Charma Karya

Introduction:

Charma karya is well known leather Kraft of kutch. In this craft, artisans or craftsmen blend leather to create sophisticated leather products. Marwari meghal community acquire leather from maldhari which is Muslim community in same area. Men does leather fabrication work and women work on embellishment on objects with embroidery work in different colours.

Usage –

Sharma Karya takes care of various traditional and contemporary usages which depend on practicalities of society. Let’s see their usages –

• Water storage – These water storage pouches are regional speciality and they keep water cool and easy to carry around and durable. Different nomadic tribes which utilise pouches to store water.
• Families are involved in livestock rearing.
• Footwear named as mojari is being preferred by men and women.  Leather pieces are being cut in right shape for sole and upper part of footwear with sharp knife.
•  The assembly is stitched with cotton or leather thread.  The main characteristics of footwear is punch work and embroidery done on leather.
• Titan’s have ritualistic importance and decorated with punch work and embroidery. One can see in majority of houses in countryside in kutch.
• The hand fan handle made of wood and rest of the body is made of leather and embroidery on the edges. Mirror frames, cell phone covers, bags, purses, wallets, stationary items, lamp shades add being crafted by artisans.

Significance –

• This craft is an important supplement for putting income to farming to those families.
• Craftsmen gave moved to other methodologies using seeing machines which help in assembling pieces together.
• Men are involved in process which include cutting, punching, shaping and joining of leather pieces.
• Women add colourful embellishment to leather with contrasting-coloured threads.
• Leather from animal carcasses is utilised in the craft the which is otherwise rot in garbage bins.

Design–

• Craftsmen leave the leather in natural colour or dye it with shades of brown or bright colours like yellow, blues and red.
• Using different shapes or sizes from circles, triangles, squares, oval and rectangle to different shapes like leaf, heart, moon and stars.
• Making hole in leather for reverse applique like technique. With carefully composed symmetrical and geometric patterns, it is being created by craftsmen. This gives a surface a playful, vibrant character to the fabric.
•  Craftsmen started using sewing machines to assemble pieces and adding efficiency to traditional craft.

Challenges: –

• Disposal of animal carcasses is major challenge.
• Communities who remove and flay dead animals are extremely poor with faculties or disposing the animal remains.
• Younger generations are slowly drifting away from this craft for more lucrative and less time-consuming jobs.
• Due to earthquake, sales have dropped which has less to low inflow of tourists.