Tag Archives: Kutch

mud art of Kutch

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.

iianosom106.gif

lippankam-31.gif

lippankamo.gif

lippankam51.gif

Can you see slightly raised mud lines-spread with hands.

travelblogorg1.gif

lippankam-21.gif

mudworkhodka.jpg

You just need to use the thumb with two fingers! ?

lippankam-frame1.gif

See the embroidered mirror here ?

kutch03.gif

lippankam08.gif

kutch02.gif

lippankam05.gif

mud1panjokutch.jpg

mud2.jpg

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)