Kavad Art

The unique Rajasthani tradition of crafting stories in a box

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar with the Kavad that won him a State Award in 2008 (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kavad Artistry

The Kavad is a mobile story-telling device that sometimes serves as a temporary temple. It is created by combining the skills of carpentry, painting and narration. As separate professions, the carpenter is called a suthar, an artist is a chitrakar, and a story teller is a bhat. The Kavad makers combine the work of the carpenter and artist, while the Kavadia Bhats do the narration. The Kavad is made only in a village called Bassi, in Chittorgarh District of Rajasthan.

Kavad Art: Variations on the traditional Kavad are made in different colours, with an abridged storyline (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Most cultural expressions survive in India because of a strong sense of identity and pride the practitioners have in their ancestral heritage.

The jajmans, as their patrons were earlier called, consisted of local aristocrats and the noble gentry.

Kavad Art: There are several workshop-cum-showrooms where artisans work and sell their products (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The community of Kavad makers use the surname Suthar and others add Jangid to their name to signify that the community are Jangid Brahmins, descendants of the Lord Visvakarma, considered the divine architect of the universe and supreme God of the arts. They work as both carpenters and painters.

Kavad Art: The craftsmen are becoming storytellers themselves, communicating the Kavad tradition to a new market (2015)Dastkari Haat Samiti

When they go to cities to sell their Kavads as cultural artifacts, they tell the customer the stories in the paintings. When they are not fully occupied with the Kavad, many continue with farming or other forms of work.

Kavad Art: Making the structure of the Kavad (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Fashioning Kavads out of wood

The wooden painted Kavad is one of India’s many cultural traditions built on story telling. For this, devices had to be created. A Kavad maker combines the skills of a carpenter and an artist. Satyanarayan Suthar, of Bassi village in Rajasthan, creates Kavads and also reaches out to the wider world for sales and marketing. Kavads are made from the wood of the mango or semla trees.

Kavad Art: Making the structure of the Kavad (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A Kavad maker combines the skills of a carpenter and artist.

The first stage of work is making the wooden structure. Basic tools are used to fashion wood into kavads.

Kavad Art: At the Suthar's workplace (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Satyanarayan Suthar, of Bassi village in Rajasthan, creates Kavads and also reaches out to the wider world for his sales and marketing using his cellphone.

Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar stores his wood in a loft above his home (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kavads are made from the wood of the mango or semal trees.

Satyanarayan procures his annual requirement of wood and stores it in a loft above his home.

Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar making a Kavad (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Most Kavads are 1’ to 2.5’ high with 12 to 16 panels on wooden pivots and metal hinges.

Kavad Art: Tools of the trade (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Simple tools are used to make the structure.

Kavad Art: At the Suthar's workplace (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Satyanarayan measures and saws the wood, drills, joins and smoothens.

Kavad Art: The wooden structure is converted into a painted storytelling aid (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Depending on the nature of the work or order, he may make a single piece, or make a batch of pieces of identical dimensions.

Once the individual parts are ready, they are painted before being assembled.

Kavad Art: Mixing the colour in a resin solution (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Preparing colours

Kavad artists use colours derived from minerals, which can be procured from the market. These mineral colours are in the form of powders which are mixed with a solution of tree resin which acts as an adhesive. The colour palette  used by artists is composed of white, red, blue, yellow, green and black.

Kavad Art: Tree resin used for mixing colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kavad artists use colours derived from minerals, which are in the form of powders that can be procured from the market.

Kavad Art: Tree resin used for mixing colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

These are mixed with a solution of tree resin which acts as an adhesive, to make a colour palette of white, red, blue, yellow, green and black.

Kavad Art: Mixing the colour in a resin solution (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Women in the household help in mixing colours with the resin. In most craft forms, women are actively involved in the production process.

Kavad Art: On a large Kavad, the artist first marks out the figures in outline (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Outlining and Painting

Once the mineral colors are prepared and the wooden structure is given its base color, the artist makes the outline of the figures using a fine brush. The original Kavad was always on a red background. Nowadays Kavads are made to suit a variety of tastes and functions, and are made in a range of colors.  For smaller Kavads the colorful figures are painted directly on the wooden surface. Satyanarayan does not use a design guide and has the plan for the painting in his head. The colors are applied one by one in layers, each layer adding the next stage of depth and detailing.

Kavad Art: On a large Kavad, the artist first marks out the figures in outline (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The original Kavad was always on a red background. Nowadays Kavads are made to suit a variety of tastes and functions, and are made in a range of colours.

Kavad Art: On a large Kavad, the artist first marks out the figures in outline (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

After the wooden structure is given its base colour, the artist makes the outline of the figures using a fine brush.

Kavad Art: After the ground colour has been painted, the figures are painted on (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

For smaller Kavads, this step is skipped, and the colourful figures are painted on directly.

Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar at work (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Satyanarayan has the plan for the painting in his head.

Kavad Art: Once one colour has been applied wherever it is required, the artist goes on to the next colour (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The colours are applied one by one in layers, each layer adding the next stage of depth and detailing.

Kavad Art: Once one colour has been applied wherever it is required, the artist goes on to the next colour (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The third colour has been applied according to the system of adding one colour after another in multiple pieces at the same time.

Kavad Art: The figures are painted in bright colours, the colours applied in successive layers (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Once all the colours are applied, the detailing begins.

Kavad Art: The black outline and details are applied after all the other colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Final detailing

The ultimate purpose of a Kavad was the value of the story, the painting style and delineation of characters was not required to be finely etched. It was only much later, when Kavads began to be seen as art pieces, that the painters put more effort into the quality of lines and coloring. The final application of the black outline suddenly brings the flat figures to life.

Kavad Art: The black outline and details are applied after all the other colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The final application of the black outline suddenly brings the flat figures to life.

Kavad Art: The black outline and details are applied after all the other colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Since the ultimate purpose was the value of the story, the painting style and delineation of characters was not required to be finely etched.

Kavad Art: The black outline and details are applied after all the other colours (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

It was only much later, when Kavads began to be seen as art pieces, that the painters put more effort into the quality of lines and coloring.

Kavad Art: Artisan painting Kavads (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Satyanarayan’s wife assists him in the painting.

Kavad Art: Artisan painting Kavads (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

While he does the planning of the artwork and the outline of figures for the larger pieces, she helps in the color filling and finishing.

The final stage is the application of a coat of varnish.

Kavad Art: Wooden Ram Revari shrine (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Shrines and other toys

As practices around them changed, the Kavad creators have survived by reaching out to a different world. Now, the appreciation of lovers of art and culture encourage the surviving makers of Kavads to present themselves to a larger world.

Kavad Art: Wooden Ram Revari shrine (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Even in Bassi, there are only a few Suthars like Satyanarayan, who consider making Kavads a part of their sacred heritage, and are able to make a living by it.

Kavad Art: Wooden Ram Revari shrine (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Painting a temple for someone else’s home becomes part of their duty as their sacred heritage.

Kavad Art: Gauri Isar dolls being prepared in time for the approaching festival (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

With changing lifestyles and cultural practices, many have gone into other related work.

Traditional products that are still used include Ram Rewari shrines and dolls used in the festival of Gangaur.

Kavad Art: A set of dolls for a local wedding order (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The marriage market is also important for the craft. Dolls and miniature idols considered auspicious are exchanged by the two families.

Kavad Art: In a local Suthar's workshop cum showroom (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The Suthars of Bassi also make dolls and toys for the tourist market.

Kavad Art: Artisan painting dolls (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The craftsmen continue to use their combined skills of carpentry and painting to adapt to new opportunities in a changing world.

Kavad Art: Artisan painting Kavads (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Credits: Story

Text: Aloka Hiremath and Jaya Jaitly
Photography: Suleiman Merchant
Artisans: Satya Narayan Suthar
Ground Facilitator: Aloka Hiremath
Documentary Video: Suleiman Merchant
Curation: Ruchira Verma

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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