Orissa Handicrafts
Lacquer Work
Tucked away in a corner of Orissa, Nowrangpur in Koraput district cradles gifted
lacquerware artisan who make quaint lac boxes, wall plaques and decorative toys
by applying molten, coloured lac, obtained by tapping native trees, on bamboo
matting and terracotta cores.
The work is executied in delightgul folk designs, and form an important part
of a girls' trousseau in Orissa. Among other beauties of this crafts are the
bangles, necklaces and toys, all of them distinctive and hence in great demand
by the cognoscenti. Bamboo boxes are lacquered in various colours and shades.
Thse bamboo boxes in graduated sizes are widely exported. The accompanying illustrations
reveal the sparkle of these boxes. Naturally these boxes make for attractive
presentation items on all occasions.
Lacquerware artisan families are also sprinkled in Berhampur and Dharakot in
Ganjam district. The annual production aggregates around a million rupees today.
