A story of languishing doll: Revival of cloth dolls of India

Abstract

India has very rich culture of crafts from ancient time, crafts have always been fascinating for human being. Handicrafts have been source of creative self expression, cultural stability and livelihood. Before industrialization, dolls act as an ambassador’s of culture, reflecting 5000 years of old tradition. The existence of cloth doll has been as old as cloth itself. In India cloth dolls were one of the most popular craft during 1950s, where almost every second house was practicing this craft, at the time of industrialization, mechanization of every industry was preference everywhere. In result to industrialization, current scenario reflects the picture where cloth doll of India has fallen in the category of languishing crafts. The aim of this research is to find out the reasons of extinction of cloth doll and to explore some of the factors that could led craft revival and restoration in present scenario.