The word “paper” is derived from the ancient word “Papyrus”. In the past, papyrus scrolls were made by taking slices of the inner part of the papyrus stem, flattening then pounded into a hard, thin sheet. The age-old craft of hand papermaking traces its roots from china through the Mid-East to Europe. It set off one of mankind's greatest communication revolutions.
There has been a complete revival in homemade papermaking crafts, today. Handmade paper is traditionally made with various vegetable fibers or cotton rags. Each sheet of handmade paper is destined to play an important role in the final work of art. The possibilities for what can be accomplished with handmade paper and paper pulp are limitless.
The concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers generated new study of the paper maker’s materials, especially the pulps and fibers. Hand papermaking is an energetic creative outlet and paper pulp has become not only a vehicle, but also an artistic medium in itself. Some of its beautiful aspects are that no tree needs to be harvested and paper is a stunning example of recycling at work.
Skilled Indian makers use a variety of raw materials for making handmade papers. These materials range from all manner of vegetable matter (including leaves, tree moss, potatoes, and flowers), old ropes, canvas, linen and cotton rags. Any raw material can be used as long as it has fibers capable of forming a continuous sheet. These materials guarantee the most important characteristics of handmade papers for exquisite usage in fine-arts ensuring longevity, brilliance, opacity and creativity.
Colorful handmade paper is effectively used in making a multitude of decorative items, greeting cards, wallpapers, carry bags, gift boxes, art portfolios, and much more. The handmade paper stationery range includes handmade paper letterheads, visiting cards, envelops, note pads, memo cubes and many more items.
Papier Mache, a craft practiced since time immemorial, finds expression in varied forms. In Madhya Pradesh, the main centre for papier mache is Ujjain, but it is also practiced in Gwalior, Bhopal and Ratlam also. The Nagvanshi community, which makes mud toys and dolls, is also engaged in making of papier mache articles. The traditional expression of this craft was creation of ornate articles like vases, figurines and icons. Today, craftspersons in Bhopal and Gwalior make statues, birds, animals and decorative panels. In Ujjain, the craft of papier mache brings to life different kinds of splendidly crafted birds with the artisans using natural colours to create exact replicas of living birds. Presently, the craftspersons are also experimenting with ways of creating decorative pottery and furniture in papier mache. |
