Shantiniketan

Welcome to our world of Dokra (a.k.a. Dhokra), Terracotta, Fabric, Leather, Jute and Polyester Fiber board hand painted jewelry.

Made famous over 4000 years ago by the Mohenjodaro lost wax casting of the Dancing Girl, Dokra gets its name from the Dokra Damar tribe of metalsmiths of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, who perfected the technique of making vivid cast jewelry a few hundred years ago. While they migrated to various parts of India, the jewelry and crafts from the tribe still in Shantiniketan in West Bengal are famous all over the world.

Much like Dokra, Terracotta too has documented origins in Mohenjodaro. Italian for baked earth, its use spread far and wide to the Orient and the Occident. In India Terracotta’s use carried over from Mohenjodaro, and reached its peak during the rule of the Gupta dynasty between the 4th and 6th century, A.D. Today it is used for a variety of reasons, and West Bengal in particular has had a lot to do with the carrying of the tradition – it has made a specialty of Terracotta temples, the Bankura Horse, and hand-made jewelry.

The humble Jute has its etymological origins in the Odiya word, jhuta or jota. While one wouldn’t associate the abundance of Jute in Eastern India and Bangladesh with jewelry, the fact remains that some of the most original, pure and simple jewelry is made from Jute. Often combined with other naturally occurring elements such as seeds and natural dyes, Jute jewelry from from Eastern India is 100% hand-made.

Fabric jewelry made typically from a variety of cotton material has now been in vogue for its various forms in jewelry and other accessories.

Leather Jewelry is yet another new style of accessorizing today’s women in an unique way with its sleek, ultra light weight design and which goes with all kinds of attire very well.

There is something spectacular about Dokra, Terracotta, Jute, Leather and Fabric jewelry that appeals to the glamor in you. It grabs your attention just by virtue of its primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form. Our Shantiniketan collection has been sourced directly from artisans across different districts in West Bengal.