Although phulkari means 'floral work', the designs include not only flowers but also cover motifs and geometrical shapes.[4] The main characteristics of phulkari embroidery are use of darn stitch on the wrong side of coarse cotton cloth with coloured silken thread.
The traditional varieties of phulkaris are large items of cloth and include chope, tilpatr, neelak, and bagh.[5] Some make the distinction that phulkari only refers to sparingly-embroidered flowers, where the base cloth is still visible, while an intricately embroidered flower pattern that covers the entire garment is known as a bagh ('large garden').[6][7][5]
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The craft of phulkari has undergone changes over the centuries. According to Pal (1960), the traditional method of embroidering a phulkari and its widespread use in Punjab, India, declined by the 1950s.[8] Traditionally, women would embroider phulkaris without using stencils. Pal (1960) states that women would clean their courtyards and invite friends and family to ceremonially begin the process of embroidering a phulkari. Folk songs would be sung on this occasion.[8] "Ih Phulkari Meri Maan Ne Kadhi / Is Noo Ghut Ghut Japhiyan Paawan" ('This Phulkari was embroidered by my mother, I embrace it warmly'). Folk songs like these are indicative of the emotional attachment the girl had to the Phulkari embroidered by her mother or grandmother, or aunts.[9]
Phulkari is made of two words: phul means 'flower' and akari means 'shape'. Phulkari meant the shape/direction of flowers which symbolized life. In Punjab, it was popularly believed that the birth of girl child in the family was auspicious. The mother and grandmothers would start embroidering Phulkari dupattas upon her birth because they believed that she would be the creator for future generations. Originally Phulkari was done with real flowers. Silk and Mulmul (soft cotton muslin) fabrics were used because of their purity and longevity. It was believed that the virtue and character of a woman gave shape to the Phulkari.[citation needed]
There are different theories about the origin of phulkari. One such belief is that this embroidery was prevalent in different parts of the country as far back as the 7th century CE but survived only in Punjab. Motifs similar to the ones found in Phulkari are also found in Kashida of Bihar and some of the embroideries of Rajasthan. Another thought is that this style of embroidery came from Iran where it was called Gulkari, also meaning floral work.[11][12] However, Pal (1960) notes that the styles of Phulkari are distinct to Gulkari work.[8]
There is reference to phulkari in ancient texts, folk legends, and literature of Punjab. In Harishcharitra, the biography of the Emperor Harshavardhana (590-647 CE), the last ruler of great ancient Indian Vardhana empire, the seventh-century chronicler Bana wrote, "Some people were embroidering flowers and leaves on the cloth from the reverse side," which is a technical description of Phulkari embroidery.[13]
However, the earliest reference to the word phulkari is in Punjabi literature in the 18th century Waris Shah's version of Heer Ranjha, a legendary Punjabi tragic romance, which describes the wedding trousseau of the female protagonist Heer and lists various clothing items with phulkari embroidery. The first extensive English publication on phulkari was by Flora Annie Steel in 1880 where she describes the various styles and exhibited the varieties in picture form.[14]In its present form, phulkari embroidery has been popular since the 15th century.[15] Pal (1960) believes that no matter its origin, phulkari work is distinctive and uniquely Punjabi.[8]
Various coarse structured fabrics such as khaddar, dasuti, and khaddar casement were used for embroidery work, including phulkari.[16] According to the employment of phulkari types "chaddar," "bhagh," or "chope," these khaddar characteristics vary in thickness, weight, and loose or firmly woven structures. The first was a loosely woven khaddar with coarse yarns, which stood in contrast to "Halwan" (a lightweight and finely woven Khaddar), and the third was "Chaunsa Khaddar," which was woven with finer yarns and was chosen for "Bhag".[17]
Phulkari was essentially a product of domestic work done by the women of the household. The fabric on which Phulkari embroidery was done was hand spun khaddar (a handloomed plain-weave cotton fabric). Cotton was grown throughout Punjab plains and after a series of simple processes it was spun into yarn by the women on the charkha (spinning wheel). After making the yarn it was dyed by the lalari (dyer) and woven by the jullaha (weaver).
Traditionally, use of coarse khaddar fabric made it easy to count the yarn. The base khaddar cloth used in Western Punjab was finer than what was used in Central Punjab. The fabric was woven in widths, which were narrow, as the width of the loom was such. Thus, the fabric had to be stitched lengthwise to make the desired width, which was later embroidered. This practice of stitching two pieces was common among textiles of Punjab in the early 20th century. In West Punjab (now in Pakistan), two or three pieces of cloth were first folded and joined, leading to distorted designs. In East Punjab (now Punjab, Haryana, and part of Himachal Pradesh), they were joined first and then embroidered.
The hallmark of Phulkari is, making innumerable patterns by using long and short darn stitches. There were no pattern books and embroidery was worked entirely from the reverse of the fabric. The designs were not traced. Techniques and patterns were not documented but transmitted from word of mouth and each regional group was identified with the style of embroidery or design[12] The embroidery is done with floss silk thread. Soft untwisted silk floss called patt, was used for embroidery. The thread came from Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Bengal and was dyed in the big cities by the lalaris. The best quality silk came from China. The village ladies obtained the thread from hawkers or peddlers who went from village to village selling daily needs items.[9]
The most favoured colour was red and its shades, because red is considered auspicious by both Hindus and Sikhs of Punjab.[18] Madder brown, rust red, or indigo were the usual background colours for a base for the embroideries. White was used in Bagh by elderly ladies and widows. Black and blue were less preferred in Western Punjab, whereas white was less commonly used in East Punjab. Geometrical patterns are usually embroidered on the Phulkaris. Phulkari depicted scenes from everyday life in the villages. Animals and birds represented success, beauty, pride, and goodwill and different fruits symbolized wealth, prosperity, and fertility.[13] Wheat and barley stalks with ears were also common motifs. No religious subjects or darbar (Sikh temple hall) scenes were embroidered. The decorated end of a scarf or shawl, the pallu, has separate panels of exquisite Phulkari workmanship with striking designs.[citation needed]
Despite the fact that this embroidery was not originally done on a commercial scale, some of it did find a market abroad in the 19th century. The embroideries for shawls or ghagras (a long full decorated skirt) were used to make curtains for European homes. Specimens of phulkari cloth from different regions of Punjab were sent to Colonial and Indian Exhibition, held under the British regime. By the end of the 19th century, Phulkaris and Baghs had found a market in Europe and America. There were firms in Amritsar where Phulkari work of any shape or size could be ordered. Some of the firms procured orders from Europe for supplying Phulkari on a commercial scale. The newer market dictated the changes in designs and color combinations.[9] Some commented that the Europeanized versions of Phulkari were not Indian at all. The embroideries were in black, green, and red and the stitches of embroidery were an inch in length.[19]
Pal (1960) describes the following traditional varieties of Phulkari: bagh ('garden'), chope, subhar, sainchi, tilpatra, neelal, ghungat bagh, and chammas. He also describes the materials used, colours, and stitching techniques. The traditional cloth would be khaddar using hand-spun cotton. The cotton would be weaved professionally to create a heavy material. Lighter versions called halvaan were also used. Pal noted that khaddi material was also becoming popular. The colours were red, white, golden yellow, green, and deep blue. Natural methods would be used to dye the material w such as utilising flowers. A popular method was to use the Rubia cordifolia tree known as Indian madder and Majith in Punjabi. Unspun silk thread known as patt would be used to embroider the designs using the double stitch known in Punjabi as dasuti tropa, herringbone stitch and satin stitch. Long and short stitches would be employed. No stencil would be used to embroider the designs.[8]
Women would gather to embroider phulkaris. Traditional folk songs would be sung by the group. Pal also gives one instance of a woman putting one grain of wheat to one side for every stitch she made. When the phulkari was complete, the lady donated the grains away. Sometimes, different styles can be seen on one phulkari. This is because each girl would use her own imagination to stitch a design, perhaps to remind the girl when she gets married of her friends who helped stitch the phulkari.[8] Thind (2005) mentions another variety: the bawan bagh where more than one bagh style is used on one cloth. Many of the varieties are part of museum exhibitions and private collections. Thind makes reference to the contributions made by Mohinder Singh Randhawa in promoting the preservation of Phulkari art. He also mentions private collections where he has seen various motifs including the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) embroidered in a Phulkari.[20] 152ee80cbc
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