The Many Styles of Kutch Embroideries

The old work indicates designs, patterns, motifs and stitches that point clearly to the identity of the community to which the embroiderer belongs. There was no attempt at story-telling as in embroideries found in some other parts of India.

However, in recent times, certain communities have begun to expand their narrative and depict stories of life and situations around them.

A sampler piece of Jat embroidery made in the 21st century, following traditional stitches.

The Jats are said to have travelled from Halaf, between Iraq and Iran. They followed grazing lands for their herds of cattle, camels and goats, to eventually reach Kutch, in Gujarat.

Detail of a Contemporary panel in traditional Jat embroidery design.

The Jats are said to have travelled from Halaf, between Iraq and Iran. They followed grazing lands for their herds of cattle, camels and goats, to eventually reach Kutch, in Gujarat.

A sampler piece showing traditional Jat embroidery.

A sampler piece showing traditional Jat embroidery.

Memon’s belong to the Muslim community in Kutch and were part of many communities who fled the Sindh area (now in Pakistan) to settle in Kutch because of disputes or overpopulation after the 17th century.

Detail of a contemporary panel in traditional Sindhi Memon embroidery.

Detail of a contemporary panel in traditional Sindhi Memon embroidery.

A sampler piece showing Sindhi Memon embroidery.

The Mutwa community are part of about 20 Muslim clans commonly known as Banni Muslims, indicating the semi-desert location of Banni.

The women often borrowed patterns from other communities but executed them in their unique way, using miniscule mirrors embedded within the finest of stitches.

A sampler piece showing Mutwa embroidery.

A sampler piece showing Mutwa embroidery.

The Rabaris are a large community of Hindu pastoralists. The men are herders who occasionally also settle to cultivate a patch of land while also leading a nomadic life when the output from the land dries up during a season of drought.

Contemporary panel in traditional design of Kachchi Rabari embroidery.

The Rabari women care for their children, churn milk into buttermilk and butter, and spend considerable time embroidering.

Panel showing Kachchi Rabari embroidery.

Rabaris, who are one of the larger communities of Hindu pastoralists are further divided into subgroups.

This work done by a Debhariya Rabari uses both thread and patchwork but no mirrors.

Contemporary panel in traditional design: Debhariya Rabari applique.

A sampler panel showing Debariya Rabari embroidery.

Panel with different embroidery styles: each of the 30 panels in this piece is based on a traditional design worn by women in their kanjris (upper garments).

It serves as a living reference and comparative style chart of some of the embroideries of Kutch.

The distinctive style in this panel is of a smaller community called Meghwar who embroider heavily encrusted pieces, but with fewer mirrors and a few selected colours.

The Ahirs are a Hindu community who believe they are descendants of Lord Krishna. They were cowherds who have now assimilated into urban society in Kutch, although many women continue to take pride in their embroidery.

Soda Rajputs believe in creating a wealth of embroideries in very fine stitches and small mirrors as part of their trousseau. This is a common feature with all desert communities.

Panel showing Node embroidery.

The Nodes one of the smaller Muslim communities of Kutch who live in more isolated villages in the Banni area which is largely a semi-desert.

The panel made for an exhibition called Living Lightly depicts the wetlands of Chaari Dand where herders bring their camels during the breeding season every year.

Women embroidery artisans of Qasab partnered with camel herders to create the panel.

A close up of the panel shows the fine handwork done by women embroiderers who depict the hair on the herds who travel across the region following fodder and water.

Women embroidery artisans of Qasab partnered with camel herders to create inticately detailed works as pieces of art.

Pastoralists live in intimate contact with their animals. The love for them shows in the finely wrought embroidery stitches used by the women to convey texture on the bodies of sheep, goats, cattle and camels.

This panel depicts the disruption to the annual movement of Kharai camels to the mangroves, caused by industrial development along the way.

The development has drastically affected the lives and livelihoods of the camel herders. Women embroidery artisans of Qasab partnered with camel herders to speak out through their work.

Detail of the single thread, highly intricate stitches used in the Debhariya Rabari Kedia, a traditional men's garment worn by the Debhariya Rabari community.

This is from the personal collection of A.A.Wazir, and was lent to the exhibition 'Living Lightly: Journeys with Pastoralists'.

Debhariya Rabari Kedia, is a traditional men's garment worn by the Debhariya Rabari community.

This is a familiar style of dress worn by farmers and pastoralists. Even the tying strings are handmade by winding different coloured threads around plain cloth cords.

This is from the personal collection of A.A.Wazir, and was lent to the exhibition 'Living Lightly: Journeys with Pastoralists'.

Read more about Kutch embroideries here:
-Production for Commerce
-Embroidery as Identity: Meghwals and Ahirs of Kutch