Art and Craft

Art: Art gives a new meaning to life. In one sense, it is ‘Art’ that distinguishes man from the animal world. The story of the development of Art starts from the story of man himself. The Neolithic man excelled in Art, as can be seen from pictures engraved in caves as also their crafts or artefacts. Cave Art has been associated even with the man in the later palaeothic age at some places in Europe. Art emanates fro a sense of beauty anf joy in life. The sights and sounds of nature, shapes and forms of flowers, leaves and branches of trees, the color and contours of the land, forest and sky around him gives the inspiration to create art throught drawings, paintings and sculptures dance, music and songs, creation of lores and legends. His art is manifest in his crafts of making tools, weapons, household utensils, house types, dresses, ornaments and other articles of everyday utility or use on special occasions.


Meghalaya too has its rich traditions of different art forms – decorative arts, performing arts and utilitarian crafts and architecture. In some Jaintia and Garo villages, engravings of figures of men and animals are found on the house walls. These are perhaps in memory of men already deceased. Whatever the purpose, as memorials or simply as house decors, these engravings evidence the artistry of the people. In the Garo Hills, in many villages, utensils have figure engravings of flowers and birds. Thus the fleeting visions of transient flowers and flying birds are permanent captured. In the out skirts of southern Jaintiapur, Now in Bangladesh, czarvigns of horses and elephants have been found in rocks, which amply speak of appreciation of art by the Jaintia Kings. Near Jowai, the carvings of a lover and his beloved are seen which evoke acclaim even today for artistry and ingenuity in designing. Some emotional moments from a lergend have been captured in these carvings for eternity to come! In the Khasi Hills, however, evidence of old paintings, engravings or models have not been found. Perhaps too rugged terrain and incessant rain in the hills were not conducive to the development of such art forms. Or, more likely, whatever signs of art were there, are noe defaced or obliterated due to climatic conditions and natural hazzards of perodic earthquakes and landslides.

Crafts:

Weaving, basketry, pottery, wood and stone carvings, metal works, architecture, consisting primarily of house-types were the ancient crafts of the Meghalayans. Except basketry, none of the crafts exist in the villages in ancient forms. So, for description and details of these crafts we are to mostly fall back on literatures written by different authors in the past.

Weaving:

The Garo women are now-a-days expert in weaving. Dakmandes, a kind of women’s wear worn round the waist—2metres into 1 metre in size, woven by the Garo women are well decorated with depictions of beautiful flowers and butterflies, in various colour combines. Regarding weaving, amongst the Khasi in olden days, Gurdon observed: “……a considerable weaving industry exists amongst the Khyrwang villages of the Syntengs, and at Mynso and Suhtnga(Sutnga)……The Khyrwangs weave a special pattern of cloth and silk cloth striped red and white. In Mynso and Suhtnga(Sutnga) similar cloths are woven, also the sleeveless coat. In the former days this industry is said to have been cosiderable, but it has been displaced to a large extent of late years by Manchester piece goods. The number of weavers returned to the last Census in the district was 533. The Khasi and Mikirs of the low country, or Bhois as they are called, weave cotton cloths which they dye with the leaves of a plant called u noli. This is perhaps the wild indigo, …..The weavers are almost always females”. (Gordon 1914 as quoted by J.N. Chowdhury in The Khasi Canvas, pp. 62). Even now there are some weaver families in Sutnga.

Metal works:

About metal-works and weaving of the Khasis, Hormu Rai Diengdoh, in a letter published in ‘U Khasi Mynta’ in 1902 wrote: “The Khasis had a very big trade or business in quarrying ore and they had many smelters all over hills. They manufactured guns or cannons big and small and other instruments for warfare. All implements as hoes, daos, axes, wedges, hammers etc, were manufactured and exported to the plains Districts surrounding the Khasi Hills. In old days the trade in metals exported from our Hills was very great and now-a-days it had almost been in extinction when the cheap metal or iron from England has been imported. The cotton clothes and earea or silk clothes also were woven by themselves for their local and common use”. From the above some idea can be had of blacksmithy and weaving in the good old days amongst the Khasi and the Jaintias.

Basketry:

Basketry is another household craft, much in vogue, still now. “There are different kinds of basket (ki khoh), as well as of different sizes and shapes. But generally they all conform to the conical shape, broad and round at the top, narrowing gradually to a point at the bottom”.
Besides, sleeping mats (shylliah or tlieng), winnowing fans (prah), sieve (pdung,) for sifting husked rice, rain shields (ka knup) manufactured out of painted bamboo and cane are still found in the rural areas. Rain shields with tortoise-shells-like design evidence the artistry and unique sense of beauty of Khasis, not yet fully appreciated by many.
Jaintia fishing traps made of bamboo sticks are also noted for functional beauty. Pineapple fibre bags were also crafted by the Khasis. “In every Khasi house is to be found the net bag which is made of pineapple fibre, or of u stien, the Assamese riha (Boehmeria nivea). These bag are of two sizes…the smaller for the ever necessary betel-nut. Paan leaves are kept in a bamboo tube, and tobacco leaves in a small one. Lime, for eating with betel-nut, is kept in a metal box, sometimes of silver, which is made is two separate parts held together by a chain. This box is called ka shanam, and is used all over the hills”.

In this connection, reference may be made to cane bridges hanging over quick-flowing streams. These cane bridges also testify to the superb craftsmanship of the Khasis and Jaintias.

Pottery:

The Larmai area in Jaintia Hills is known for its pottery works. The earthen pots they make are shaped by hand without the help of potters wheel. Common items of Larmai pottery are those for making pancakes called ‘Kpu Tharo’ and those for distilling of local brew. Usually two kinds of clay are used – one bluish and the other, greyish.

Wood Carvings:

Before embracing Christianity, the Garos used to erect memorials for their deads. Even now the practice is there amongst the non-Christians Garos. The memorials they erect are called ‘Kimas’. Kimas are actually statues engraved in wooden posts, in the shape, form and facial resemblance of the deceased. These wooden statues are clothed with the dress of the dead. The Kimas amply testify the artistic skills of the Garos.

Architecture:

The original house types are now a rarity, like show pieces in a museum, found only in some remote and interior villages. The upland Khasis used to build houses with wood, thatch and stones. These houses were somewhat oval- shaped, looking like capsized boats for protection against strong wind. The houses were mainly thatched cottages, with wooden planks and stone walls, raised on a plinth 2 to 3 feet from the ground. The height of the structures were low and they were no windows. The roof almost touched the ground. In Cherrapunjee area, the houses were walled with stones for protection against heavy rains. In the Jaintia Hills, the walls were plastered with mud and also painted red and white. A traditional Khasi house was divided into three portions – retiring room, living room and a verandah covered with a small roundish roof looking like a half-umbrella. An earthen or stone hearth was there in the middle of the central or living room. Usually the house was fenced on two sides with the entrance remaining open, facing the village road.
The War-Khasi’s houses were built on stilts, while the Bhois and the Lyngngams used to build their houses on high platforms of bamboos with stairs to climb them. The fortress ruins at Nartiang and Jaintiapur and remnants of stone bridges in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills provide glimpses of Cromlechs of the Khasis and the Jaintias. In performing arts and artistic crafts, Meghalayans have never lacked behind. Their love for ornaments and colorful festival dresses evidence their sense of beauty and art in no uncertain measure –Meghalaya’s traditional treasures of beauty, lores and legends spring from the sense of artistic vision of its people.

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