Sankheda Furniture on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Sankheda furniture is colourful
According to historical records this type of furniture was reported in the 17th century by George Rocques, a French writer and James Forbes, a British civil servant. At that time teak wood used to make this furniture was transported from
Sankheda furniture is colourful teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...
wood furniture of Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, India, treated with lacquer
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.
Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...
and painted in traditional bright shades of maroon and gold. It is made in Sankheda
The town of Sankheda in Chhota Udaipur district is known for its lacquer work. The work is done on country wood which, being brown, gives darker shades.
It is known for its handcrafted furniture, which is made from teak wood. This furniture ...
village and hence its name. The village is located about from Vadodara
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
.
In recent years, colour innovation has been adopted with black, blue, green, ivory, copper, silver and burgundy shades. The product is not only widely marketed in India but is exported to many countries including Europe and West Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
. Now with the adoption of chemical pigments, instead of the traditional organic dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...
s and pulp of kewda leaves (fragrant screw pine) as a colouring base, the palette has many colours to offer for painting the furniture. However, the "tinfoil patterns with transparent lacquer coating" is the basic traditional method which is continued, with polishing done with agate.
The product is protected under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act (GI Act) 1999 of the Government of India. It was registered by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks on 5 July 2007 under the title "Sankheda Furniture" and listed at GI Application number 100 under Class 20 on 5 July 2007 as a handicraft item.
History
According to historical records this type of furniture was reported in the 17th century by George Rocques, a French writer and James Forbes, a British civil servant. At that time teak wood used to make this furniture was transported from Valsad
Valsad (Pronunciation: ‹alsÉ‘É– (Gujarati: વલસાડ), historically known as Bulsar, is a city and a municipality in Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the district headquarters of Valsad district. The city of Valsad ...
and painted with indigenous colours. The product was then exported from Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...
and Khambhat
Khambhat (, ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved ...
ports.
A local legend narrated to the origin of this craft form is that a spiritually oriented person, to avoid Mughal invaders, came to Sankheda and stayed in a hut with a wood cutter who looked after him. After staying with him for a long period he suddenly disappeared. However, the night he vanished from the village, the wood cutter saw him in his dream and the sagely person blessed him with skills of craftsmanship in carpentry. The wood cutter then became a carpenter and started carving furniture using lacquer coating.
To promote this craftsmanship, a training institute has been established in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
.
Products
Apart from traditional furniture in a wide range of three piece settees, headboards, beds, garden swings, dressing tables, rocking chairs, tables, screens, divan, etc., other handicraft innovations introduced in this format are wall-hangings, pedestal lamps, flower vases and pen stands, toys, kitchen ware and support for hammocks. Though the design appears fragile, the furniture is durable and lasts for a long period. It is a custom among the Gujarati community to gift this traditional furniture as an auspicious gift during marriage.References
Bibliography * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sankheda Furniture Indian woodwork Gujarati culture Indian handicrafts Geographical indications in Gujarat Indian furniture