Why is Varanasi Glass Bead Handcraft So Famous? Here’s The Answer
Glass has been utilized for many purposes for ages, according to archaeologists, and numerous excavations in Uttar Pradesh have turned up glass crucibles and fragments that date back thousands of years.
In addition, there is proof that the Varanasi glass bead-making technique dated to the late Harappan era. It was also thought that Kaushambi and Ahichchhatra, the old capital of the Panchala kingdom, were significant glass bead manufacturing hubs.
In the past, glass beads were utilized to adorn cow harnesses. But at some point, this historic craft was lost to time and abandoned.
Varanasi has become the home of more than 3 lakh types of glass beads as a result of a broad variety of semi-precious quartz elements like onyx, jasper, rock crystal, etc.
The majority of this artistic work is completed by both men and women in Varanasi’s rural communities.
An extremely popular Artcraft
Not only is this artcraft well-liked on the domestic market, but it is also quite sought-after internationally.
Around 105 crores of glass beads are produced annually, of which 70% are exported to the UK, Kenya, Columbia, and USA.
Process of Manufacturing – easy craft
The method of lampworking is used to make this easy craft. In this method, transparent and colored glass rods and tubes are melted using an oil fuel burner.
The glass rods are heated by the craftsman using a variety of flames that come from various lamp burners.
As soon as the glass begins to melt, the artist quickly rolls the liquid glass onto a metal stick that has been coated in chalk, giving the bead its basic shape.
Depending on the design, additional glass rod colors are melted to add decorations such as flowers, lines, curves, and other motifs.
Glass shards are added to a molten, twisted glass core to create the incredibly popular Millefiori beads, which are then formed into beads. Transparent coloured beads, commonly referred to as crystal beads, are created by using a thin metallic coating and dye to achieve the desired color, size, and shape.
After that, transparent glass is rolled over the colored glass to give the look of a single clear color.
To establish the consistency, texture, and hardness, the finished bead will be tempered in a kiln (the process of gradually cooling hot objects after they’ve been produced). The final beads are evaluated and divided into groups.
A hard-to-find GI product
- Artcraft dating back to the Harappan civilization
- high demand on both a domestic and global scale.
- In 2012, it was deeded a GI tag.
How can I differentiate them?
I don’t want you to buy a fake bead glass, so keep the following points in mind:
- The beads are faceted, table-cut, or drum-polished to achieve the appropriate shine and shape. The length of the bead typically ranges from 0.5 inches to 3 inches.
- The see-through hole has a diameter of 2 to 5 mm.
- Since every glass bead is individually made by hand, no two are exactly alike despite their remarkable similarities.
- The primary glass bead kinds produced in Varanasi are single-color, transparent, spotted, Venetian, and Millefiori.
Where can I purchase this GI tag product?
Heritage Diaries provides all the unique products, including elusive GI products. If you wish to expand your collection of GI goods, Heritage diaries will help you. Because this platform enables you to order the desired products at your fingertips, you have nothing to be concerned about.
Conclusion:
Varanasi glass bead is a well-known handcraft that dates back centuries to the Harappan civilization, making them one of the most unique handcrafts in the entire nation. To help you understand the product, I’ve already mentioned some of its features and the manufacturing method. You should purchase this item if you’re looking for one because it’s wonderful, and you can find more awesome things like it on the Heritage Diaries website.
