Lippan kam or mud-mirror work
Lippan (roughly translated-mud washing in Gujarati language and the spelling should be lipan)
kam (is work in Hindi and Gujarati)
Lippan kam is a decorative art done by common people mainly women.
Lippan kam is done inside bhungas/mud huts in villages of Kutch, Gujarat.
Lippan kam is generally done inside the house but sometimes you can find it on outer walls too.
Generally harijan and Rabari women make birds, trees, animals, peacock, human figures etc in lippan kam.
It is done with a mixture of clay and camel dung. Now gum is used to stick mirrors.
Originality of lippan kam lies in adding no colour or only whites.(You may get few pieces of very colourful mud-mirror work in export houses online; exotic pieces but I won’t call it lippan kam!)
Small round, diamond-shaped or tringle mirror pieces are essential to lippan kam. Many a times mirror pieces are a little embroidered.
It is simple technique, anyone can do it.
Can you see slightly raised mud lines-spread with hands.
You just need to use the thumb with two fingers! ?
See the embroidered mirror here ?
I just love-love lippan kam.
All of you who go to Kutch, don’t forget to take photos of lippan kam (and don’t forget to send me all images!!).
(Not all photos are of good quality but I had to put all)
(images courtesy Llnosom on flickr, panjo kutch, hodka villages, travelblog, baps care, indi studio, my cuttings)
Hi,
This is an extremely beutiful and painstaking art and im love with it, although i never had a chance to learn it, I tried my hand using the mosaic technique.
One can view the pics of my project on ,
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Album?uid=17148223507093412588&aid=1272957696
Cud you help us with the technique of the original Lippna kaam of kutch ?
there must be someway this ethereal craft can be replicated.
i m really crazy abt this work i really appriciate this work i m also doing that work.iwant to know that if i do not use camle dung it willok or not?
it is simple technique ,anyone can do it………….as u say but please provide the technique
thanks
Fascinating!! Like so many others I would love to get information about the techniques. What kind of materials do we use if we were to try a project sitting in US. Love to create my own Lippan Kam.
hi
i am definately going to learn this art.i am kutchi nd staying in mumbai so recently when i visited kutch i got chance to see this beautiful art.thanks for such lovely pictures.
Hi, please let me know if i want to get done some lippan work at mumbai. Is there anybody in mumbai who does typical lippan work. Please let me know, even if you any artist who is not in mumbai also.
Hi, Kindly teach me mud mirror work for my wall how to design it.
pls tell me who can do lippan work in delhi. i want to get it done at my home.
hii..kindly teach me mud mirror work for my wall how to design it…/