Mukaish work on a green fine silk dupatta (1875/1935) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Kāmdānī uses bādlā i.e. flat metal wire, to create delicately glittering patterns on muslin, georgette, silk organza, chanderi and other fine fabric, mostly on dupaṭṭās and sārīs. It is now also used to embellish cikankārī. Lucknow is a major centre of mukaish or kāmdānī work.
Mukaish work on a panel (2000/2022) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
The silver and gold bādlā tār used earlier for saccā kām (‘real’/‘true’ work) has now largely been replaced with flat steel, aluminium or copper wire with silver or gold enamelling. A needle and thread to which the bādlā is tied is used to push the wire through the cloth.
Mukaish by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Artisans embroider floral and geometric motifs that have been traced onto the fabric using butter paper khākās (stencils). Like other styles of embroidery, a variety of stitches such as kehherkī, ōrmā, mundi pattī, and kānṭā are used to create the more ornate pieces.
Mukaish on crinkled cotton dupatta (1940/1949) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
In the fardī technique, small knots (fardī) appear as dānās or small seeds, and are either evenly spaced at varying densities (500 dānās, 1000/hazār- dānās and so on) all over the fabric or embroidered close together to create more elaborate designs.
Mukaish in diagonal bels and butis on a cotton dupatta with embossed gota border (1950/1959) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
There are only a few experienced kārīgars (artisans), with about 30-35 now remaining in the city. Kāmdānī is primarily practised by men in traditional kārkhānās (workshops). However, increasingly more women are doing kāmdāni from within the space of their homes.
Scroll down to see some dupaṭṭās with mukaish work...
Abdullah, a master craftsperson who passed away recently, had told us that his family was associated with the craft for several generations and he began doing kāmdāni when he was only 12 years old.
He had rued the effects of the taxation policy that led to an increase in the cost of raw materials, and that customers were buying fewer ‘luxury goods’— the craft falls under that label because of the skill required to create kāmdāni pieces.
Despite the odds, craftspersons in old Lucknow continue to embroider fine mukaish. Its use as an embellishment on cikankāri has been a boost to the craft.
Abdullah, a master craftsperson who passed away recently, talks about his family's association with kāmdāni .
Curation: Noor Khan & Saman Habib
Photography: Ayan Bose, Tasveer Hasan
Team: Mariyam Imran, Noor Khan, Saman Habib
Text, Editing and Translation: Saman Habib, Noor Khan, Sabiha Anwar, Isha Priya Singh, Waseem Ahmed, Stuti Mishra, Divya Joshi
Video: Aisha Khatoon
Gracious Contribution by:
Nabila Zaman
Rana Hassan
Fauzia Yameen
