The Barpali Days

This blog is the Facebook of Barpali which picturise its "life" and "culture". It was a "palli" or a village a century back where the all time great Oriya poet swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher had taken birth. Now this bustling little town is renowned world-over for the weaving of Sambalpuri ikat handloom fabrics. Agriculture is its prime economy. And when you happen to visit this little town don't miss to taste Chaul bara.

Breaking

Apr 6, 2012

8:34 AM

Ainthu Sahu – Conserving the Metal crafts of Western Odisha


In the metropolitan cities  the art connoisseurs flux to the  exhibition grounds  to pick the contemporary craft works. But you never know, the ethnic Indian crafts might be hidden somewhere there in your kitchen cabinet handed over  to you by the ancestors.

Meet Shri Ainthu Sahu of Barpali, the head of a  kansari  family whose vocation is to trade on the kitchen utensils. For generations altogether the family of Mr.Sahu have carried the business of selling    of both brass and the bell metal cutleries.  Over the past four decades while carrying his business he had conserved many ancient  brass and bell-metal craft works of Odisha and the adjoining state of Chattisgarh. He express his anguish that today here left not a single artisan alive who could recreate even a replica of the pieces  he possess. Mr.Ainthu wish to convert his collectibles into a museum soon some day.  Each of his collections  carry the rich untold cultural history of India. Sadly this has not been documented till date by anyone.

Many a times while the people of adjoining villages digging a pond, irrigation canal or the  foundation for a house construction they unearth ancient brass and the copper utensils. Those people bring the antique things for selling it to Ainthu Sahu in exchange for the new cutleries. Ainthu keeps them instead of sending it to the smelter to remake a new utensil. 

 [Gaja Saraswati - an ornament box]

This elephant though looks to be a display artefact for your living room, but in reality it’s a ornament box. It is made of brass metal. It measures 13.5” inches in height and weighs  2.6 kgs. It was likely to be 40 years old and was made at Jampali of Sonepur District of Odisha. It carry one box mounted on top of the elephant and the other secret chamber inside the stomach of it to keep the ornaments. At the top of the box you would find goddess Saraswati sitting and playing her musical instrument bina.
 [sharp nails to be wore while doing the bagh-nach \ the tiger dance] 

[a brass metal mural showing a tribe dwelling in the jungle 
along with a dog while carrying a bunch of wood and an axe]
[Bandria a set of bangles in white metal]
[a dokra brass metal crocodile]
[Poinree that is put on legs]
[Katria a set of bangles in white metal]
[Macha a metal money purse]
 [a brass metal money purse]

























[a brass metal jewellery box] 


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