking dimensions in the flat base Beating flat base in equal level before cutting

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Making lid for the first pot Giving required height in the lid of first pot

cutting first pot lid beating lid of the first pot

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placing and joining section in the first pot. Cleaning and smoothing base pot with a shell tool

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making second pot on wheel Shaping the pot in the required form

Making rim on the pot Pressing the base of the pot to make it thin and flat

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Cutting the base to make the pot short Beating base from outside of the pot in the required form

Pressing the clay in the inside of pot Using sleek thaapi/ beater to flt base from inside

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Throwing lid of the second pot Giving height on the second lid

Measuring dimensions of the lid according to jar Beating lid when it is leather hard to fit in the pot

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Removing the excess base of the lid Checking the lid fitting on th pot

Pressing lid on a flat base to make it flat Beating the base of lid to make it flat

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Pressing the excess clay in the middle of lid When excess clay comes in the middle of the lid

Equalizing clay in the lid by using thaapi/ beater Removing excess clay from the lid using steel tool

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Making lid flat by scrapping excess clay from the top Marking made on the lid so pot fits over it

Scrapping clay to get even depth Making coils and joining it on the top of lid

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Throwing third pot on wheel Giving shape to the pot by bamboo tool

Shape made on wheel Measuring done on the pot

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Beating base of pot for required height Applying water on the base to make it soft

Pressing clay in the base of pot to make it flat Checking shape of all the three pots

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Throwing lid of the third pot Giving shape to the lid of third pot

Removing lid of the pot from wheel Beating lid so it fits in the pot

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Making lid flat from base by pressing it on the flat surface Checking the shape of the lid

Beating lid from the top to make it flat Equal division of clay by thaapi

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Making of salt/ pepper shaker on wheel Giving shape to the shaker by bamboo tool

Giving a finished surface to the shaker Final for ready on wheel

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Making holes in the shaker Scrapping excess clay from scrapping tool

Making base on the shakers Removing extra clay by blade

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Mould through which thali is made Beating flat clay for mould

Putting clay on the mould Pressing clay on he mould to get required shape

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Filling extra leftover areas on the mould Scrapping extra clay from the mould

Plain round thali came out of mould Final form of thali

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Moonj dipped in water to get soft before work Making of base (ghurdilla)

Mooj process start

After compeletion of terracotta containers moonj process starts so that perfect fit covers are made.

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Base ready Making of walls after the base is ready

Base ready for making Weaving done on the base

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Walls made in the base Wire frame made to get more support

Attaching wire frame to the base Weaving started on wire frame

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Moonj and kansa wrapped aroud the wire frame which is attached at the base of daliya

Moonj and kansa wrapped around the pendi wire frame

Weaving done on wire frame and joints atatched 2nd wire frame and moonj wrapped around it

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Wrapping moonj and kansa on the 2nd wire frame Attaching wire frame to the daliya

Locks made on moonj Making of locks with moonj

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Final ready base Making of top cover

Partial made top cover Testing of top cover

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Final product

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Referenceshttp://www.sindhishaan.com/gallery/pottery.htmlhttps://www.google.co.in/search?q=pottery+in+indus+val-ley+civilization&rlz=1C1KMZB_enIN519IN520&espv=2&bi-w=1517&bih=741&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X-&ei=tWfoVMXdDsSGuASNzoHICg&sqi=2&ved=0CB-wQsAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=gMDrFt1epQ4ShM%253A%3BHzy9y-DLNoHgxQM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.veniceclayartists.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2008%252F08%252F3287727291_0b56e24ab9.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F-www.veniceclayartists.com%252Ftag%252Findian-pot-tery%252F%3B500%3B375http://www.historytuition.com/indus_valley_civilization/harap-pan_pottery.htmlhttp://www.ancientart-taiyo.com/indusen.htmlhttp://www.gourmetindia.com/topic/1862-chettinad-cui-sine-food-festival/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/dining/reviews/09under.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0http://luxurylaunches.com/travel/best-luxury-experienc-es-in-delhi.phphttp://migrationology.com/2013/02/kolk-ata-street-food-guide-calcutta/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/quickstir/lifestyle/Meet-These-10-Awesome-Chaiwallahs-Of-India/quickstir-show/42696997.cmshttps://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/mutton-curry-cooked-in-clay-pot/http://www.taooftea.com/detail.php?pid=81&catid=75http://flavoursunlimited.blogspot.in/2009/09/matka-pista-kulfi.htmlhttp://kaleidoscope-kaleidoscopicjourney.blogspot.in/2011/04/earthen-pots.htmlhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1441191/lassihttp://www.jcookingodyssey.com/2013/06/rasgulla-roshogol-la-indian-cottage.html

http://www.myyatradiary.com/2010/09/photographs-from-here-and-there-in.htmlhttp://ganjagrowmaster.com/clay-chillum/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=rWABAQAAQ-BAJ&pg=PA319&lpg=PA319&dq=what+kind+of+pot-tery+evolve+during+mughal+empire&source=bl&ots=x-AYM-94JtW&sig=xuKoAKzdB5tcgjC2KOUqLUgOYvU&hl=en&sa=X-&ei=61D1VMzFMs-1uQSzu4L4DQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEw-BA#v=onepage&q=what%20kind%20of%20pottery%20evolve%20during%20mughal%20empire&f=falsehttp://www.mangalorean.com/printarticle.php?arttype=arti-cle&artid=1129http://www.ucl.ac.uk/southasianarchaeology/Pre-Mughal.pdfhttp://himalayaforum.org/himalayan-heritage/index.php?r=site/potteryhttp://www.indianmirror.com/crafts/cra5.htmlhttp://varanasi.nic.in/tourist/tourist8.htmlhttp://www.terracooler.org/http://puregheedesigns.blogspot.in/2010/05/working-with-grass.htmlhttp://puregheedesigns.blogspot.in/2010/05/working-with-grass.htmlhttp://www.craftandartisans.com/pattamadai-kora-sedge-grass-mats.htmlhttp://www.gobartimes.org/gt20030630/gt_covfeature4.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathttp://creative.sulekha.com/the-humble-grass_282362_bloghttps://books.google.co.in/books?id=0idOAgAAQBA-J&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=use+of+munj+grass+in+india&-source=bl&ots=pbDA6kjtod&sig=40EkPyE3utIg973lyZwI0Spbt-V4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vq8GVZ3FIo6UuASgyYJI&ved=0CDgQ6A-EwBQ#v=onepage&q=use%20of%20munj%20grass%20in%20india&f=falsehttp://www.new1.dli.ernet.in/data1/upload/insa/IN-SA_1/20005abf_286.pdf

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http://www.downtheroad.org/India-Nepal-Subcontinent/Bicy-cle_touring_pictures/4Terai_Nepal/3Tharu_Cultural_Museum_Bar-dia_National_Park_Nepal.htmhttp://www.livingtraditionsmuseum.org/terai_lowlands.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com/info_8506550_information-cooking-terra-cotta.htmlhttp://homeguides.sfgate.com/insulating-properties-terra-cot-ta-29561.htmlhttp://www.rivistaitalyexport.it/portale/houseware/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=348&Itemid=5http://garlicshaker.com/blog/garlic-keeper-how-to-store-garlic-properly-to-last-the-long-term/http://www.garlic-central.com/keeper.htmlhttp://projectswamika.blogspot.in/

Books-

Traditional pottery of India- Jane Perryman

Keshav Chandra Gupta. Progress and Prospects of Pottery Indus-try in India: A Case Study of U.P

FORM AND MANY FORMS OF MOTHER CLAY Contemporary Indi-an Pottery and Terracotta by Haku Shah

The potter’s dictionary- Frank and Janet Hamer

The complete book of pottery making- By John B. Kenny

Potters reference-

Khemchand Prajapati............................................................8858662242Mamta Prajapati.....................................................................8687735564Ganga prasad Prajapati.......................................................9696568885Raj kumar Prajapati................................................................8423203411Puttan lal..................................................................................8604717656Suraj Prajapati.........................................................................8957722323Ramavtar.................................................................................9795142228Naresh Prajapati.....................................................................7388910250Ravi...........................................................................................7499680334