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Lac Doll: The Dying Art
Domain:Traditional craftsmanship
State: West Bengal
Description:
The video titled Lac Doll: The Dying Art, is a documentation of the vanishing art form of the making of the lac doll once practised by artisans in the districts of Birbhum, Bankura and East Medinipur in West Bengal. The film is directed by Sanat Das Gupta and narrated by Nilanjana Biswas. The colourful dolls are made from the natural resinous ingredient called lac, derived from lac insects. There was a time when the lac doll artisans from the Illambazar area of Birbhum district, Bankura and Bishnupur of Bankura district and Patashpur and Egra areas of Midnapore district were well known for their artistry. However, at present the art is only thriving in the district of East Medinipur and it is primarily the people from the Mahiso and Shankhabani community who are associated with this craft. Lac doll artists often have to compete with plastic dolls which are much cheaper and available in bulk. These dolls are sold during the Rath Yatra festivals at Puri and Baripoda in Odisha till today.
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