Basketry (Everyday Art of North East India)

This catalogue presents some rare cultural materials from one of India’s remote region i.e. North East India, systematically collected by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi as a part of their study, research and documentation of ethnographic collection belonging to little known tribes and ethnic groups.

All the selected materials incorporated in this catalogue are fine specimens of basketry and bamboo items preserved at the Cultural Archives of the Janapada Sampada Division of the IGNCA. Some of the items described here are endangered and on the verge of extinction. In this catalogue these materials are meticulously documented for future reference and record. It is hoped that this catalogue will help in skill development in the arena of tradition handicrafts.

This catalogue not only presents a repertoire of basketry and bamboo objects as a whole but also incorporates a comprehensive account of land, people and culture of the region so as to eulogize the significance of the cultural materials figures here. The catalogue materials figures technical details involved in this craft tradition with necessary diagrams and tables.

All the items present in this catalogue are full illustrated with individual photographs of very good quality. Besides, a few selected photographs depicting the life style of the people as well as ecology of the region top enhance beauty of the book have to enhance of the book have been inserted here and there.

This book will be useful for all those who are interested in the traditional life and culture of the North East India.

Dr A.K. Das is one of the leading Cultural Anthropologists in the country. He has specialized in tribal and folk art. Presently he is one of ethnographic he is experts in ethnographic museum and his contribution in the field is noteworthy.

Dr Das served National museum Institute (Deemed University) as Maulana Azad chair Professor since 1996. Prior to his joining the institute he held the position of Director (Exhibition) in the National Museum, Department of Culture, New Delhi.

He also served IGNCA in the capacity of the Coordinator of the Janapada Sampada (Cultural Material Division). During his tenure in the IGNCA he initiated several important research projects on art and culture, collection of artifacts and publication of monographs.

He started his carrier in the Research Department, Arunachal Pradesh in the North East served as the Curator (Head of the Museum section), Arunachal Pradesh Central Museum. During this time he obtained Ph. D Degre in Anthropology. Later on he joined the Anthropological survey of India and initiated the programme for the collection of ethnographic materials all over India and also took active part for the development of the National Museum of Mann.

He has written more than one hundred papers and articles in Indian and foreign journals and periodicals. SO far he has published three books and one catalogue .

He is the recipient of the Senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He was also awarded the prestigious in 1998. Besides he received Korean Foundation Fellowship for 2006-07. At present he is Tagore Fellow of the Government of India.

He has traveled USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore for participating seminars, conferences, and educational activities.

The Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) since its inception has initiated multiple research programme in terms of assembling, documenting and interpreting arts and cultural both within the realm of text and the context. The academic structure of the IGNCA has been critically designed and framed to purse multi-disciplinary and integrated approach in documentation, research and dissemination of cultural materials.

Over the last 25 years IGNCA has systematically studies and cultural traditions of India. The outcome of this initiative could be seen in multiple dissemination modules in terms of seminars, conference, lectures, exhibitions, audio-visual & multimedia presentations, interactive dialogue and publications.

It may be mentioned here that several major collection and documentation projects have been undertaken by the IGNCA under the auspices of Loka Parampara and Khestra Sampada modules of the Janapada Division from the very beginning. The ethnographic collections based on field exploration and acquisition programmes systematically conducted in the North Eat from time to time resulted in a repertoire of valuable arts and crafts. These materials are now properly and scientifically stored and preserved in the Ethnographic Archives of the Division. The significance of this collection of ethnographic objects it enhanced in the light of socio-cultural changes that have occurred in the North East India of contemporary time.

Janapada Sampada Division had taken timely decision to make these cultural materials available to artists, scholars, students, teachers and others for research and publication by providing user-friendly data-base. However, there is an urgent need to bring out series to catalogues to facilitate the further studies and research in respect of tribal and folk arts in India. In this context it may be mentioned that the publication of catalogues should be based on meticulous documentation and research for dispensing authentic information to the individuals and institutions.

The present catalogue entitled-“Basketry: everyday Art of North East India” is a step forward towards fulfilling this academic need. In fact this catalogue supplements a number of beautifully illustrated catalogues already published by IGNCA while showcasing our ethnographic collection in the form of exhibition.

It would not be out of place to mention that the present catalogue on basketry will be followed by another one in respect of the textile tradition of the North East India. The publication of these catalogue will surely help to revive the endangered craft traditions of the region, which are gradually on the wane.