ZHARHA
Copyright Š 2011 National Institute of Design All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Most of the images are taken on the site and others from the internet where the courtesy of the photographer is given below the image. Project guide Nandita Mehrotra Graphic Design Assistance Rupesh Vyas Special thanks to Pradyumna Vyas. Director, NID Rama Krishna Rao. Coordinator, FID
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Craft Document - Zharha
ZHARHA Measuring Baskets Xaviera Kezievino Zinyu
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Content • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Location 8 People of Nagaland 10 Raw material 13 The craft 14 Rhadonuo 20 Zharha 21 Theyo 22 Khotsü 23 Rhakho 24 Rezhü 25 Types of weaving 26 Tools 27 The craft person 28 Experience 29 Bibliography 31
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Location h
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North
INDIA
Assam
Myanmar(Burma)
NAGALAND
Kohima
Manipur
5A map of Nagaland showing where it is located in India. Red highlight around Kohima to show the location of that area . A view of Kohima town (Photo couresty - Self))
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Craft Document - Zharha
Nagaland is a vibrant hill state Located in the extreme North Eastern End of India, bounded by Myanmar in the East; Assam in the West; Arunachal Pradesh and a part of Assam in the North and Manipur in the south. It has an area of 16,527 sq.km with a population of 19,88,636, making it one of the smallest states of India. The terrain is hilly, rugged and mountainous, The highest peak is the Saramati in Tuensang. The state consist of eleven administrative Districts which are Kohima, Phek, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Tuensang, Mon, Dimapur, Kiphire, Longleng and Peren inhabited by 16 major tribes along with other sub tribes. Kohima is the state capital and it is also where this craft Zharha is practiced. It is a land of folklore passed down the generations through word of mouth. Music is an integral part of life, folk songs eulogizing ancestors, the brave deeds of warriors and traditional heroes, poetic love songs immortalizing ancient tragic love stories and gospel songs. Nagaland is blessed with salubrious climate throughout the year. Agriculture is the most important economic activity and the principal crops include rice, corn, millets, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and fibers.
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People of Nagaland
5The Angami tribe with their traditional costume (Photo couresty Mukesh Kumar)
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Craft Document - Zharha
There is no scholarly consensus regarding the early origin of Nagas. The presence of Mongoloid groups in North east India has been attested at early as circa 500 BC in ancient Indian literature, such as the Vedas and the Mahabharata, and many of the Mongoloid groups are believe to be indigenous of that region. There are 16 major tribes in Nagaland. They are Angami, Ao , Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kachari, Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchunger and Zeliang. Each tribe has its own costume, language and dress. and can be distinguished by the colorful and intricately designed costumes, jewelry and beats they adorn. Agricultural is their chief occupation and can produce near about near about 20 varieties of paddy every year, they carry on cultivation of wet rice on the wet hilly terrains. Due to this, the intricate irrigational system has transformed the steep barren hills into picture square paddy and rice fields. The culture is enriched by exquisite handicraft and art work. Wood carving is also very popular as an occupational activity. Language The Naga though have no common language, spoke many dialects that belongs to the Sino-Tibetan languages family, The language known as Nagamis Creole is commonly spoken in the state. It is a
5The Morung (Photo couresty Jim Kasom) 5Necklaces and handicraft products (Photo couresty Jim Kasom)
mixture of Assamese and Bengali and does not truly reflect the various dialects spoken by the different Naga tribes however majority of the people are fluent with English . The main handicrafts of Nagas are woodcarving, weaving , bamboo-work, pottery and black smithy. The carvings are mostly seen on the village gate, the morung and in front of the house of a rich man or worrier. The art of weaving is primarily the domain of the female folk of Nagaland. The women design beautiful patterns on pieces of cloth to make them colorful and attractive. The excellent design patterns bears relic to the unique artistic skills of the artists who have inherited the art from their forefathers. Bamboo and cane are widely available in the forests and facilitate the growth and development of this skilled craft. Bamboos are used to make a wide variety of products such as Tribal Costume Accessories, Weapons, light dishes, bamboo Saucers, Spoons, Kedzu ( hayfork), Mugs ,Musical Instruments, Ceremonial Headgear, Fish Traps and Fish Baskets. Pottery is not very popular, it is a craft that is restricted to the women. Unlike the other parts of India, pottery at Nagaland does not involve revolving the wheel. It is made exclusively with the help of hands, pay more importance to utility rather than aesthetics. Therefore, the pottery do not intricate detailing and designs and the turnover is not large. Metal work include weapons, ornaments and other miscellaneous items of utility ,dao, axe, sickle, knives, spear points, chisel etc. The smiths produce the normal requirements of a villager . The ornaments are very popular with the tourists as mementos. The Konyak blacksmiths were renowned for their metal works.
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3Tribal dance performed during Hornbill festival. (Photo couresty Anupam Nath) 5Angami tribal dance (Photo couresty www.wikipedia.org) 3Angami elders drinking rice beer (Photo couresty Jim Kasom) Nagaland is known as the land of festivals, as each tribe celebrates its own festival with dedication and passion. The festivals are mostly realted to the to agricultural operations as more than 60% of the population of Nagaland depends on agriculture. Ao’s celebrate Moatsu after the sowing is over, Angami celebrate Sekrenyi in February to ensure health and well being of the community during the coming year. The Chakhesang Khilunyie and Rengma Ngadah are both harvest festivals. The community as a whole participates in the celebration. The Hornbill festival is a celebration held every year in the first week of December, in Nagaland. It encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland.
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Raw Material The forest of Nagaland are rich in bamboo and cane naturally therefore there are lots of handicraft and expert basket makers. Zharha is made of a particular bamboo called “Vupra�. A lot of other craft in Nagaland such as Sekho, Khodi , Khoru, Tsunuo, Letho, Leheru Khora etc is also made out of vupra. Baskets are usually of two kinds, one to keep in the house for storage purpose and the other to be carried around on the back for day-to-day use. Bamboo is available all throughout the year but the appropriate time for harvesting bamboo for basket or any other durable commodities and handicraft is in the month of December and January. It is in this season that the flexibility and durability of the bamboo are at its peak. Bamboo should never be harvested during the wet season from June to September due to the infestation of the bamboo pest. Any raw bamboo harvested during this season have very weak texture and are most liable to insect infestation. The raw bamboo during this season is of inferior quality and the byproducts made out of bamboo are very low-grade in nature and last maximum of up to 1 years.The Bamboo harvested during the remaining month can also be used but is not as good and strong compared to the bamboo cut in the month of December and January.
5Bamboo cut and kept ready for weaving baskets
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The Craft
5The original Zharha Mr Vetso found (Left side) . The Zharha Mr Vetso weaved taking reference from the original (Right side )
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The word Zharha is derived from“zha” which means debts and “rha” means basket, a basket used for paying off debts. It is used mainly by the Angami tribe. Zharha is a long lost craft passed down by our ancestors. Back in those days, people practice barter system, they exchange goods or pay off their debts with goods. Zharha served the purpose of measuring the amount of goods to be exchanged or paid, depending on the workload people decide on the size of the basket, there was a specific amount for the gender. Girls usually get 2 basket lesser than boys. If the girls get five basket the boys get seven baskets. The wage of the boys were higher. During the year 1944 there was a war between Japan and British in Nagaland, all the houses in the village were burned down and most of the crafts were wiped out, Zharha is one of those crafts. Mr Vetso found a basket (Zharha) among the ashes and in 1990 he decided to bring back the craft. He figured out the size and shape based on his own measurements. Our forefathers were identified from the size of their baskets, the bigger basket was used by the rich people and so on. It was said only those people who are not able to live upto other people’s expectations, without a job or unmarried were allowed to make ‘zharha’. It was also used for presenting their (uni mea) loved ones.
5The six types of measuring basket (Zharha) from left to right - Rhadonuo , Zharha ,Theyo, Khotsü, Rhakho and Rezhü.
It is a basket used commonly for hardworking boys. It is also said that our forefathers use rhakho to divide the amount of meat (cows killed by tiger or other wild animals) to be given to each house hold. Zharha cannot be sold and if anywant wants to possess one they have to trade it with some other goods. The craft is restricted to men. There are six types of zharha, they are Rhadonuo ,Zharha ,Theyo, Khotsü, Rhakho, Rezhü. The different types of Zharha’s are identified from their sizes. The first three baskets consists of only one layer but the other 3 have two layers i.e the outer layer and the inner layer to give more strength as it bares more quantity compared to the other first three. Khotsü, Rhakho and Rezhü looks similar besides the size.
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5The leg of the basket Vetso added to give more support. 4The process on the making of Khotsü.
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Process - Splitting lengthy bamboo into small thin pieces - Smooth it - Weaving The two layer baskets is more time consuming because it has lots of detailing, have to be weaved and put together using “ theru” or “rupfu” which is also known as cane. Secondly the leg has to be fitted on the base for supporting the basket and sturdiness as the weight load is more. The second layer and the leg of the baskets were modification made by Vetso himself because of the need of it. It also makes the basket look more fine and last longer. There is also another basket called Tsabo 40 kg . It is the biggest basket but it does not fall under Zharha set. It is made for people in need of basket bigger than Rezhu. It takes approximately around one year to make 15 sets of Zharha.
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Workplace
3His workspace showing the storage above head and fireplace. 5The Red star shows his workplace and the yellow star his residential area 4His workplace (top left) 4Workplace inside (top right) 4Storage area inside his workspace (down left) 4Water storage in pet bottle due to scarcity of water (down right)
The work place is located right behind his house . It is a small cozy tin house with a fireplace where he warms water and makes tea for himself or his guest. It is very convinent for him as he can come and work whenever he feels like. He stores all his raw material above head which gives more free space below for him to work and move around.
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Rhadonuo
Rhadonuo - 1/2 kg Also known as “medotsurha” or “ketsurhado”. The smallest basket among the 6 baskets. It is a singer layer weaving and is usually used by girls for household works such as measuring the amount of rice. It takes half a day to make one Rhadonuo for a skilled craftperson. It is made by diagonal weaving method.
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Craft Document - Zharha
Zharha
Zharha - 1kg It is a single layer weaving and takes one day to make one zharha for a skilled craftperson. It is mainly used for measuring the amount of goods to repay workers helping out with fieldwork. Depending on the workload the workers were repaid , there was a specific amount for the gender. The wage of the boys were higher in those days as to the girls. It is weaved using tabby weaving method and straight parellel weaving for the base
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Theyo
Theyo aka ( Zharha kenie) 2 kg
It is double the size of zhara so instead of using zharha to measure it twice they use theyo to make it easier. It is a singer layer weaving and takes a day and half for a skilled craftperson to make one Theyo. The leg has to be fitted on the base for supporting the basket and sturdiness. It is weaved using twill weaving method.
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Craft Document - Zharha
Khotsü
Khotsü aka (Zhara Pengou) 5kg
It is derived for the work “po tea “ which means “half of ” . This basket has 2 layer, outer layer and an inner layer for more strenght. This two layer baskets takes up two days for a skilled craftperson to make one , one day for the inner layer and another for the outer layer and detailings. The leg has to be fitted on the base for more support and sturdiness. The second layer and the leg of the baskets were modification made by Vetso himself to look more fine and last longer. Tabby weaving outside, twill weaving inside and straight parellel weaving for the outer base
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Rhakho
Rhakho aka ( Zharha Ker) 10 kg
It is a basket used commonly for hardworking boys. It is also said that our forefathers use rhakho to divide the amount of meat (cows killed by tiger or other wild animals) to be given to each house hold. This basket has 2 layer aswell, two layers are required as the size increases. It takes four days for a skilled craftperson to make one Rhakho with full detailings. It follows the same weaving techinique applied on KhotsĂź with leg fitted on the base.
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Craft Document - Zharha
Rezhü
Rezhü aka (Zharha mepfü )20 kg
The biggest among the 6 baskets. It is mainly used by rich people. Our anscestors were branded form the size of their baskets such as bigger baskets are for the wealthier people. This basket also has 2 layer, as it gets biggest it requires more strength. It takes a week for a skilled craftperson to make one Rezhü. It follows the same weaving technique as Khotsü and Rhakho with leg fitted on the base.
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Types of Weaving
Diagonal weaving
Tabby weaving
Straight Parellel weaving
Twill weaving
Diagonal weaving - Used in Rhadono Tabby weaving - Used in Zharha and the outer and inner layer of Khotsü, Rhakho and Rezhü Straight Parellel weaving - Base of Zharha, Khotsü, Rhakho and Rezhü Twill weaving -Theyo and the inner base layer of Khotsü, Rhakho and Rezhü
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Tools The craftperson should be be highly skilled as the basket has to measure the right amount. Mr Vetso shares his experience by saying one should be patient while weaving and have to keep checking in between. If it goes wrong he has to start up again until it measures the right amount. It is not an easy task. As he is used to this craft so are his hands, else it is prone to lots of cuts and blister for people weaving for the first time. Tools for making Zharha are Dow ( Zhea), Chisel, Hand saw, Hacksaw and Hammer. The main tools used while weaving are Dow is used to trim the bamboo and make it smooth. Chisel is used while making the outer layer .
5Tools make by Vitso himself . bamboo
clip for holding the rim and the bamboo sticks used while weaving The tools from left to right Chisel, Bamboo clip, Hammer, Hacksaw, Hand saw, and Dow
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The Craftperson Mr. Vetsois born in 1935 currently residing in Kechie zu, Kohima village but originally belongs to eastern angami which is now known as Chakhesang’s. Its been 50 years since eastern angamis are called Chakhesangs. He was once awarded 3000 rupees by Tenyimia Association for his craftworks. This craft was passed down to him by his father. He started practicing at a very young age more as a hobby. He has a family with 5 children but none of them practice this craft because he said one cannot rely on this for their daily bread in today’s generation. It is very time consuming and does not get much profit for the effort put into it . It is also not as useful as it used to be as there are lots of existing product serving the same purpose at cheaper rate. He makes them as a part of his hobby and gift it to others or makes when there are special orders. . There was a camp held in Kohima where he was asked to train the youth’s of Nagaland but no one paid any interest .
3Mr.Vetso 1978. He was 43 years old and at his eary stage of Christianity. This picture was presented to me by Mr Vitso himself after documentation.
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Experience I was introduced to zharha by my aunt Zhase, it caught my attention when she mentioned that it was a long lost craft passed down by our ancestors and her father Vetso who is a skilled craftsman is only the surviving naga specializes in making Zharha. It was a nice learning experience for me as I was not aware about this craft earlier. It was interesting to learn how our forefather measure or distribute goods among them selves as there was no measuring scale at that point of time. I personally learn a lot about my culture with the time spent with Mr. Vetso. Scope Importance should be put to handicrafts products and more opportunities for the craftsmen. Today’s market is very competitive and there a varieties of products which serve the same purpose at cheaper rate. Due to more demand of the new products handicrafts are fading out. Mr. Vetso makes basket as a part of his hobby but the other craftsmen who earn their daily bread from the handicraft products will have to strive hard. There should be more workshops which gives the crafts person job opportunity and also the craft can be passed down to the next generation.
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Bibliography Books Referred • Nagaland - Prakashn Singh • Bamboo and Cane crafts of Northeast India -M.P Ranjan, Milam Iyer, Ghanshyam Pandya • The hidden world of the Naga, Living tradition in India and Burma • Encyclopedia of Indian tribal culture and folktales traditions • The complete book of Basket and Basketry • Weaving with cane and reed , modern basketry - Kroncke Grete • Cane and Bomboo craft of Manipur - Bahadur Mutua • The Arts and Crafts of Nagaland • The Tribes of Nagaland • The Naked Nagas Website Referred • www. http://nagaland.nic.in • www.wikipedia.org
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Biblography
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