Silver Filigree - Craft of Cuttack

Silver Filigree also known as Tarkasi is more than 500 years old craft. It is traditionally done by the local artisans of Cuttack district, Orissa. In Odiya Language, Tara means Wire and Kasi means to design. Silver bricks are transformed into thin fine wires or foils and it used to create jewelry or showpiece out of it. Filigree has been traditionally associated with fine craftsmanship and luxurious design in classical jewelry. To members or stakeholders of the Indian jewelry industry hardly need any introduction of filigree.

Historians have attributed the advancement and mastery of the filigree craft to Egyptians, Greeks and Etruscans around 6 BC to 3 BC. In Mesopotamia, filigree workmanship in silver and gold is prevalent today and their ‘Telkari’ jewelry is known for its delicate designs. However, archaeologists have dug up interesting evidence of a highly evolved filigree making technique dating 2 BC to 2 AD, from Peddabunkur, Kotlingala, Dhulikataand Kondapur in Andhra Pradesh. The silver filigree work of Cuttack in Orissa is known as ‘Tarakashi’, and shares similarities with Indonesian silver art. The early trade links between the regions could have led to the swap in ideas.

Artisan Making Silver Filigree Products

Cuttack is home to more than 100 Artisans family who had inherited the craftsmanship from their forefathers. The workshops can be found in Dolomundai, Nayasarak, Choudhary Bazaar, Balu Bazaar and Bania Sahi among other places in the city. The filigree artists work with 90% or more pure silver alloy. The process of creating filigree is highly skilled and interesting. The Silver bricks are heated and melted to regulate temperature. This melted silver is used to create a thin long wire. These wires are then carved into designs that are predesigned on paper. Thick Silver wires are used as a frame into which thin wired are fixed through the soldering process. There are around 90 types of designs of spiral, jaalis, curls which used to create the outline by artisans.

Artisan making product with different designs

The main attraction of Tarkasi is its unique spider web work and the rose flower. One rose takes around 3 to 4 hours to make. Artisans make different ranges of products from silver wires like jewelry, utility items, showpieces, vermillion box and utensils. Elegant and traditional ornaments like necklaces, pendants, broaches, anklets, hairpins, bangles, etc. are also made from the silver wires. Except for jewelry, artisans have also innovated other designs of iconic monuments of Orissa, a replica of Lord Jagannath, flora and fauna, currency notes, bicycles, Taj Mahal and chariots of Arjuna is driven by Lord Krishna. Women of Orissa still war Waistbands, anklets and toe-rings in marriages. The beauty of this art can be seen during the Durga Puja in each Pandal. The idol of the Durga goddess is out up against a massive silver backdrop (Chandi Medha) that is designed with only silver filigree. Making silver filigree pandal takes about 20 skilled artisans working 8 hours a day for 2 years.

A Durga idol decked up with silver filigree jewelry

It’s very sad that this traditional craft is in danger due to lack of investment, skill upgrade, decrease in raw material, poor return to the artisans, lack of interest among the new generation, unorganized market, lack of advertisement and lack of policy for the development of this art form. Silver Tarkasi is also facing competition from Kolkata, who are making a replica of it but relatively affordable items. Filigree is Cuttack’s USP and traditional art of ancient times but the craft is going through a very difficult phase. To make this craft known and commercially viable, steps should be taken by the Government like the exposure of market to artisans, marketing of products by allowing the artisan to take part in different exhibitions and trade fairs, capacity building of the artisans. It will be heartless to allow the ultimate skilled craft of India to die in this way.