<p>My mother too appreciated art, especially of an unknown artisan who, a long time ago, sold a quaint bamboo basket with a lid and handle to her. The uniqueness and intricacy of the handicraft spoke volumes about the talented craftsman who had impeccably weaved narrow cane strips into an object of perfect beauty and utility. <br /><br />The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is the land where making beautiful items with bamboo and cane is child’s play for gifted craftsmen belonging to local tribes like the Bangnis, Apatanis, Monpas, Hill Miris and Adis. Among them, it is the Adi group that is famed for being most dexterous with cane and bamboo. Their claim to fame are the bamboo suspension bridges they make to connect banks of a river. Since the region shares its border with Assam, which is said to have the densest forests in the whole of India with around 51 species of bamboo, it is but natural for the natives to unleash their imagination and creativity to come up with diverse uses for this natural resource.<br /><br />A preferred raw material for making houses and walls in that region, bamboo is largely favoured for making numerous objects of everyday and personal use like ladders, tool handles, tent poles, walking sticks, fishing rods, belts, hats, rain shields, flat-blade knives and smoking pipes. Flexible and easy to bend to form various shapes, cane is primarily used for making baskets, belts, hats, chairs, tables, mats, toys and wardrobes. The use of this material has also been explored for fashioning items like bows and arrows. <br /><br />Artisans have also excelled in making items of religious use, ornaments and jewellery. A local tribe, Akas, is famous for making bamboo bangles embellished with wooden beads.<br /><br />It would not be an unusual sight to see locals, wearing bamboo hats and belts, drinking tea from bamboo mugs, eating from cane vessels, relaxing on a bamboo bed, in a house made with bamboo and decorated with cane mats and curtains. Although each and every object is a piece of beautiful craftsmanship, basket making remains the most significant part of cane work here. Artisans make use of various techniques, especially coiled, plaited and woven techniques, to build open and close baskets. After the cane has been cut into fine narrow strips, the skilled fingers of artisans, mostly men, interweave it with great precision. With every quick finger movement, the creation comes to life, flawless and fine-looking. What is remarkable about these ingenious artisans is the fact that they are thoroughly specialised in this art and have introduced variety in design. <br /><br />Various kinds of handmade baskets of different sizes and shapes, made with these materials, cater to different uses like grain holders, rice beer containers, haversacks, carrying basket, storage, straining, decorative and fishing baskets. Baskets are designed keeping in mind not just visual beauty but also functional value. A few varieties of baskets and bags are associated to a specific tribe, which excels in making them. For instance, an open weave basket called barsi is linked to the Adi tribe while the Tagin tribe is known for making haversack baskets. <br /><br />Cane handicrafts are often used as a mark of personal identity by the locals. Men belonging to the Wancho and Noctes tribe wear a cane belt painted with shiny black vegetable dye called Ahu. They also dye cane strips for making their special headgears, waistbands and armlets. Similarly, the Apa Tani men too flaunt a peculiar kind of waist band made with cane called awoo. However, the Monpas tribe often makes use of artificial paints and displays an array of bright hues on their handicraft items. The main aim to paint cane objects is to prolong their life and protect them from fungus and insects.<br /><br />To encourage and acknowledge the efforts of local artisans, the government has established centres to facilitate manufacturing of baskets in order to help artisans meet commercial demands. The move not only elevates local craftsmen to a bigger platform, but also provides them with greater earning opportunities.</p>
<p>My mother too appreciated art, especially of an unknown artisan who, a long time ago, sold a quaint bamboo basket with a lid and handle to her. The uniqueness and intricacy of the handicraft spoke volumes about the talented craftsman who had impeccably weaved narrow cane strips into an object of perfect beauty and utility. <br /><br />The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is the land where making beautiful items with bamboo and cane is child’s play for gifted craftsmen belonging to local tribes like the Bangnis, Apatanis, Monpas, Hill Miris and Adis. Among them, it is the Adi group that is famed for being most dexterous with cane and bamboo. Their claim to fame are the bamboo suspension bridges they make to connect banks of a river. Since the region shares its border with Assam, which is said to have the densest forests in the whole of India with around 51 species of bamboo, it is but natural for the natives to unleash their imagination and creativity to come up with diverse uses for this natural resource.<br /><br />A preferred raw material for making houses and walls in that region, bamboo is largely favoured for making numerous objects of everyday and personal use like ladders, tool handles, tent poles, walking sticks, fishing rods, belts, hats, rain shields, flat-blade knives and smoking pipes. Flexible and easy to bend to form various shapes, cane is primarily used for making baskets, belts, hats, chairs, tables, mats, toys and wardrobes. The use of this material has also been explored for fashioning items like bows and arrows. <br /><br />Artisans have also excelled in making items of religious use, ornaments and jewellery. A local tribe, Akas, is famous for making bamboo bangles embellished with wooden beads.<br /><br />It would not be an unusual sight to see locals, wearing bamboo hats and belts, drinking tea from bamboo mugs, eating from cane vessels, relaxing on a bamboo bed, in a house made with bamboo and decorated with cane mats and curtains. Although each and every object is a piece of beautiful craftsmanship, basket making remains the most significant part of cane work here. Artisans make use of various techniques, especially coiled, plaited and woven techniques, to build open and close baskets. After the cane has been cut into fine narrow strips, the skilled fingers of artisans, mostly men, interweave it with great precision. With every quick finger movement, the creation comes to life, flawless and fine-looking. What is remarkable about these ingenious artisans is the fact that they are thoroughly specialised in this art and have introduced variety in design. <br /><br />Various kinds of handmade baskets of different sizes and shapes, made with these materials, cater to different uses like grain holders, rice beer containers, haversacks, carrying basket, storage, straining, decorative and fishing baskets. Baskets are designed keeping in mind not just visual beauty but also functional value. A few varieties of baskets and bags are associated to a specific tribe, which excels in making them. For instance, an open weave basket called barsi is linked to the Adi tribe while the Tagin tribe is known for making haversack baskets. <br /><br />Cane handicrafts are often used as a mark of personal identity by the locals. Men belonging to the Wancho and Noctes tribe wear a cane belt painted with shiny black vegetable dye called Ahu. They also dye cane strips for making their special headgears, waistbands and armlets. Similarly, the Apa Tani men too flaunt a peculiar kind of waist band made with cane called awoo. However, the Monpas tribe often makes use of artificial paints and displays an array of bright hues on their handicraft items. The main aim to paint cane objects is to prolong their life and protect them from fungus and insects.<br /><br />To encourage and acknowledge the efforts of local artisans, the government has established centres to facilitate manufacturing of baskets in order to help artisans meet commercial demands. The move not only elevates local craftsmen to a bigger platform, but also provides them with greater earning opportunities.</p>
