BAFA Blue Pottery Collection
Though Jaipur is synonymous with Blue Pottery, at BAFA Factory, our art antennas are always seeking the frequency of creativity. Bringing a complete twist to this otherwise traditional form, BAFA has taken up the challenge of creating its footprint with Blue Pottery. How? One may wonder, but that’s what we do. Pick an art style and bridge it to another, to create something which has never been done before. Dominated by floral and bird motifs, we, as a team, for the first time have worked our fingers to the bone to add a quirky flavor to the traditionally owned Blue Pottery by featuring caricaturistic art styles such as human figures, animal figures, and even contemporary art styles on various products. Brought to life at the hands of artisans who come from a strong fine arts background but were left fighting for a meal during the trying times of the pandemic, every product at BAFA’s Blue Pottery collection has been inked with their perseverance and boundless creativity. Traveling to the place where the making of the raw product takes place in Bagru and dedicating hours to hand paint each product, speaks for their level of mastery and shows the kind of talent we house at BAFA. It's been a joyride exploring the world of Blue Pottery firsthand and refining its exquisiteness to create something luxuriant yet fun for you.
Blue Pottery History
Developed at the hands of Turks and Mongols, the gorgeous artistry of Blue Pottery has seen a range of transitions and confluence. Treading back to the 14th century, Blue Pottery took notes of intricacy from Persian architectural motifs and amalgamated them with the Chinese style of glazing. Traveling from Persia to Afghanistan, this art form slowly percolated in the Indian roots through the grandeur of Mughal works. After dominating Delhi through its ornate luxury and eye-catching color, blue pottery reached the sands of Jaipur and settled there like a hallmark style of the city in the 17th century. However, Blue pottery rose to fame during the 19th century, under the rule of Sawai Ram Singh, the flavor of which is noticeable at the Rambagh Palace museum today.
This captivating art form is no feat. After passing through several stages involving risky processes one gets to own a piece of this marvelous beauty. This precisely explains its steep price tag. Unlike other wares which are generally made using clay, Blue Pottery involves the mix of 6 ingredients - quartz stone powder, powdered glass, Katira Gond powder, Multani Mitti, and Saaji, and water. Shaped with great patience and painted to detail, these pieces are then low-fired at 800 degrees in the furnace and kept to cool over the next few days. Post which the items are dipped in the glaze to give it an even coat and add sheen, following which they are once again kept to dry in the furnace. What’s rather interesting, is how the initial layer of black paint turns blue once the process is complete, giving its true name - Blue Pottery.
BAFA Terracotta Collection
Known for its beautiful earthy tones of red and brick brown, Terracotta is a phenomenal form of art, whose baton has been held by every prominent culture in history. At BAFA, our exemplary team of grassroots artists has once again broken the norm of conforming to traditional practices and added a contemporary twist to this glorious art form. The process of Terracotta involves clay of different qualities being baked in a kiln at firing temperature to bring these beauties to life. It starts with clay being refined and then mixed in appropriate proportions to sit atop a wheel where it’s shaped using an array of different tools. After which it’s allowed to dry in the sun. x which the items are kept in a Bhatti, covered by mud, and fired at very high temperatures. At BAFA, our artists journey to the small village of Dudu where this process takes place, and then they work their magic skills by painting in different forms on various Terracotta bases. From caricatures to interesting abstracts, BAFA believes in adding a touch of uniqueness to each of its collections.
Terracotta History
Flowing like a breeze of wind through the prehistoric era comes the unparalleled art form of Terracotta. Every major culture has taken this beautiful form and lent a diverse outlook through its use and creation. Though the word Terracotta gets its origin from the Italian translation of ‘Baked Earth’, it dates back to the times when traces of art were scarce. The sheer simplicity of it is what makes it so peculiar and versatile. Clay, which is regarded as one of the oldest building materials in the world, needed a stronger shelf-life during its use, giving birth to Terracotta. Today, Terracotta is not only a part of decorative architecture and figurines but also used as urban kitchenware, home decor, tiles, pots, bottles and so much more.
Terracotta has been used in Chinese Pottery, Greek Pottery, Mesopotamian Art, Egyptian Art, Minoan Art, Italian Art, and many more cultures. However, a study reveals that its first use appeared in the Venus of Dolby Vestonice (26000-24000 BCE). The Bell Edison Telephone Building in Birmingham is a testimony of Victorian Terracotta architecture. During the demise of Qin Shi Huang, the 1st emperor of China, a massive set of 8000 warriors and horses called the Terracotta Army, was created to be sent along with the emperor's burial, making it an epic work in the history of Terracotta. In India, West Bengal bears beautiful examples of marvelous Terracotta works. The simple process of refining clay, mixing clay, shaping it on the wheel, drying, and firing has given the world something to carry on for centuries. Let’s never let the beauty of Terracotta die down.
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BAFA Paper Mache Collection
But back in 2002, we at BAFA dived deep to study the best binding material to create Paper Mache products that are not only artistic but durable and unique too. With the hope to keep this olden technique alive, we have created a collection based on the ethos of Indian traditional designs. Drifting away from the general practice of really thick designs, that would give up in due course of time, BAFA came in with the perspective of creating fine patterns using the Paper Mache technique. The thin layer helped enhance the intricate motifs across the products. Placed on an MDF base, which makes the cleaning process hassle-free, our Paper Mache products are a testimony to how we imbibe a sense of promoting art that is sustainable and beneficial for the environment too. Moreover, as a team, we strongly believed in teaching this art form to others who were fighting hard to make ends meet in their daily life. Be it ladies begging on the streets or house helps, we took the simplicity of this art form and impart the knowledge of making these products to a tribe of women who could have a respectable livelihood through this medium. With immense pride and humility, we were able to grow a team of 25 women, who honed their Paper Mache skills with us while making this fantastic range of products. True to our ideology that art belongs to all, we, together have taken this step forward to bring to you our stunning Paper Mache collection.
Paper Mache History
Could you ever imagine a simple sheet of paper being used to make a full-fledged object? Well, hailing from the roots of our neighboring country, China, is the traditional art form of making paper mache. The country that was revered to fame for creating paper, brought in a technique to use the paper bits with lacquer to toughen it and make objects that have a sturdy shelf life. From decor to utility, the process of paper mache which came in during the Han Dynasty - (BC 202 – AD 220) caught eyeballs all over the world. Soon the art of Paper Mache turned into a global phenomenon when people across different countries realized its beauty and purpose. Right from Japan to Europe, paper mache found a creative home in most countries. Several people tried to create improvised binding formulas to extend the shelf-life of paper mache products. But it was in the mid-1700s when John Baskerville’s assistant, Henry Clay, paved the way to produce paper mache as strong and durable as wood. In the 1960s Paper Mache gained more momentum in America where it was strongly viewed as a form of art. But once the market became saturated with Paper Mache products the demand for it plateaued leading to a slow decline. Though this art form is still scantily alive, the fame it once enjoyed is nowhere to be seen.
BAFA Furnishing Collection
A haven, a place where you can rest off all your worries and log into the world of dreams, your bed. And while you spend hours picking the perfect shade for the walls at home or bespoke decor accents, you often let go of the one space where you return to retire and revive yourself. Clad in boring prints or solid tones, the bed forgets to wear the fragrance of artistic allure. At BAFA we weaved a dream to take the bed sheets to the next level so that you can have the luxury of owning some of the most fantastic artworks while you bring home a bed sheet. Thought to detail and sketched to perfection, these bed sheets come bearing sketches done in various styles. A homage to creative art forms, our range is about changing the way art can be used through the medium of everyday life. Handcrafted with a maintenance process and digitized for ease, these bedsheets play on the composition of blacks and whites, bringing the story of the classic complementary tones home. The pure cotton fabric guarantees a sleep that feels like a long-awaited slumber and prints give your space an artistic edge.
BAFA Handmade Diaries Collection
Love to sketch and scribble in your free time? Or love to jot down your thoughts in a lovely journal? Love to screen through pages of musings or to-do lists but in a fancy way? Pause right there, we have come bearing good news for you. At BAFA we have designed something truly remarkable, thanks to our team of hardworking artists that is constantly striving to give you something exceptional each team. Our range of handmade diaries is unlike the rest. Covered in exciting fabric hues and brilliant artistic compositions, these are a worthy delight to own. Available in two sizes with 125 gsm paper, these handmade diaries are a fine example of how we combine different elements along the artistic platter to create a new product together for you. Pamper yourself with some stationery additions to the shopping cart or pamper your loved ones with this eco-friendly beauty, we promise they’d be more than just delighted.
BAFA Marble Collection
When it comes to living up to a legacy as rich as Makranas, we had to work our creative senses to dig what could take this majestic art form of marble craftsmanship a step further. The reason for this lies in the fact that we are also constantly striving to give artists who work through trying conditions to produce such rich art, have access to a better life with stable finances. The Makrana Marble craftsmanship is no ordinary feat. The marble power and processes often end up proving hazardous to the lives of these grassroots artists who try to make a daily living through it, as they have to combat the dangers of cancer due to this artistry. Hence, at BAFA we don’t want them to just thrive but flourish. This is why we felt this luxe art richly deserved a form that celebrates its opulence with mind-blowing detailing. And that’s how we arrived at a common point to watch marble merge into miniature paintings. A royal art form in itself, miniature painting requires copious amounts of patience as the artists dive into the trenches of creativity to create the finest work. When brought under a lens, one can experience every single brush stroke used to create the piece. Right from 000, 0000, 00000, brushes, and more, our artists put their heart, soul, passion, and perseverance into creating each designer piece under the Makrana Marble collection. While their eyes may hurt in the process of creating a perfect piece, they don’t back down at any point, be it in quality, imagination, creativity, or the final finish. Every piece in our collection above being a symbol of luxury is a symbol of labor flowing into the verses of culture and art.
Hand Made
Eco - Friendly
Made in India
Historic Art
Oldest Human Creations
5 Times More Durable
Export / Import Worthy
Secure Packaging
