3. Craft: Sadeli
Surat is an important centre for
Sadeli crafts. Sadeli is a form of
marquetry, the art of decorating
the surface of wooden articles
with delicate pieces of wood
and other materials in
preciselycut geometrical shapes.
Sadeli bears much resemblance to
Khatam which is the Persian
version of marquetry, which
is said to have developed in
Iran during the reign of Safavid
dynasty from 1501 to 1722.
The processes, techniques and
motifs of khatamkari marquetry
are said to have been brought
to Surat by the Parsis who
came to the Gujarat shores
from Iran, and this gave birth to
the distinctive Sadeli craft.
The Sadeli craftsmen are
mostly carpenters, who have
the precision and patience
required for the art forms of
marquetry.
While originally the art of
Sadeli was used mainly
for decorating doors,
windows and furniture, today
these craftsmen also embellish
jewellery boxes, photo frames.
Artisans cut wood pieces and
other materials, and glue them
together, based on the plan,
colour, shape, dimensions
and the place of application.
Rakesh Pethigara, Sadeli
craftsmen says, “The quality
of the craftsmanship is judged
by the intricacy of detail of the
geometric forms used in a
surface. We successfully apply
250 pieces in one square inch
of a wooden surface. This art
is distinct from inlay-work, as
in we do not inlay wood but
create a decorative layer for
wooden products”.
