Single Wire Craft - Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Wire is a bendable element of metal of any kind used for many purposes mainly electrical. But nowadays people has started creating model with wires by giving it an extraordinary aspect. A wire being flexible can be bent and shaped or molded into any required model. Wires are easily available in local markets and wire gauges comes in the standard sizes. India is well recognized throughout the world for its handcrafted items. One such craft known as the single wire craft is practiced in parts of Gujarat involving a very few families in this craft. Wires are mostly used for enduring heavy loads of electricity and cable signals. The wasted wire are recycled and preserved in form of different items and models. Single wire craft is a subtle craft practiced by expertise of that particular field. A model created with wires has an exuberant potential about its durability. They are beautifully crafted into various models including cycles, cars, key chains, dining table and many other items. Wire craft was an ancient craft which mostly involved in making jewellery of different kinds and with time it developed and created items made of wires.
Rathod Girdharbhai Hamirbhai a skillful artist of the Single wire craft is a resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He originally belongs to kathiyawadi, Ahmedabad. Previously he used to earn his living by making jute dolls where he used wires to support them and sell them on the footpath. He used to run after customers asking them to buy one. After the earthquake of Gujarat in the year 2001 even Ahmedabad faced a lot of damage due to which Rathod Girdharbhai Hamirbhai had to stop his jute doll business. He was in search of a craft which would provide less expenditure and more income. As wire was of less weight and could be carried anywhere, he then got the idea of creating models with wire. At first it took six months for him to fully acquire the craft and then he started producing small items at first. Slowly he became more skilled in this craft and started exploring different shapes. Without cutting the wire he gave shapes on it and accomplished models with the single strand of wire. He has been involved with this crafts from the year 2001 till date. He is a well-known craftsmen in his locality and people go in search of him to buy his single wire craft items and he has established a small shop for himself.
