Hidden jewels in Rajasthan’s treasure trove

Rajasthan is home to many jewellery art and Meenakari is one of the popular ones. Not just within brides-to-be of India but also world over, this art form has a huge fan following. And why not. Who does not like the sight of colourful intricate designs on a shimmering metal surface! Meenakari therefore did not remain confined to traditional jewellery but diversified into more modern products, often with a copper base, including bowls, ashtrays, key chains, vases, spoons, figures of deities and wall pieces. It is a great work for any kinds of vase of marble things.

Essentially, Meenakari is the art of colouring and ornamenting the surface of metals by fusing brilliant hues over it in an intricate design. This technique is used to express various themes and occasions with vivid clarity. In the depressions of popular designs, animal figurines or images of gods and goddess, the enamels are filled to give the appearance of a picture that is carved as per certain theme. With colours popping up beautifully against the sheen of metal, the outcome of this process is a sight to behold.    

Just so you know, Meena is the feminine form of Minoo in Persian, which means heaven and therefore, it refers to the blue colour of heaven. Invented by an Iranian craftsman of Sasanied era, this art rose to prominence after the invasion of Mughals. Later, Jean Chardin, a French tourist who travelled to Iran during the Safavid rule, made a reference to an enamel work of Isfahan, which comprised a pattern of birds and animals on a floral background in light blue, green, yellow and red. But it was Raja Man Singh of Mewar, under whose patronisation, Meenakari art flourished across Jaipur during the 16th century and with the influx of craftsmen from Lahore, the city became the hub of this art form. 

At present, the Meenakars, who belong to the Sonar or Sohailcaste of Kshatriyas and identify themselves with the name of Meenakar or Verma, are the custodians of this art form. It is a hereditary craft and rarely, anyone outside of this caste is allowed to acquire knowledge of this technique. A wide variety of metals can be used for Meenakari designing which include brass, copper, silver and gold. But at the onset, gold was traditionally used for making Meenakari jewellery, as it holds the enamel better, lasts longer and looked aesthetically appealing. Later, silver too was introduced to this art form and was used for designing artifacts like boxes, bowls, spoons and art pieces. But when the Gold Control Act, which compelled the Meenakars to look for a material other than gold, was enforced in India, even copper began to be used.

You would be surprised that initially jewellers did not discover Meenakari’s potential as a jewellery art. For a very long time, the technique was used just as a backing for the famous Kundan or stone-studdedjewellery. However, this also allowed the wearers to reverse the jewellery for the special hidden design behind it and with that, it’s appeal as a jewellery design was realised.

Enamelling is practiced in many centres in India and each region specialised in its own variation of style and technique. In Lucknow the specialty of the Meenakars was blue and green enamelling on silver, while the dusky rose-pink or the gulabi Meena was Benaras’ forte. Although it travelled to Kangra, Kashmir and Bhawalpur too, the craft was most vibrant in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Delhi and these two centres continue to rule the roost to this day.

FYI, the process of making Meenakari jewellery is time-consuming and complex. It basically involves coating grooves or engravings in ornaments with coloured enamels. A single piece of Meena may pass through many expert hands before being completed. From the designer (Nacquash, Chitera), it moves on to the goldsmith (Sonar, Swarnakar) and then, the engraver etched out the design (Kalamkar, Khodnakar) and the enamelist applies the colour (Meenakar). After that, the polisher (Ghotnawala, Chiknawala), the stone-setter (Jadia, Kundansaaz) and the stringer (Patua), all of them give the finishing touches to the jewel. However, due to a shortage of skilled craftsmen, often a single artisan has to multi-task using his years of experience. 

At first, the Meenakars engrave the surface of the metal with intricate designs using a metal stylus which is then filled in with colours. The Meena is then put in a furnace where the colours fuse and harden to become one with the metal surface. After that, the piece is gently rubbed with a file and cleaned with a mixture of lemon and tamarind, as it improves the lustre of colours.

For the uninitiated, enamel colours are metal oxides mixed with a tint of finely powdered glass where the oxide content controls the shade obtained and are bought either from Amritsar (Punjab), Germany or France. For instance, the colour yellow is obtained from chromate of potash, violet from carbonate of manganese, blue from cobalt oxide, green from copper oxide, brown from red oxide and black from manganese, iron and cobalt. The brilliant red is the most difficult of colours to achieve. White and ivory, though difficult, are achieved by mixing antinomies of potash, hydrated iron oxide and carbonate of zinc.

The colours are applied as per their level of hardness, beginning with the hardest. Before the enamel is applied, the surface of the ornament is carefully cleaned. In their raw form these mixtures do not always show their true colours. It emerges only when they are fired in the kiln at an average firing temperature of about 850 degrees Celsius.

There are chiefly two types of Meenakari art. First is ‘Ek RangKhula’ and the other type is ‘Panchrangi Meena.’ In Ek Rang Khula enamel, a single colour – from mute and white pastels to embellished ones, is used and that helps in colour-coordinating the jewellery with outfits. The second one Panchrangi refers to the use of five colours which include white, pale blue, dark blue, red and dark green.  

The more you know, the more you get curious! That's the beauty of this stunning art. Come, fall in love with it all over again. 

Author: Deepa Mishra

Disclaimer: All images used in the blog have been sourced from Google purely for the purpose of informative reference. The models, celebrities or products showcased in these pictures are not to promote any brand in any manner.