| | Aari Bharat Embroidery | | The Aari Bharat Embroidery is primarily the work of the Mochi or members of the shoe-maker community in Kutch and Saurashtra. Hence it is also known as Mochi embroidery. They work on silk, net and canvas. With a silk thread in one hand, the artists work with the other without any design sketch and with great agility form letters, leaves, fruits, flowers, animals and human figures. So highly are their skills valued that Kutch, Kathiawar and other chief centres employ them and their work is in great demand all over India. |  | | | | | This embroidery is worked with the help of an ‘ Aar’ holded needle where the thread is introduced. This is also known as ‘Mochi Bharat’ (Cobbler’s stitch). Although the technique is simple in principle, it requires extensive skills and long practice. This art grew and prospered under the sponsorship of royal families in Kutch and Saurashtra. ‘Butti’ of Persian origin peacocks in beautiful forms, stylized flowering scrubs and ‘Patli’ were some of the decorative designs commonly used. Nowadays, this embroidery has become destroyed. It is possible to see the samples of Mochi embroidery only in Aina Mahal, Kutch museum and Bharatiya Sanskriti Darshan in Bhuj. | | | |
