Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan

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In the context of the arts and crafts, Rajasthan has been a land of great patronage. Its geographic locale linked it to the Middle East and Europe. As blood mixed - in both war and peace - the cultures intermingled, bringing new skills, palettes and textures. This book opens a new world of arts and crafts. It highlights the interrelatedness of various crafts. The text also traces how most of Rajasthan's crafts—unlike other parts of India where most crafts developed to answer royal needs—developed to fulfill rural needs. For centuries, the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India was ruled by a succession of kings. Royal patrons demanded exuberance and ostentation in the arts and crafts they fervently supported. Complex embroidery designs, latticed balconies, stained-glass windows and ornate palace ceilings are among the marvels displayed in this showcase. Yet Rajasthani art, so influenced by contact with Mughal invaders, is passionately humanistic even as it gazes heavenward. A down-to-earth quality pervades folk paintings, a wooden carving of a married couple and vibrant dhurries or handwoven rugs. With chapters by Indian scholars and artisans, this ambitious survey scans current activity in age-old crafts, from jewelry to leather. The authors, art historians who traveled through Rajasthan photographing its people and culture, note the creeping effects of mass production and consumerism on still-vital traditions.