A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated(mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations.Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.

About Phulaguri Village Cluster:-

Phulaguri Village Cluster falls under Assam State in Guwahati district.

The Phulaguri Village cluster is able to form   plus Artisans &   SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day.

Cane and Bamboo:-

From time immemorial Tripura has carved out a name for itself in the field of Handicrafts.The Gifted artisans produce wonderful objects of crafts from simple material like cane, bamboo & wood. There rare artistic skill has not been streamlined in the manufacture of exquisite household pieces. Tripura's unique topography and the gracious nature bestowed their choicest blessings on the hereditary artisans of Tripura.With the passage of time, there have been changes in the demographic character of the state.But in each phase of her history, Tripura has shown remarkable inner strength of assimilation of synthesis, while retaining her own traditional heritage.With the original distinct tribal motifs were added the skills of Manipuri and Bengali artisans who came subsequently to settle in this land.

Cane & Bamboo occupy a distinctive place in the life of Tripura. From cradle to grave, there is hardly any occasion, complete without the use of cane & bamboo. Today the magnificent skill of artisans has been directed to produce of a wide range of more than 200 exquisite products. Presently, about 10,000 skilled artisans are engaged in production of various handicrafts in the state.The state government has already initiated steps in this direction, in view of the vast potential of the industry to grow, both in domestic as well as international markets.The state also welcomes private enterprise in this field.

Cane/ Bamboo handicrafts of Tripura are acknowledged to be among the best inthe country, due to their beauty, elegance and exquisite designs.A vast range of items are produced, including Furniture, Panels and Partitions, Table & other Mat products, Lamp Shades etc.Bamboo and cane Ornaments are also very intricate and exquisite in nature.Bamboo and cane ornaments are not available in any other part of the country as well as abroad.Tripura handicrafts are also being exported to various countries.The natural, durable and attractive bamboo not only makes mats, baskets and other handicraft but is also used for high-grade packaging, decorative panels, curtains and window blinds.The bamboo window blinds, in fact, not only give a classic touch to the interior decor of a room but keep it cool as well.Bamboo craft is based on its specific weaving techniques.

Raw Materials used :-

Cane and Bamboo are very important things for any products.Cane and Bamboo are basic materials.Cane and Bamboo are neccessity things.We can create any products from Cane and Bamboo.

Techniques and Tools:-

The hollow stems, or culms, of the bamboo plant divide at the internode to form cylindrical, boxlike structures.The canes can be split longitudinally into pliable, even lengths, seasoned bamboo being used except in basketwork.Unseasoned bamboo is easier to work than dried or soaked material, and it has the added advantage for basketwork of shrinking slightly as it dries.The tools required for basketwork include a sharp knife or shears for trimming, a bodkin for opening holes in tight weaves to insert new canes, and a beater or commander to settle horizontal lines.For most other uses, bamboo must be seasoned, and woodworking tools—saws, drills, rasps and hammers—are required to work with the dried and hardened material.Conventional woodworking joints are used, e.g. butt, tenon, mortice and mitre joints; these must be modified to compensate for the hollowness of bamboo.For joining sections of bamboo lengthwise, wooden dowels are glued inside joints and are then drilled and pinned with pegs.When a butt joint is employed, the end of the stud is filed to match the profile of the cross-piece.Joints are often reinforced by binding with split bamboo.Bamboo may be shaped by heating and bending over a form.

Processing of Bamboo for Weaving:-

Green skin of the bamboo Culm is removed by scraping off its green surface with the help of a blade. Force is applied evenly along the culms surface to ensure uniformly colored bamboo.

The upper edge of the culm section is flattened to facilitate stripping.A sharp knife is used to cut evenly around the edge.The culm section is divided into slivers of an equal width.The number of slivers depends upon the diameter of the culm. Cutting is done carefully from the edge downwards along the length of the culm.The slivers are then completely separated to form individual pieces.

Slivers are striped into fine layers.The knife is held with the blade horizontally against the upper 1/3 of the cross section sliver.First cut is made by nipping the blade into the sliver.Then the blade is placed 0.5 to 1 mm away from the first layer.After repeating the process for a required number of times, the layers are peeled off.The thickness of the layers depends upon the need of the intended woven product.
Layers are separated into fine strips by using both the hands.The strips may be lighter or darker in color from one another.They are arranged accordingly.

The bamboo strips are then dyed and bleached with the help of various materials such as dyes, sulfur, hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals.Soaking, boiling, washing, air drying etc. methods are used for the purpose.

Textile(Hand Embroidery):-

This has ornamentation of tikris and beads, which make them, look attractive.This type of embroidery is done on a frame of wooden beams.The fabric is worked upon with a long needle, threads, tikris and beads.Multi sized frames are used,usually about 1.5 feet high, to secure the cloth on which the design is sketched with a stencil.One hand secures the thread under the cloth to the needle while the other hand moves the needle on top of the cloth with ease.Decorative tikris and beads are attached to the cloth with the needle.

Another embroidery pattern is the jaali or net embroidery in geometric or floral shapes and is done by pulling the warp and weft threads and fixing them with minute buttonhole stitches.The finished products dominantly comprise items for household use like curtains, bedspreads, furniture covers and dress material.

Raw Materials used:-

The fabric is worked upon with a long needle,threads, tikris and beads.Multi sized frames are used, usually about 1.5 feet high, to secure the cloth on which the design is sketched with a stencil.One hand secures the thread under the cloth to the needle while the other hand moves the needle on top of the cloth with ease.

Process:-

As embroidery is not so technical craft to follow procedure but then also small process like:

Set the fabric(Saree, Dress, material,etc.)on Wooden frame(it can be done without frame also)according to the design with desired allowance for the product.The motif is made the tracing screen for symmetrical making and uniformity, like the Khaka.The motif is marked with a marking mixer in a liquid form(Kerosene and gali powder) whether for embroidery the desired motif is neatly embroidery with different stitches to achieve desired motif.

Embroidery designs are prepared by fixing small round shaped mirrors to the material with the help of the buttonhole stitch, the outline being sketched by hand.Silken thread is used for the stitching done in stem or herringbone, closely worked.Flowers and creepers are patterned against a dark background.

Techniques:-

Techniques vary with the community and region.The term embroidery is basically defined as the method of ornamenting a piece of clothing with needlework; or embellishment with fanciful details.Thus embroidery is regarded as the art of decorating textiles using a needle and thread.This includes the hand and machine embroidery methods.And till date,hand embroidery continues to be an expensive and time-consuming method.However, in spite of this it is preferred because of the intricacy of the handiwork involved.

The basic techniques an embroiderer uses includes:-

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