Unique Exhibition on Hand Fans opens
A month long exhibition " Pankha: Hand fans of the Indian sub continent" opened at the Crafts Museum here today. The unique collection is the result of long search and study over 24 years by the eminent artist Shri Jatin Das. Shri Das has collected about 3000 hand fans including hand pulled ceiling fans, from all over India as well as from several countries in Asia and Africa.
The collection presents the rich variety and range of hand fans that have found expression in the craft of the fan makers of the Indian subcontinent. It is indeed a tribute to the versatility and sense of aesthetics of the human mind that transformed the fan, a mere instrument into a variety of ingenuous forms and intricate designs.
The making of hand fans evolved into a noteworthy craft with the introduction of ornamentation on the handle or the leaf or on both. The range of hand fans in the collection stretches from the humble fan to those with richly embroidered leather or cloth leaves and finally the ornate and exotic fans bearing peacock feathers or silver leaves. In the Indian subcontinent, a wide range of material has been used in the leaf of the fan. These include woven bamboo, pleated palm-leaf, embroidered cotton fabric, leather, silk, applique, and even silver. Handles have traditionally been fashioned in bamboo or some light wood for ease of use. Large, ceiling fans are also displayed, ranging from three to over six feet width and length respectively.
On display in the exhibition are hand fans from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal. The intricately woven fans from Majuli, the largest island on the Brahmaputra hold pride of place in the display . Also noteworthy is a special collection of hand fans made of khus. A number of fans of Gujarat, embellished with embroidery and beadwork add to the attraction. In addition, some fans from Bangladesh, Pakistan, South-east Asia and Africa also form part of the collection.
Dr. Kapila Vatsayanan, the eminent Art Historian, Shri S.B. Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Textiles, and Dr. Subas Pani, Development Commissioner (Handlooms) were present at the opening of the exhibition. Fan makers from different parts of the country have also been invited to demonstrate their skills. A series of workshops for children will be held at the Museum during which children will be encouraged to interact and learn the craft from these fan makers.
(Release ID :1658)