The Ahir tribe, inhabiting the
Kutch District in
Gujarat, is renowned for its hand-made embroidery. The designs are usually free flowing, containing smooth curves.
Designs are created using freehand drawing, which are traced on the cloth using a stencil. The outlines are made using a chain stitch, locally known as ‘sankali.’ The filling is done using a herringbone style stitch called ‘vana.’ There is an ample use of mirrors in this art. Commonly used motifs are peacocks, flowers, scorpions, elephants, milkmaids and parrots. The designs also include a distinctive teardrop-shaped pattern.
