By Mehrin Mubdi Chowdhury
Photographs by Mizanur Rahman Khoka
The National ‘Master Craft-Person’ Award was introduced in the late 80s by the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh with the objective to recognise the value of traditional crafts and local artisans. Since 2010, the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh and the Bengal Foundation have been jointly organising the Award Ceremony and the Crafts Fair. On February 4, a five day fair was held at the Dhanmondi Art Gallery.
The fair was held to highlight the traditional handicrafts of Bangladesh and to celebrate this longstanding heritage of our country. The entire venue had been sub-divided into sections highlighting different types of crafts. Every section had a master craftsman or a representative who talked about the artist.
The exhibition consisted of various art forms. There was a section for corkwood crafts also known as Shola Shilpa – where the artisan was carving details into a magnificent miniature Tajmahal made out of corkwood. These artworks are commonly known as Malakars. In the past corkwood turbans were particularly famous among the Hindu grooms as they wore them during weddings. Apart from this, corkwood was also used to make necklaces for Hindu deities, decorating homes and wedding decorations. Dhaka’s Shakari Bazaar is still famous for producing this form of artwork in bulk.
Terracotta dolls, also known as Poramati Putul was another item that was also under the limelight. This art form existed widely in Bengal many years ago and still plays an important role in the rural areas of Bangladesh.
Taat Shilpa, popularly known as handloom artistry has always been the pride of Bengal. Visitors at the fair got a glimpse of the other popular forms of handloom crafts like Aadi Taat, Komor Taat and Garo Taat.
Other exhibits comprised of Jute products, traditional jewelry and Sankha Shilpa.