Jaipur Blue Pottery

On the roadside you see huge stacks of very attractive ceramic pots from Rajasthan which many of us regard as Jaipur Blue Pottery.This is wrong as was proved to me during my visit to Rajasthan in 1999


Shri Kripal Singh



One of the purposes of my visit  was to learn about this art form.For this I was advised  to meet Shri Kripal Singh Shekhawat in Jaipur. He had made a tremendous contribution to the cause of the craft of Jaipur Blue Pottery in Rajasthan.

While in Jaipur I was very lucky to have been able to spend 3-4 hours during which he narrated the story of introduction, near extinction and revival of this traditional art form of Rajasthan



Mugs bought by my friend
at Mount Abu Years ago

 .

Shri Kirpal Singh asked me as to how I got interested in this field. On telling him about my introduction to  Ceramics, he told me that he was not a Potter by training or profession and  that he got into this field by mere accident. His first love had always been and was even at that time, painting



Proof of Authenticity
 Jaipur Blue
Pottery with Kripal
Singh's signature



“What is the clay body composition you use in Jaipur Blue” I asked him naively. “We use no clay in Jaipur Blue” was his stunning reply. "Pottery without clay? “We use powdered glass, and pule ka gum (tragacanth) and silica” 

. Then he narrated the story of Jaipur Blue Pottery and the part he has played in its development. I reproduce it here as much as I recollect it.

The Story of Revival of Jaipur Blue Pottery

Chinese porcelain  was imported to by land route Europe through Persia. In the realm of  Shah Abbas II  the Persians who were experts in glass making  thought,of entering into porcelain making  For this purpose they invited some workers from China.However they failed miserably, as they had no necessary natural resources. From the glass manufacture industry they developed a process whereby they were successful in fashioning articles similar to present day Jaipur Blue Pottery and these articles had a distinct blue colour. This distinct blue colour was due to the use of cobalt which was known to them. They used to call their ware nenge meaning hard like (?) stone.

These wares especially the tiles were introduced in the Mogul architecture in India by Iranian craftsmen. By the time of the rule of Badshah Zafar the Indian potters in Moghul court learnt to fashion articles similar to the Persian ones. Even After 1857, perhaps when the Iranian craftsmen left, the tradition continued. The noted potter of the time was Bhola Kumhar of Rajasthan. He and his followers continued the tradition for quite a while.

How was it introduced in Rajasthan? The erstwhile Maharana of Jaipur, Raja Ram Singhjee was a patron of Arts and Crafts. He was responsible for introducing this craft in Rajasthan. While on the lookout for suitable candidates to learn the art,he found two vagrant Kumhar (potter) boys.who had won a prize at the annual kite flying competition! .These were Kalu Ram and Chura Mani. Maharana’s offer to send them for training to learn this art at the Moghul court was gladly accepted by the youths.

On their return to Jaipur both of these artisans began to fashion articles, which by now came to be known as Jaipur Blue.Their descendants continued to pursue the art. And true to the tradition of the time they had ensured that the process was a very closely and jealously guarded secret. This coupled with sloth and disinterest forced this tradition out of Jaipur court and it became near extinct.

At the time of Independence Jaipur  had an  Arts  Institute  known as Sawai Ram Singh Shilpa Kala Mandir In 1963  Kripal Singh was appointed as it's head About that time Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur thought of the possibility of reviving the art of Jaipur Blue which by now had become near extinct.She felt that the only person who could be trusted with this job was Kripal Singh,who  was most reluctant to assume this responsibility for lack of  inclination or  technical knowledge to undertake the task. However he accepted the challenge and thus embarked on his mission to find  out how this kind of pottery is made.

In the Mogul archives he came across a formula unearthed by Lord Baden Powell for making this kind of a ceramic. Tthis led him on  a wrong trail as the author had mentioned the main ingredient as powdered marble. Experiments with this material led to a total failure.

 He then set upon the descendants of Bhola Ram and Kalu Ram which led him to a budhia  (Old woman). She knew the ‘secret’ and as there was some dushmani(enmity) between her and Bhola Ram -  Kalu Ram clan she let out the secret of the main ingredient being a particular kind of a 'stone'. Her job was   to grind this on a grinding wheel . She gave a sample of the ‘stone’ to Kripal Singh who  was amazed to discover that this was glass! He found the source of the glass to (?) Faiz(a)… bad(pur).‘stone’ which. Budhia obviously did not know the source, as she was supplied the material by  a middleman who used to obtain it from a manufacturer elsewhere .He used to obtain the material at a throwaway price and sell it at  Jaipur at an exorbitant rate. The material and its source had thus remained as a closely guarded secret.It eventually transpired that this material was available in truckloads  as a waste product of glass making industry at throwaway prices. Today this material is mainly used to make fiberglass.

The search for  mainly blue (and green) led Kripal Singh on a visit to Persia. The stains used in Persia were known as  sangine for blue and …….for  green. To his amazement he found that Persians extracted these from a mineral similar to the one used in Rajasthan  where  the traditional potters for centuries have been using this mineral to decorate the ware with black designs. The Persian court employed a specialist class of artisans known as Al  khemiz ( chemists) who used  to  isolate the components of the mineral to obtain pure ingredients. The raw mineral contained cobalt, iron and manganese which we all know gives us blue, brown and purple effect on oxidation and when combined to give the black , the effect which the Rajasthani potters get !.

He then discovered that other stain known to Rajasthan potters, as ‘tambda’ was copper oxide.What the thatheras (copper smiths) used to dump as worthless waste from the process of pot making, and sell it as worthless scrap, the scrap dealers used to sell it as a costly raw material to the artisans as “Tambda’, the source of green stain    

After this amazing story of the discovery of the main ingredients the rest of the story of rediscovery of Jaipur Blue is history. There were a few minor discoveries of other stains accidentally discovered from painter’s palettes or a chance scrap of a stone ground and yielding fascinating stains.

The inputs for this story are from my memory and scrap notes taken at that time in 1999

Rediscovery of Jaipur Blue was thus a pursuit of a 'reluctant' potter. That shows the genius of a man and goes to prove that single-minded purpose can surmount any hurdles.

Kripal Singh  was awarded the State of Rajasthan as well as Indian Govt for excellence in art. In 1974 he was conferred Padma Shree and the title Shilp Guruby the Govt of India and the title Shilp Guru by the Govt of India.He has trained a large number of artists in this revived art form.

(Originally the term Jaipur Blue was given particularly to the turquoise blue shaded articles. Now it is used, as a generic term to articles made from powdered glass waste and pule ka gum -  tragacanth .It's the colour is immaterial – they are basically stains. However the original art form has not spread beyond Jaipur; may be perhaps to Jodhpur. The masses of cheap ceramic articles sold on the roadsides all over India as Rajasthan pottery is not manufactured in Rajasthan at all.  It is a cheap imitation of Jaipur Blue from cheap materials and mostly manufactured in Khurja in UP).

Grandfather's Steel Trunk

Grandfather's Steel Trunk

 The other day when I went to the so called 'rubbish store' I chanced upon this steel trunk, which I am told belonged to my grandfather. So that puts it to be about 90 - 100 years old.

I am told that my grandfather who died in 1933 at Uttarkashi while on his way to Gangotri had carried his luggage this trunk in on his last journey on this earth I visited Gangotri in 2004. While travelling in the comfort of an Army Jonga I wondered how the old man in his early 60's and no one from home accompanying him must have dared to undertaken this journey in 1933.Wonder whether the mode of transport  was partly pony and partly foot. Or may be a Noddy's raggedy  type bus? Of course every devout Hindu used to do the same in those days.



Stone from Ganga



When we reached the Gangotri temple I dipped my hands in the Holy Ganga river. I am sure the old man would have taken a Holy dip in that cold water which I dared not ! I picked up a small stone from the river.I  keep it in my my house as his memory.I do not remember having seen him. I know,there exists a photograph(which I have seen) of him and other  members of my family with me as babe in arms.



Gangotri Temple along River Ganga

 The trunk reminds me of another incident. We were travelling by train to Dehra Dun in the morning of George Fernandes's famous rail strike.Our train had halted at Hardwar where we walloped as many buttered toasts as we could,having starved at Old Delhi station the previous night.
For some reason this steel trunk was a part of our luggage that time.

On our way back we were travelling from Delhi Cantt to Ahmedabad. Almost immediately on boarding the train I started feeling unwell and my temperature really shot up. Halfway thru' the journey wife started feeling unwell ! Our children were small. And we had the 'Grandfather's Trunk' Children started imagining a fairly common  scene from Bollywood movies as to what would happen to them should both us were to pop off !!

As the train approached Ahmedabad my temperature started dropping down and when we landed at Ahmedabad railway station I was as fresh as a Daisy as if nothing had happened only a few hours ago.

(I must have taken our good old 'fauji' APC. How we veterans miss it in the days of more and more refined molecules with jaw breaking names and unexpected side-effects)

जाऊ दया ना घरी

THIS POST HAS BEEN CREATED FOR A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE.
i AM SURE HE HAS THE SAME FEELINGS HAVING BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS NOW.
AND IT IS PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER BEEN HOSPITALISED ALL HIS LIFE



HOPE YOU ENJOY THE MUSIC MY FRIEND.
GET WELL FAST.

Tagine

Tagine Dish

A very successful entrepreneur son of my friend  has to travel a lot. On one of his visits to Morocco he and his wife were treated to delightful Moroccan meal including a tagine recipe. They were also gifted with  this beautiful dish.

On their return to Pune they decided to entertain their guests to a party with a menu including the  newly acquired tagine recipe

At dinner time the dish had a pride of place on the table. On opening the lid the fragrance wafted throughout the room. The hostess found that the recipe was covered with a beautiful silver film. The dish was appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by one and all.

But the hostess was not happy with the 'silver' film. She thought of consulting me as I am known amongst friends as a bit of a 'ceramist'.

 I noticed that the glaze finish of the dish was very shiny. I  guessed that the 'silver' film had something to do with the glaze.My ceramic guru had taught us that in earlier days mercury salts used to be added to the glaze to render a shine to the finished ware.A search on the net lead me to an item stating that some time ago, Canadian authorities had noticed that  a sample of a consignment of Moroccan tagines exported to Canada gave similar effects.On detection of lead the consignment was declared food unsafe and returned to the exporting country.

I passed on this knowledge to my friends and this beautiful tagine dish has now been banished from the kitchen and now adores their mantelpiece

Cheese Dish

There is an interesting angle to this story. Some years ago  I had turned out a 'cheese dish' from a design copied from a  book. When I looked at the original tagine I found that my cheese dish had a resemblance to the Moroccan tagine. I suggested to my wife to use this contraption to turn out a tagine recipe. She is quite an "Edison" in the kitchen.She cooked her own modification of the traditional recipe in my 'improvised tagine' and the result was absolutely "oo...mh" the usual audio byte one hears in the cookery programmes on the TV.
With her permission I am giving her recipe which obviously has no mention of quantities and it is mostly 'a little bit of this and a little bit of that' . But I strongly recommend it as worth a try.

Lalita's own Tagine Recipe:                                             

Ingredients: Pieces of Chicken,sliced onions,dry ginger,

cinamon,and red chilli powder,crushed garlic,sliced

carrots and tomatoes,chicken stock, oil and salt..

Method: Marinate chicken with ginger,cinamon and

red chilli powders for 1/2 hr.Heat tagine on direct

flame. Add oil.Add chicken and stir for a few minutes

and keep it aside. To the oil in tagine add onion and garlic

Stir but do not allow it to brown. Add sliced carrots

and tomatoes. Add stock and salt and stir for 2-3

minutes. Cover the dish with the top cone and cook

on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Sure enough to make a delightful dish !

Almost ready



Certainly delicious



Nature's Cycles

At last the monsoons are over. This will be followed by the dreaded October heat
"It's not that bad like last year or so-and-so year " we will say. Then will come the winter and we will remark similarly.
So the life goes on in a cyclical unchanging fashion.Or so it seems.
Looking back on the decades one has passed you realise that the only unchanging facts of life are sunrise and sunset. But even the appearance of its timing varies from day to day.
The nature is changing subtly slowly but surely.
When did you experience the sweet smell from the parched earth at the first shower of rain?
Where is the daily incessant 'crik,crik' of the cicadas  after the sunset?
Where is the 'draaw,draaw ' of the frogs with the first monsoon shower?
Leave aside frogs;one doesn't see even the toads,the snails, the jugnu s,the fireflies.
The dandelions,the ekdaandi have disappeared from the roadside.
The sparrows are fast deserting us.
One thing is unchanged;its too cruel to mention
And there are no guesses for that.

काय भाऊ .....?

                              It was Sunday.

 We left Frankfurt for Cologne to meet daughter-in-law's cousin. While his wife got busy cooking an Indian meal for 'in law's' folks, we went sight seeing.First things first.and therefore to  the Dom.

Thousands of tourists and devotees thronged the precincts and all kinds of people were to be seen-junkies,punks, hobos. Multiple nationalities of different complexions,and indulging in all kinds of activities.

And here in our vernacular newspapers in Pune we read about "गडाचे   पावित्र्य  ..." etc.,etc !! 

 

                                 

                                                                                                                  

 



 

  



                                                                                

                                              

                                 

                                                     

The Dom was bathed in brilliant summer evening sunshine     .

                               

After a walk around we went to a kiosk for something cold. Having placed an order for ice sream the host and Lalita  looked around and found a shop  selling Eau de Cologne 'No 4711'. Feeling nostalgic - that was a most sought after duty free item available in Naval ship's Canteens in 50's (20th Century if you please !).

From the table behind one suddenly heard a conversation in Marathi. I looked back and found these 2 obviously Indians who were around wherever we were .At that time I thought they were Turkish or Egyptians.

राणे from पुणे

                                                     


Hearing the lingo ....                       
 I couldn't help myself.
" काय भाऊ कुठले ?" I asked.
"पुण्याचे , तुम्ही? " I answered.
 He stated that he was राणे from पुणे !
It transpired that 'Rane from Pune'was working in Cologne for last 9 years.
Soon the host returned and I introduced him to Rane and his colleague.When Rane discovered that my host was also from Pune he asked him.
"कोणची शाळा ?" "अभिनव ,तुम्ही ?" 'मी पण " "Principal कोण ?" "Mrs Chandavarkar".

We were delighted conversing in Marathi thereafter.It's really a pleasure to meet a co linguist so far away anywhere ion this earth.
And guess what we had for dinner?
वरण भात

Reflections and Transparency



Tranquility



 

. Normally many enthusiast photographers take pictures with a theme in mind such as 'sunset at ....' or 'from the top of ....' !
Some time ago at Ganpatipule beach I saw an enthusiastic honeymooner asking his beloved to hold her hands in a cup shape and wait to click the camera as soon as the setting  globe of the sun just rested on her hands !!

In my album I found these pictures which happen to be 'reflections', though these were not deliberately taken at that time as a theme.

 

Reflection in Pure Glass

  






Tranquility

 

Periscopic Reflection



Reflection

 



Transparency and Reflection

While looking at these pictures I was wondering how these differing media - water and glass- share some interestingly common properties such as reflectivity and transparency. I thought I could find an answer to this in a Physics lesson on the net.
During my search, I was amazed to find that a blogger was trying to seek the answer to the same question in 2006 !. At a most interesting URL http://blog.plover.com/physics  , titled 'The Universe of Discourse' amongst a whole lot of  curiosities in Physics, the author discusses this topic under the title "The Nature of Transparency"
Interesting how the same thought could originate in two different minds not only geographically distant but also in different time frame.

Of course I still haven't found an answer to my query !!



 

 










 

















Beer At Smokies

On Saturday Datta,Prabha and us went to Smokies for beer. This is the only place in amche Pune where they brew their own beer.

When grandson Varun heard this he threw a fit.

"Whaaa..t?" he exclaimed as if he heard us visiting some unmentionable place. We told him that it was during daytime. This relieved him.

Smokies Bar and Diner is at Corinthian Club and virtually 'out of bounds' for the oldies at night.

But for the youngsters it's a great place to spend a riotous evening with rollicking music with fresh beer and great eats.

Down the Memory Lane

A very pedestrian title for a blog. Can't help it though.
I think ,I have a very strong memory, specially for some events that took place in my infancy. But no one believes in me. Now that I am old enough there's hardly anyone around to doubt my prowess!
I was born in Miraj in Maharashtra. I remember, very distinctly, to have seen a camel when I must have been all of one and a half years of age ! Then around the same age I remember a train journey where even today I recollect to have seen a shaft of light entering thru the compartment window.
No one believes me!
Hello!
Last year when I had visited my nephew in London, he showed me a tattered photo print of a picture,which now no one in my family can doubt ,was circa 1933.

Can't be wrong this time You can clearly see me in the front row extreme left. Excepting for the girl on extreme right in that row- my cousin's daughter and one year older than me and also a famous doctor- the rest of the dozen personalities in the photo are no more,alas !
At the centre in the back row is my maternal grandfather. He had served in the erstwhile princely state of Dewas near Indore. I was told by one of my mamas* that he was a contemporary of the famous writer E.M Forster and one of the characters in one of his novels 'Passage to India' was based on this grand old man !
This house still exists. Very recently I took a picture of the scene of this photograph. I wonder how all of us fitted in the doorway ,way back in 1933 ! And wonder of wonders how the photographer took the picture with is archaic camera !!

                                                                 

* mama is maternal uncle (purely for the followers who do not follow the lingo) 

Ceramics and me

I am in ceramics for so many years now. 18 odd years may be!!
The term ceramics as is known in most of Pune, is not what the word is known in the rest of  the world . In Pune they buy pots from Kumbharwada and paint them with various media and call it "Cold Ceramics".One must admit that these articles are very attractive but they do not appeal to the purist.
Basically 'ceramics' means heated clay and the process involves all the elements of the universe:prithvi ,aap,aakash,vayu ,tej and agni.By the combinations of these  factors the craftsman produces an article which is either an object of art or of utility
Over the years, most of the articles produced by me have been given away to friends and relations.Some of the articles with me are in the picture below.

Some of my handwork

How did I get into this rather bizarre hobby for a practicing medical professional?

Perhaps, at the back of my mind was my school days experience . I had spent a few days holidays(in 1944 to be precise) at my cousin's place at Khanapur near Belgaum.in Karnataka He had opened a ceramics factory. A few days  that I spent with him I used to go to his factory and dabble in shaping something out of clay by hand or on a wheel or in molds.I used to process in the kiln whatever I made kiln  including glazing. I found the experience quite fascinating at that time.

Bal Wad

May be with this background,  in 1990 when my granddaughter was 8 year old I wanted to gift her a potter's wheel to her on her birthday
. It took me 3 years to locate and buy an electric potter's wheel. But by now the child had grown out of a possibility of getting into this rather' dirty ' hobby, specially in a small balcony of my daughter's flat on 23rd floor of her building on Peddar Road in Mumbai.

I thought why not I get into this hobby? I then started looking for a 'guru' and was extremely fortunate to find one in amache Pune, in the person of Shri Bal Wad.

 Having plenty of space in the premises of my bungalow I was able to construct a kiln; wood fired to start with and then the present LPG fired one. My present kiln provided with a pyrometer and I have also fabricated kiln furniture

 I acquired books and also got an opportunity to work with renowned ceramics artists like Nirmala Patwardhan, and Kristine Michele. In 1993 I got a placement with Ray Meeker at his Golden Bridge Pottery at Pondichery. I couldn't attend his 6 month's course as I developed sprain in my knee followed by osteoarthritis

 I attended workshops at a number of places like Sanskriti in Delhi and a Raku Course at IIT, Powai, Mumbai

I have also gave demonstrations at my friend Tino Gasper's workshop at Verne in Goa and participated in Art exhibitions sponsored by  late Surabhi Nag.

In 1999 I had a pleasant experience of meeting Shri Kripal Singh of Jaipur Blue fame.

Bal Wad used to talk about his guru, in ceramics especially in glazing, a "Mr. Kale'. A Mr. Kale this and "Mr. Kale that every now and then!!.

One day when Bal Wad was away while I was working at his studio an old gentleman walked in. We were both surprised to see each other. As we were expressing our surprise Bal wad walked in. He introduced me to the stranger as 'Mr. Kale' his 'guru' who was no other than my cousin from Khanapur - Haribhau. After an unsuccessful attempt at running a ceramic factory, Haribhau Kale left Khanapur and joined ACC. There he got himself a name as an expert in ceramicsin general and glazing in particular !!

A circle in my training at ceramics was thus completed when I met Haribhau 44 years later *.

* Of course we used to meet at family get together, but never ever did word 'ceramics' was mentioned in our conversation !

Birdbrain*

In my garden on a slender branch of almandia creeper you can see this nest built by a sun bird. Apparently in this species the female builds the nest and not the male as is the normal practice amongst birds in general. Don't brand me as a male chauvinist; not in the least have I even hinted the reasons for choosing the site of the future home where this female is going to raise her family !

The site is subject to the stealth of numerous crows and crow pheasants who raid these nests and declare their triumph to their colleagues who have a field day in our housing colony.

Our housing colony is located in former orchard land. All of the residents have over 20 years created woods around their houses for birds to nest and breed.

While noticing this sensless activity, we all know that birds do have a herd instinct. Birds of a feather, flock together. Witness,every morning,the pigeons and brahmany maynas and other species of birds flocking together on the electricity cables in front of our house.They wait patiently for their b'fast provided by a benevolent Jain lady in our neighbourhood , who lays their feed religiously every morning between 0630 and 0700.

My suspicion that they actively communicate with each other is strengthened by an incident which took place a few years ago. In my bedroom I have installed an exhaust fan. One day a pigeon came through the gap and perched on my wardrobe. When I tried to shoe the bird away it retraced the path and sat on one of the blades of the exhaust fan. Pronto,I switched on the fan and with a flutter and flying off of some feathers the bird flew away.Luckily it didn't perish and perhaps escaped  injured.

After this incident no bird has ever ventured into my bedroom either through this route or even the wide open door to the balcony.I wonder whether the 'wounded soldier' went and spread the word to his flock about the 'wicked old man who lives on the first floor of No.5 Sopan Baug' ! And the pigeons in our colony seem to have inherited this knowledge over generations!!

Are birds really 'birdbrained'?

* Thesaurus explains 'birdbrain' meaning 'stupid',, 'scattered brained ,etc

HOTPOT: "Gullible's Troubles"

HOTPOT: "Gullible's Troubles"