Balochi embroidery – a cultural beauty and women’s talent
Sitah Fazal
Articles

Truly, penning down pages on the role of an exceeding cultural beauty sounds an uphill since limiting the beauties into words predominately narrow the factual symbol and patterns. Nobody can deny the fact that the worldly affairs never last long whether which are about life itself or civilization will have to vanish one day. Among these all only a brief number can survive till life remains and never fades away.

Truly, penning down pages on the role of an exceeding cultural beauty sounds an uphill since limiting the beauties into words predominately narrow the factual symbol and patterns. Nobody can deny the fact that the worldly affairs never last long whether which are about life itself or civilization will have to vanish one day. Among these all only a brief number can survive till life remains and never fades away.

Cumulatively, it stands to reason that every nation has some mind-blowing customs of which life time accomplishments they take pride in. similarly, there exists a nation Baloch with a praiseworthy culture. The thing which I have made the center of writing is Balochi embroidery (The art of Baloch women). The clothing of Baloch is distinguished by colorful embroidery patterns that serve as cultural symbols, no doubt helping to differentiate Baloch from the rest of the cultures and people in the world. Undoubtedly, our embroidery is the pride and the cultural beauty of us from the world.

Most characteristics of Baloch custom is embroidery of a beauty and intricacy which contrasts strongly with the simplicity of the rest of Balochi materials culture which is the best and the most unique one throughout the world. What deeply striking is that the designs of which there are many which are composed primary of geometric shapes such as that of flowers and leaves arranged in regular patterns. Of course, Baloch women dresses provide the best examples of such colorful and carful art because the colors of embroideries are beautiful animated with wonderful patterns. The fact is more than single specific embroidery patterns with six various colors are imperatively combined on a single garment.

Anyways, I am further grateful to acknowledge by making the readers aware that one of the most prominent embroidery works is the “Frame designs” in which decorating of flowers of complex shapes, some complete and truncated which are then filled in with multiple colors each of which has its own specific place in the design. Certainly, it is an article of faith that modern patterns are discovered in Makran division where sewing is quit rampant. In the present times the most expensive embroidery is “Gul” which costs almost 150,000 but it takes a lot of time to be wholly completed. In some pieces of embroidery only thread in a huge amount of colors is used whereas other small circular mirrors are incorporated into the designs too. This is worth mentioning that what attracts the Baloch women is the part of mica were used before than mirror glass became available. Today the designs with mirrors incorporated are very rare and used widely across the province.

Most of the women know how to embroider and take deep interest in it. The praiseworthy thing to be mentioned is that women here don’t utilize charts or diagrams but instead create grossly complex designs and suggestions from the elderly members of the family or neighbors. Little girls begin to learn fundamental stitches and patterns at about the age of six-to seven years. What attracts me the most is that many women sit aside a few hours after completing their daily house hold works for embroidery in the afternoons or in the evenings either alone or in groups. Straight needles and threads are the most commonly used through hooked needles are required for some patterns. Baloch women are really rich in skills, techniques and talents.  The art of women without any systematic support or machines is a gobs making and applying example. The tragedy is, not withstanding having the world’s best techniques and embroideries, their efforts are being undervalued, marginalized and scorned. According to my perception this is owing to the incompetence of our authorities concerned that this art is not promoted. There is no trading center to promote our embroideries and wonderful clothing in the rest of the world. There also lakes working centers for our designers as well as embroiders. The presence of all these are grossly  strategic for our cultural art is abundantly beautiful and expensive as a result in the light of sewing cloths, the needs of the family are fulfilled. Extremely skilled embroiderers or those quite poor who their work to other community member including each cloth which can be sewed for the duration of six to seven months but still some extremely poor families get their income from it and fulfill the requirements of education, food, shelter and other basic needs. The prices of their works are considerably depending on the difficulties of the patterns and other factors also it is well known fact that most women work for years embroidering fine works of art for their sons and daughters dowries.

Embroidering clothes provides much enjoyment and recreation for women who take great pride in their handiwork and consider it the essence of being Baloch no doubt what encourages is the embroidery technique which remains the same and reflects the cultural beauty. It is further incumbent upon the authorities concerned to promote this art and portray its beauty so that our nation gets progressed by sound and heaps.