Lippan Artwork - Nagpur, Maharashtra
Nagpur City is a place situated in the heart of India, precisely at the geographical center point of India and hence a zero mile monument is built here. The city declared the capital of Madhya Pradesh during the British Rule, is now accredited with the status of the second capital city of Maharashtra. It is also one of the smartest cities in the country, being an important commercial and political epicenter for the state. Having a literacy rate of 91.92 percent, the region accommodates a cosmopolitan population with people from different parts of the nation. Known also as Orange City, Nagpur is famous for its cultivation and large-scale trading. The city is one of the most recommended tourist attractions in the state, with a lot of interesting places to visit. Good quality cotton is produced in abundant quantities here because of its fertile soil and climate. Besides cotton textiles, silk and wool weaving were also practiced in the district. Hence textile was also once an important industry in the city. Traditional art and craft being an important aspect of Nagpur, the city is highly regarded for its preservation efforts. The royal house of the Bhonsales, as well as common people, patronized the tradition of painting in Nagpur. Lippan and Warli arts are the lauded creative marvels, which are commonly used to decorate the walls. These types of mud work crafts easily adapt to photo frames, mirrors, nameplates, etc. as they add an unconventional style to one’s households or personal spaces.
Lippan Kam is a traditional mural art, made of clay. Though its origin is unclear, it is believed to be developed in the Kutch area of Gujarat, thus gradually paving its way into Maharashtra. Here the name Lippan Kam is derived from two words, Lippan meaning ‘mud washing’ and Kam meaning ‘work’ in Gujarati. This craft of mud and mirror work is purely handmade, against any kind of machine used for its manufacturing. These handicrafts beautifully curated to convey a story through design are highly durable, at the same time washable too. Traditionally Lippan was used to decorate interiors as well as exteriors of community-style houses called Bhungas, made of clay and bamboo chips. There was extensive use of dung for its binding property, but it was later replaced with clay or ceramic powder to avoid the smell of animal dung. The Lippan work was not just limited to decorations and designing but meant a lot for its utility. Once the rough sketch of the Lippan pattern was drawn, various sizes of geometrically shaped mirror tiles were glued abundantly on to the wall using thick starch. By this, the rooms were illuminated more even if only a single lamp is used to light up the home, owing to the reflected light from the glittering mirror-work. Completed art is all white, a shade from the marshland sand rich in salt content but nowadays as multicolour clay is available in the market, the artisans make colourful crafts. Lippan work is a beautiful representation of the flora and fauna of the state and also its cultural legacy. This unique art is practiced by artisan Mrs. Vaishali Kawre from Creative Craft Art Center, Nagpur for decades. Her team is a regular participant at art exhibitions across the country, aiming to build recognition for Lippan Work, therefore attract buyers.
