SILVER ORNAMENTS
Production clusters
Dahod district:
Dohad
Limkheda
Garbada
Dhanpur
Devgarh Baria
Vadodara district:
Bodeli
Panchmahal
district:
Godhra
Jambughoda
Halol
UNLIKE THE OTHER tribal jewellery traditions of India,that of Gujarat
closely resembles the local peasant jewellery.This phenomenon is perhaps
due to the proximity of tribal communities to residential areas or the
presence of common trade markets.The tribal jewellery comprises
chains,beads,amulet stamps or boxes and dozens of small clusters of bells
with thorny seeds,cereals,nuts,berries adn coins forming an important
element of the design repertoire.The heaviest jewellery item wornd is the
solid silver anklet,variously known as the kadla,bedi and damgi;made in
two parts these are held together by a pech or screw.A modified version of
the same,the toda or kalla is ornamented with punched patterns and has
heavily stylizedd makara or crocodile heads.The skirts worn by the men of
pastoral communities are ornamented with chain linked silver studs called
the hare,camp and ser while those worn by the Bhil,Rathea and other tribal
communities sport beaded tassels.The unique arm ornaments worn by the
women are conical in shape and made of sheet silver.Several bangles may
also be combined to create a two-part cuff bracelet of up to five inches with
a hinged joint.The ivory bracelets,known as the danti chudo or danti
buluyan,have grooved surfaces in which embossed strips of silver or gold
are inserted.After the
recent ban on ivory,these bangles have been substituted with
wood and plastic bangles.In Dahod,the Soni community creates
these silver ornaments.Silver is melted in the Bhatti and poured
into a cast to obtain a thick circular wire that is then hammered or
bent on a wooden rod into the desired shape.After this
process,known as the Ghadavanu,the ornament is polished by
washing it in a solution of soap nut powder.
Products
Balliya-bangle worn
by Bharwad women
Kamarpatto-waist
ornament worn by
Bharwad men
Hansadi-torque/rigid
necklace
Sankali-necklaces
Sankali nu paan-leafshaped pendants
Chudo-cuff bracelet
Toda-anklets
Sath-buttons with
chains
Vedhana-ornaments
Hathful-hand
ornament
Tagali-thick solid
necklaces
Ghughriwala-todaanklets with bell-like
bunches of silver
balls
Mathiya-bangles
Tools
Bhatti-furnaces
Hammers
Files
Pliers
Tongs
1. The ghughriwala toda,the anklets embellished with belllike silver balls.
2. A key ring.
3. The leaf-shaped pendant locally known as the sankali no
paan.
4. The kamarpatto or kandoro,the belt worn by men of the
Bharwad community.
5. Detail of the Kamarpatto,waist belt.
6. The Mathiya,bracelet worn by Bharwad men.
7. A detail of the fastening of the chudo worn by the Bhil
community.
8. The Rahasthani chudo commonly worn by Rabari women
in Gujarat.