history of doll making in bangladesh putul story
Doll making is one of the most enduring craft traditions in the Indian Subcontinent. Its past is steeped in mythology and mysticism but its present is plagued by market forces and globalization. Shawon Akand explores the rich history of this unique and underappreciated art form, by examining four popular doll making mediums – clay, wood, metal and shola – and their unique ties to our land and culture.
It is difficult to point to a specific era in human history when dolls were first made. But archaeological evidence leaves no doubt that they have existed in several parts of the world since prehistoric times. Dolls can be found in almost every ancient civilization in the world, including the Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Chinese empires.
In Greater India too, there were dolls in the cities, villages and settlements. Proof of this lies in the archaeological sites of the ancient Sindh civilization. Researchers and experts have commented on why these dolls were made and for what occasions they were used in society. They believe that dolls originated for the purposes of sorcery, religious rituals, children’s games and home decoration. In the beginning, clay, wood, stone, metal and bone were used to make dolls. The practice of using these materials in doll-making differed between regions and depended on their availability. For example, clay and wood are the most easily found and commonly used materials in Bangladesh for making dolls.
Subsequently, other types of materials were also used as a result of advancements in technology. For example, in Europe, plastic, synthetic fibers and other modern resources have been used to make dolls and toys since the industrial revolution. Today, Bangladesh has many different types of dolls. Besides using different mediums to make dolls in our country, artisans have also developed their own signature styles for designing and characterizing their dolls. Those who make dolls also come from diverse cultural, geographical and professional backgrounds.
In this article, we will try to understand the characters, types and nature of Bangladeshi dolls. We will focus primarily on clay, wood, metal and spongewood dolls, and the cultural, religious and historical significance of these types of dolls in this region, particularly in Bangladesh. Let us begin this discussion by looking at clay dolls and potters.
clay dolls
Dolls made from burnt clay have existed across parts of the Indian Subcontinent for thousands of years. They have been found in Mangolkot, West Bengal, and in Wari-Bateshwar, Mahasthangarh, Paharpur and Myanamati in Bangladesh. Similar types of dolls or clay statues are still made in Bangladesh’s rural areas today. These dolls are crafted by moulding and pressing clay by hand and with very simple tools; these techniques haven’t changed even after several centuries. Stella Kramrisch, an art historian who specialized in the indigenous arts of South Asia, called these miniature statues “timeless.” They come in different sizes and formats in Bangladesh.
Clay dolls have been made and used for three purposes in Bangladesh – for performing rituals, for decorating homes and for use as toys for children to play with. These dolls were also often associated with folk beliefs and traditions. The miniature human statues, for example, had certain features – the belly, hips or chest were shown in an exaggerated manner. These dolls are believed to have symbolized fertility or the earth goddess. Animal dolls were made for different purposes than human miniature statutes but still served a religious function. The custom of sacrificing clay elephants and horse dolls to gods and goddesses is still practiced in rural Bangladesh. Sacrifices are made in the hopes of fulfilling a worshipper’s wishes or desires. For example, horses are still sacrificed to the ghora peer or the saint of horses at the shrine in Dhamrai in Dhaka. It is believed that the horses and elephants are used as transportation for the peer or represent the peer himself. Potters from the shrine make these types of dolls, which are then offered for sacrifice. These dolls are also bought by visitors as decoration items.
Clay dolls or toys are burnt by the sun or in the fire. Women from the potter families are usually given this task. These dolls may be made for commercial use or to fulfill a personal need. The designing process begins when the dolls are raw or half-made and different colours are applied after they have dried. Clay dolls are made almost everywhere in Bangladesh but Kagajipara of Dhamrai, Kakran of Savar, Bijaypur of Comilla, Basantapur of Rajshahi, Gomjani of Tangail and Koya of Kushtia are among the most well-known regions that make them. These dolls have different names depending on the areas in which they are made – Tepa doll, Goalini doll, Ma Sashti, etc. Horses from Panchmura, Bankura or dolls from Krishnanagar of West Bengal are also very famous.
Potters from Kirshnanagar are renowned as doll makers. Like many potters in Bengal, the artisans at Krishnanagar also began their craft by making statues of gods and goddesses. But slowly their style deviated from the traditional ones used to make clay figures. The main reason for this deviation was that the potters from Kirshnanagar became very skilled in making real-life characters or objects. Kirshnanagar pottery has also received appreciation from international fairs and exhibitions. Some of the famous potters from Kirshnanagar are Jadunath Pal (1822-1929) and Gopeshwar Pal (1894-1944).
Not all types of potters make all types of pottery. Some make only cooking utensils while others focus exclusively on dolls or idols. Among those who do make clay dolls, however, many are women and children. Another important point to note is the relation between pottery and the potter. It is like the relationship between water and fish. For any potter, the availability and accessibility of good clay or soil is of paramount importance. If there is a shortage or complete lack of any clay at all, a potter is forced to leave the village to find a more suitable place to work. This is common and happens in many villages across Bangladesh. For example, families from Palpara and Jugia of Kushtia were forced to move to a new area called Koya, within Kushtia, due to a shortage of clay.
The properties of clay and soil are different in different areas. A specific type of pottery usually flourishes in a region, depending on the characteristics and quality of the soil in that area. For example, it is not possible to create Krishnanagar’s lifelike dolls or statues with the clay of Dhamrai. Even bringing artisans from Krishnanagar to Dhamrai will not help because of the marked difference between the soil of both regions. It would also not be possible for the potters at Bankura to make the famous clay horses of Kirshnanagar because of Bankura clay’s softness. In other words, the characteristics and quality of the soil will determine the type of pottery that develops in any region.
The clay dolls and statues made by potters across various regions in Bangladesh demonstrate extraordinary imagination, finesse, skill, commitment and creativity. This ancient craft, a tradition that is over thousands of years old, is alive and well today.
wooden dolls
Wooden dolls hold a special position in Bangladeshi folk tradition. Kadam, amra, jial, sheora, chhatim and shimul woods are commonly used to make these dolls. The carpenter will first make the shape of the doll out of measured quantities of soft wood. He will need hammers of different sizes, a blade or a hatchet and some thread to make measurements. Heavy tools are used in the early stages of the doll-making process but more sophisticated and precise tools are needed in the final phase to add texture and detail. The carpenter must then apply colour to breathe life into his doll and give it individuality or uniqueness. Red, blue, green, yellow, white and black are some of the most commonly used colours for making dolls with a local flavour. Visual details are added to the eyes, nose, mouth and clothes by using a variety of different hues while brighter shades are applied to ornaments or accessories. Bangladeshi dolls are usually between 10 to 25 centimetres in size, but larger dolls are also made. These wooden dolls are sometimes called mummy dolls, due to their resemblance to mummies found in Egypt.
Elephant and horse dolls are also very popular in Bangladesh. As in the making of the mummy dolls, the wood is first cut into shapes that resemble these animals and colours are applied, with bright hues used on ornaments. The most popular type of horse dolls, interestingly, have wheels instead of hooves at their feet. These figures are sold at bazaars and gift shops across the country and remain a popular item. Carpenters also make wooden puppets for puppet shows and dances in the rural villages across the Indian Subcontinent. These dolls were made in some areas of West Bengal and in Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh. Paint was needed to create the eyes, nose, mouth and other physical features while traditional fabrics were used for the clothes these puppets wore. However, the demand for this type of doll has decreased since puppet shows are no longer a popular pastime. This has greatly affected the carpenters for whom making dolls is more of a financial necessity than an artistic pursuit.
Carpenters in Bangladesh are most commonly known as kaath mistri or wood workers. They are also sometimes called sutradhars or sutars for their use of threads or suta to measure quantities of wood. There are both Muslim and Hindu carpenters across Greater India. Many, such as the professional carpenters from the Hindu communities, are born into the trade, inheriting skills and techniques passed down by generations of carpenters. Scholars believe that members of the sutradhar community were once masters of stone, clay and painting works before they specialized in wood. Research reveals that the sutradhars also enjoyed a very high status in ancient Indian society, but their rank decreased over time. They consider themselves to be descendants of Vishwakarman, the god of crafts and follow the Baishnab faith. Sutars can also be found in the Shakta region as well.
A sutradhar family living in Sonargaon, on the outskirts of Dhaka, is well-known for making elephant, horse and mummy dolls. A variation on the mummy dolls the family makes is called the three-angled wooden mummy doll. The carpenters use kadam wood to make these types of dolls and apply plastic paint for colour. Ashutosh Chandra Sutradhar who lives in the Shahpur village of Naryanganj is also very skilled at making these types of dolls, a trade he learnt from his father. His family makes angled wooden dolls, elephants, horses, carts, sleeping cots, palanquins and more. Sutradhar communities in other areas of Dhaka, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Comilla and Chittagong are also skilled at making wooden dolls. The most-renowned Bangladeshi wooden doll makers are from Bardhaman, Hooghli, Howrah, and Medinipur in West Bengal.
The outstanding skill of these carpenter communities in Bangladesh deserves to be recognized. Demand for these products has experienced a boost recently with the growing popularity of traditional crafts. NGOs and project trusts are also providing wooden dolls and other types of indigenous crafts a marketing and sales forum to help these carpenters with livelihood.
metal dolls
Bell metal and brass are both copper-type amalgam metals. Bell metal is a mixture of copper and tin, and brass is a combination of copper and zinc. The bell and brass crafts in Bangladesh predate the birth of Christ; statues and different types of ornaments made using these metals are found in several archaeological sites in Bangladesh. These ancient craftsmen used metal to make different kinds of household and luxury goods for their patrons, such as utensils, statues and dolls.
Craftsmen who are involved with the bell and brass industry are called kansari and come from both Hindu and Muslim communities. At one time or another, almost every district in Bangladesh had craftspeople who worked with metal crafts. Today, Ajaipur of Chapai Nawabganj, Islampur of Jamalpur, Kagmari of Tangail and Dhamrai of Dhaka in Bangladesh remain as production hubs for bell and brass products. There are mainly five techniques in Bangladesh for making bell and brass products. These are the loose-wax, clay-casting, sand-casting, hammering and engraving techniques. Among all of these different methods, the loose-wax technique is most commonly used to make dolls and statues. The loose-wax procedure was in practice in ancient Bengal; it is called dhokra in Bankura, Birbhum, Bardhaman and Purulia of West Bengal. In the past, artisans made nupur (ankle bells), pots, trays, cymbals, ornaments and statues of gods and goddesses. The motifs seen in the works of contemporary dhokra artists are animals from diverse species, such as elephants, owls, turtles, fish, deer and others. These craftsmen are known for making figures of gods and goddesses like Shiva, Parvati, Laxmi, Durga as well as characters of religious or historical significance such as Jesus Christ or Rabindranath Tagore.
The loose-wax technique, the most popular method for making bell and brass dolls, requires a model, irrespective of the product created. Bee wax (or paraffin) is the most widely used material today. The wax model is covered with multiple layers of clay but two narrow channels are kept open as the clay is warmed and solidified. The bell and brass metal is kept in a clay pot that is heated using a special burner until the materials reach a liquid state. This liquid metal is poured into the wax model through the narrow channels. The wax dissolves when it comes into contact with the warm liquid metal and lets the materials inside take shape. Once the metal cools to a normal temperature and reaches the desired state the clay coating is cracked. The finished product is made of metal, cast in the shape of the craftsman’s wax model. The loose-wax technique is typically used by dhokra artists in Bangladesh to make metal dolls.
It must be noted that the loose-wax technique, like many ancient types of crafts, has not been well protected or nurtured in Bangladesh. It continues to exist amongst artisans in Dhamrai. According to different sources, in the early 1970’s there was a craftsman named Mosharaf Hossain who pioneered the loose-wax technique in Bangladesh. The local kumars or potters also played an important role in the early stages of its development. Anand Pal of Kagajipara, a man whose family was involved with idol making for generations, was a close associate of Mosharaf Hossain’s. It is believed that Hossain added Anand Pal and his fellow potters’ idol making expertise added wax to his metal casting process, thereby creating the wax models used in the loose-wax technique. Many potters in Dhamrai are currently engaged in preparing the wax models used for this metal doll making medium.
spongewood dolls
The Bengali word shola, meaning spongewood or hat-plant, is derived from the word sholil which means ‘water’. Shola is an aquatic plant that is found in paddy-fields and marshlands in and around the rural areas of Bangladesh.
Spongewood has been used in Bangladesh for a long time. It is used to produce ornaments which can be seen at Hindu weddings and religious festivals. The material is white in colour and aquatic in nature, two qualities which give it a sacred significance in folk tradition. There are two types of spongewood, kaat shola and phool shola. Kaat shola is hard, long and narrow while phool shola is soft; the latter is used to produce dolls. Shola is usually five to ten feet in height, has a brown, almost soil-like colour on the outside and a white coating on the inside. Once the brown bark is peeled off, a shola is cut into small sizes, between four to eight inches in length, making it fit for various purposes. Shola is a convenient material for craftsmen because of its softness.
Those who make different types of shola products are known as malakar. According to Hindu mythology, Balarama made a crown, a necklace (mala) and a set of bangles for his younger brother Krishna using shola. Balarama is considered to be a patron deity and pioneer of the malakars. The malakars are referred to in the Brihaddharma Purana, a Hindu religious text, where their people are descended from Vishwakarman. According to some sources, the community’s lineage is traced back from a currier (charmakar) father and tilee mother. Other sources claim that there are ties between the malakars of Bengal and the royal palace of the Mathura King Kansa. These texts place the malakars’ point of origin in Mathura, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, from where they emigrated to Bengal. There were once many malakar families in villages across Greater India but that number has since declined. In addition to the many goods these craftsmen produce using shola, they also make dolls. Spongewood dolls require simple tools such as cutters, scissors and knives of different sizes. Golden and silver tinsels, spangle, metal leaves or foil, and different kinds of paper are also used to beautify spongewood creations. Aong with dolls, shola is also used as a key component for making idols, wedding decorations, necklaces, boats, and more. The trend of making spongewood dolls has seen a sharp rise over the years. Spongewood products are sold locally and abroad; many entrepreneurs are now involved in the production and export of spongewood dolls.
Apart from the four materials discussed above, craftsmen have also used other means to make dolls in Bangladesh. In the Islampur region of Birbhum in West Bengal, dolls are also made of wax. This form was popular under the British administration; different types of dolls were commissioned, made with wax of red, black, green and yellow colours. Hingol dolls were made in Bankura, Bisnupur by applying a layer of green or red wax on top of clay dolls. This type of doll is also known as bor-konna or bride and groom dolls. The name comes from an old custom of giving Hingol dolls and other gifts to the bride before she is taken to the husband’s household after the wedding. In Behrampore, Murshibad we can see dolls made from ivory. The import of ivory has now been banned in Bangladesh and the ivory-based craftsmen now make dolls and other handicrafts from sandalwood. Some scholars believe that ivory art in Bengal was first started and developed in Sylhet. They claim that this art form spread from there to Dhaka and later to Murshibad. Whether or not these assumptions are correct, the importance of Sylhet to the development of ivory art cannot be understated. Dolls made from stone are uncommon in Bangladesh due to the rarity of proper materials. But cloth, thread and fabric are widely used to make dolls. Many girls learn to make their own dolls by putting together pieces of fabric and then folding and sewing the cloth together. In addition to wax, ivory and fabric, we can also find dolls made from bones, oysters and paper.
People first made dolls as ritual offerings and playthings but their role and function in our society has evolved over time. They have many uses and come in many different forms. Toys made of plastic and synthetic materials are manufactured on a large scale, marketed by major corporations in the industry and sold to consumers at retail outlets. They have taken the place of their more primitive predecessors, the indigenous dolls made from clay, wood or wax, in the hands of children across the world. These popular toys, many of which are imported since only a small portion is produced in Bangladesh, have significantly affected children’s perceptions of what good toys are. But, they do not bear the kind of cultural identity that those made by the craftsmen of Bangladesh and West Bengal do. Nevertheless, dolls continue to survive in this age of globalization. Governments, NGOs and institutions dedicated to preserving our cultural heritage are working to improve the situation for craftsmen who make dolls. Dolls are also exhibited as modern art, incorporated into the works of contemporary artists, or are displayed as part of a collection. Many exhibitions also showcase dolls of various countries and displaying them as legitimate art forms. Today, dolls occupy a prominent place in society, as playthings, as art and as symbols of our cultural identity. The intrinsic relationship between human beings and dolls is not likely to change any time soon.
Shawon Akand is an artist, researcher and curator living in Dhaka. He has written on fine arts for several noteworthy publications and has served as curator for the Crack International Art Camp in Kushtia, and the “Native Rhythm” and “Masks of Bangladesh” exhibitions at Gallery Jolrong.
Md Shakhaowat Hossain did his MA in British Literature and Cultural Studies from the University of Regensburg, Germany, and currently teaches at the Department of English of Central Women’s University, Dhaka.
Doll making is one of the most enduring craft traditions in the Indian Subcontinent. Its past is steeped in mythology and mysticism but its present is plagued by market forces and globalization. Shawon Akand explores the rich history of this unique and underappreciated art form, by examining four popular doll making mediums – clay, wood,…