CHIKANKARI CRAFT – NAWABI STYLE WITH ELEGANT LOOK.

Chikankari is a famous and popular embroidery work which is known all over the globe. Lucknow is the geographic center for Chikankari embroidery, renowned for the timeless grace and its delicacy, a skill more than 400 years old and still global sensation. Chikan Craft of Lucknow is worldwide and has a vast significance in the development of the economy of UP. The word chikan is a derivative from the Persian word 'chikaan' meaning drapery. The simple and precise handwork on the garment gives it a very subtle, classy feel that modern embroidery techniques lack. The main concentration of the garment is a simple design and motifs which make the garment look rich, it still remains a simple and affordable fabric choice.

Chikan work goes as far as the early 3rd century BC, with one tale of a traveler who taught chikan to a peasant in return for drinking water. The most popular, and the fact-based the story is that Noor Jahan, the wife of Mughal emperor Jehangir, introduced the Persian art in India in the 17th century. She herself was also a talented embroideress and had a particular fondness for this art. Her husband is said to have loved chikan work too and has established several workshops to perfect this art form in India. Some people believe that the craft migrated from Bengal. Although fact says chikankari came to Oudh when Mughal power declined in Bengal. After that Artisans moved to the Oudh durbars, seeking employment and patronage.

Artisans doing Chikankari Embroidery work

Chikankari Started as a white-on-white embroidery form, back in the day, the favored fabric was muslin or mulmul as it was best suited to the warm, slightly humid climate. After the downfall of the Mughal Empire, chikankari artisans migrated all over India, Although Lucknow remained the main center and Awadh a close second. The chikankari industry has around 2.5 lakh artisans, one of the biggest artisan clusters in India.

Chikankari is famous as “shadow Work”. It is a very delicate and artistic embroidery. Which is done using white thread on white cotton cloth usually fine muslin or chiffons. Chikan embroidery is done on different  fabrics like Cotton, Semi Georgette, Pure Georgette, Crepe, Chiffon, Silk, etc.  The work is done on topis (caps), kurtas, saris, cogds (a kind of scarf) and other outfits.

          

The production process of Chikan clothes:

The production of Chikan garment goes through several processes. Each process has a separate person involved for its completion. During the course of time, Chikan embroidery adapted with white thread on white cotton fabric like muslin or cambric. Today Chikan work is not only done with colored threads but on all kinds of fabrics like chiffon, crepe, and silk.

             

Block design for Chikankari work

Artisans doing Block Printing on Fabric

The raw fabric of the garment is cut into the required shape, after which the basic pre-embroidery stitching is done so that the correct shape is available to the block-printer to plan the placement of the design. This block design is done on semi stitched garment with the help of Neel and safeda dyes. Then comes the embroidery process, where the fabric is set in a small round frame, part by part, and needlework begins to trace the ink patterns. The type of stitching used depends on the specialty of the region and the type and size of the motifs. Some of the popular stitches of chikankari include the backstitch, chain stitch, and hemstitch. You can see the result as shadow work or jail on fabric. Quality check is done after all embroidery work is done and when the garment is fully stitched. It is then washed to remove all traces of ink. Before commercial sales, the garment is starched to obtain the right stiffness. The whole cycle of production can take from one to six months.

Motifs
Floral patterns and chikankari go hand in hand. Due to its strong Persian influence, flowers have always been a staple with stems, buti and leaves added to complete the design. Other motifs include embellishments like Mukaish, Kamdani, Badla as well as sequin, bead and mirror work, all of which give the simple work a richer look.

Varieties
The traditional muslin cloth that the art was established in has now been swapped for lighter fabrics like cotton, silk, chiffon, organza, and net. Lightweight fabric makes the embroidery process easier and also that the work stands out on its own. The work is found on a wide range of garments for men and women. You can buy everything from a long kurta to a saree, Anarkali, palazzos and even a range of accessories, and even home décor items like lampshades, cushion, and table covers and bed throw.

  

Price range

A regular kurta or a pair of palazzo pants can cost you anything between Rs.1500 and Rs.5000. Cheaper versions of  Chikankari embroidery costs between Rs.200 and Rs.500 which are mostly made using machines, and don’t have the precision and neatness of hand embroidery.

How to identify Chikankari embroidery

One of the main things to identify is the neatness of the work. An original handmade garment is checked for precision and neatness at each production stage before it is ready to be sold. So if you find a garment with uneven stitching, loose threads which indicate that a machine has been used in the production. A garment with Chikan embroidery should be dry cleaned, although this also depends on the fabric. A silk garment needs to be dry cleaned while cotton can be hand washed at home.

The current state of the art
Lucknow chikan embroidery enjoys popular public attention. This art is also found on the Indian ramp and in the Glamour world. Although artisans are facing exploitation from Big merchants and Middleman. Currently, there are many NGOs working with Artisan helping them overcome these hurdles. During my fieldwork with SEWA Lucknow, I found very interesting facts about Chikankari Embroidery. SEWA is working with the objective to ensure that Chikan craftswomen get sufficient work at fair wages without exploitation by middlemen. Currently, SEWA is working with more than 8000 Women artisans. The product of SEWA is absolutely Elegant and price worth which is made by trained artisans. We can see the real beauty of Chikankari work in SEWA products. Many leading brands in Handloom is also giving orders to them and other big merchants.