Kutch embroidery

What is Kutch embroidery?

Kutch embroidery is the hand-stitched textile art of the tribal communities of Kutch, in Gujarat. Women do most of the work, and mothers teach daughters, so the skill stays in the family. The stitcher covers cloth, usually cotton but sometimes silk or satin, with a net of cotton or silk thread, working satin, running, straight and pattern-darning stitches along with square chain and double buttonhole. The signature sparkle comes from abhla, small mirrors sewn onto the geometric patterns to catch the light. Each tribal group keeps its own style, and six are recognised: Suf, Khaarek, Paako, Rabari, Garasia Jat and Mutava.

Where does Kutch embroidery come from?

The craft took shape in the 16th and 17th centuries, when Kutch received settlers from Afghanistan, Greece, Germany, Iran and Iraq, each bringing needle traditions of their own. One account says the Mochis, cobblers by trade, learned the art from Muslim sufi saints of Sindh. The Rabaris are also said to have left Sindh in the 14th century, carrying a style they later reworked into a composite form unlike anything else then practised in Kutch. In time the work became a woman's vocation: clothes for festivals, hangings for deities, and a source of income. Mothers taught daughters, and the embroidery travelled down the generations.

How is Kutch embroidery made?

The ground fabric may be cotton, silk, wool or mashru, a fabric whose name is Arabic, and the thread is often floss silk. Designs are first drawn on with tracing paper. The embroiderer then works with needle, mirrors and sequins, either with the cloth stretched on an adjustable frame that keeps the tension even, or with the fabric held in the hand. Each stitch goes in and comes up in a single motion, with the thread pulled through after; a thimble on the middle finger speeds the work. Sixteen named kinds of product are counted, each tied to a community. Around 6,000 women do this work, through societies and some private corporations.

Colours, motifs and borders

Designs take their themes from daily life: elephants, camels, parrots and peacocks, plants, temples and women shown dancing. Geometry fills the field, and mirrors called abhla are stitched on in many shapes so the surface glitters; among the Rabaris this mirror work belongs to ritual and folklore. Each style has a signature. Soof builds counted patterns around leher, wave-like chevrons. Khaarek forms bars in black double running stitch. Neran curves like eyebrows in buttonhole stitch, while Paako packs close buttonhole stitches for an embossed look. Rabari pieces use maroon khadi cloth. Aari, an intricate chain stitch on Mughal designs, ranks as the finest and was once made for royal and well-to-do families.

How Kutch embroidery is worn

The embroidery reaches the body as festive clothing, and women have long stitched it for their own clothes. It also travels with a bride as dowry bags, an old use that survives in antique pieces. Away from dress, the same needlework covers household cloth: door hangings, canopies and wall decorations, especially in Rabari homes, where maroon khadi is the usual ground.

When Kutch embroidery is worn

Festive occasions call for embroidered clothes, and deities are honoured with embroidered decoration. Among the Rabari herders, mirrors worked into cloth are part of ritual and folklore, so the needlework carries meaning beyond dress. It has long been a livelihood too: about 6,000 women in Kutch earn from it, selling through societies and private companies. The finest aari work once served royal and wealthy households.

Styles of Kutch embroidery

Six styles form the core of the craft: Suf, Khaarek, Paako, Rabari, Garasia Jat and Mutava. Beneath them, sixteen named kinds of work belong to particular communities. Ahir women stitch animals and birds in chain stitch worked with hooked needles during the farming off-season. Muslim pastoral families of eleven villages make Gotany, with silk fabric, metallic threads and mirrors. Harijan embroiderers of the Banni grasslands work Kambira and Khudi-Tebha, mostly on quilts. Jat-Garasia and Jat-Fakirani favour cross stitch with many small mirrors. Sodha, Rajput and Megwar hands make both Kharek and Paako.

What Kutch embroidery means

The tradition is counted among the influences on Indian embroidery at large. In March 2013 the Government of India placed it on the Geographical Indications register under the GI Act 1999, in Class 24 for textile goods, and registered its logo in 2015; the listing protects the name under the TRIPS agreement. The craft is also an economic mainstay for thousands of Kutch women, and its passage from mother to daughter keeps the knowledge inside families and communities rather than in workshops alone.

Questions people ask about Kutch embroidery

Good reading and sources

• Kutch embroidery on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data