Way back in the day, when individuality, originality &
all-encompassing beauty were a prized & ‘Pulitzered’ commodity, certain
measures were taken to ensure their incontrovertible uniqueness: some
ridiculous, others barbaric, many justifiable. Among the most memorable examples of protecting beauty are
the Hollywood starlets of old, who’s limbs of loveliness were insured by their
studios for poster-girl posterity - notably, Betty Grable's legs, which were
insured with Lloyds of London for a cool million in the 1940’s.
'Pin-up' princess in stone, Konark Temple
Further back in history, fierce competition, pride &
privilege sent limbs flying, with legend recounting the outrageous orders
of Emperor Shah Jahan (after the completion of the Taj Mahal) to have the right
hands of his builders CUT CLEAR OFF!! Similar anecdotes concern Ivan the Terrible in Russia &
Prague’s Astronomical Clock - where Hanuš, the clockmaker, was blinded, by order
of the realm, to avoid his work ever being repeated.
Master 'pattachitra' painter at Puri,
Raghurajpur artist-village
Drawn directly with a brush
using natural colours, no outline
Setting gold in a Jewellery die
Truth or tall-tale, such was the passion & reverence for artistry, creativity & ingenuity, that people could not bear the thought of duplication or imitation…nay, imitation was not flattering at all…it was downright disloyal & akin to the most serious crime. Born of this age-old need to protect intellectual & artistic property, of course, comes the present day trademark, label, patent & copyright.
Master 'Iron-Man'/blacksmith, custom-making
a Rani-Designed frame
a Rani-Designed frame
Back-breaking rug-making
Metal draw-pulls hand-made for the Palace!
But how do we patent the road-side floral-artist, the
village seamstress or even the cobbler? No less artisans, who’ve often learned
their skills from a Master, usually Master-Grandparent, & ply their trade, sometimes
as lifelong apprentices, with the same finesse & aptitude found in the finest atelier.
Where is their insurance policy? What drastic & dramatic measures do we
take to preserve & value their incomparable work?
-Kolkata-My-Palace-Walk.jpg)
Indian gajra-making - a fine & delicate art
Marigold chains of devotion
Working since a boy, this cobbler is no shoe-in
I don’t suppose in today’s world of monotone,
mediocre, morphed & maddening sameness, where fakes flog themselves flagrantly & authentic is a 'flavour' not a virtue. Where work is ‘borrowed’, ‘inspired by’, ‘taken
from’, ‘copied to’ & in many, many instances pinched for the purposes of
‘CURATION’ (the modern catchphrase for the oft uncredited)…True value can
scarcely be gleaned. Skill comes from devotion & dedication, artistry from feeling,
sensation & observation, & discipline from respect for detail &
obeisance to our teachers, forefathers/mothers & the like. Value does not come
from a lauded label, gormless gimmick or transitory trend, all of which, too
often, mask misappropriation. When value is lent to the imposter at the expense
of quality, artisanship suffers, true meaning is lost and
all is undermined.
Silt from the river-bank
Spun into solid shape
Fired into earthenware
The functional & decorative artisan depends on you - dear patron
& connoisseur of beauty, the person with pennies & power to purchase - to see,
respect, admire & reward his or her talent & power to create, through the
fair exchange of money, supply & demand for quality products in a competitive
market, increasingly dominated by inferior look-a-likes...this ensures that, while the
privilege is ever yours, POWER will always remain in the palm of their
hands…the hands of the talented, knowledgeable, not always upwardly mobile, &
often unnoticed, expert Artisan.
Traditional hand-cut Chinese sign-board
Thank you for making space in your day to read my post
