A Study on Sujani Embroidery of Bihar and Modification in Its Designs and Technique for Revival

The study was undertaken to revive the traditional art of Bihar, termed as Sujani. Traditional designs have endless possibilities of inspiring countless creations through re-interpretations, re- translations and adaptations. With this in mind, an attempt has been made to enhance designs with contemporary styles inspired from an age old craft of Bihar region commonly known as Sujani of Bihar. Sujani is a traditional craft of Bihar, which mainly depicts stories and in the past has been used extensively to spread awareness about social issues. Initially a detailed survey was carried out by visiting Bhusuda village craft clusters in Bihar, where this craft originated and is practiced. Motifs suitable for use through textile ornamentation, present on the traditional samples were identified and collected. The motifs derived from the traditional samples were then categorized and modified into its stylized forms using CAD. The designs thus created were then used to embroider the samples. Hand embroidery, machine embroidery, hand embroidery with embellishments and combination of hand and machine embroidery were the techniques used for embroidering the samples. A detailed study on the consumers' acceptability of the designs and techniques thus created underway. Best-selected designs and technique were then used to develop embroidered stoles, which were then assessed. All the evaluations were tested through two way-ANOVA tests. There was a significant difference in the acceptability of the final products.