THE HINDU Artifacts displayed in Triblaa.
If you enjoy indulging in the country’s colourful handicraft, then Triblaa is the way to go
The welcome gate to Triblaa, an art and craft exhibition at Safina Plaza is a stunner. The innovative gate, with its jet black tribal masks on a tan reed mat base, gives you an idea of the craft items on display inside.
Bastar iron craft with an antique finish from Madhya Pradesh, with intricate craftsmanship by the tribals had several buyers.There were also interesting palm leaf engravings which could be used as wall hangings and each told a different tribal story.
Costume jewellery from Chattisgarh priced at Rs. 160 onwards interested several young college girls who found the intricacy of the pieces unusual. And there interestingly-shaped door handles and folk art.
The famous Bankura horse from West Bengal, which is the All India Handicrafts logo was on sale in different sizes. Originally made in terracotta, horses fashioned out of wood were also on sale.
Colourful Banjara bags from Hyderabad in different shapes and sizes had the attention of the women buyers who had sauntered in.
Clutch bags, shoulder bags, drawstring purses… even a little pouch for your mobile, embroidered with mirror work and cowrie shells were all there.
Bangles and paintings
If you love bangles there is one stall dedicated to all some colourful varieties. “The proprietor is the third generation in the business,” revealed Manas Parida the secretary of the Arts and Crafts Exposition, which has its head office in Chennai.
Madhubani paintings, known as Mithila paintings which are normally done on freshly plastered mud walls of huts in Mithila were on sale. Ashok Kumar Das, a veteran artist of the style, had colourful vegetable dye paintings framed and ready to be displayed for as little as Rs. 295 onwards.
There were also striking “kajal” work pieces drawn with a nib and, what else but kajal, on a cream parchment.
There were also a variety of Indian digestives like churans and mouth freshners on sale. Amla honey bursting with vitamin C, sweet and spicy mango slices, jeera sweets, all the gooey digestives we love to indulge in were available priced between Rs. 30 to Rs. 80 for 100 grams.
And if you are unhappy with the vaastu of your home, there were vaastu fountains, which were designer pieces.
“Each one is different and one of a kind,” said Parida.
Silk paintings with Warli art, original Orissa Ikkat sarees, MP Chanderi cottons, tiny Ganeshas for the Ganesha collector, West Bengal shadow work on linen and Pashmina shawls from Kashmir.
There is something for everyone at the sale, check it out and enjoy the varied art and craft of our country. The exhibition and sale is on till September 13.