Khamir Annual Exhibitions

These braided bands were tied on the front ankles of camels as adornment by the camel herders of Banni and East Kachchh.

Camels were decorated in these eight-bell straps on the occasion of a wedding in a camel herder’s family in Banni. These alsoserved a sensory purpose as their sound helped to trace the whereabouts of the camel.

This is like a face mask with elaborate bead work on a leather base. It was used by the camel herders in Banni to adorn their camels on special occasions. The patch of bead work is made by the woman in the family which is later laid out on leather and stitched by the leather artisan. Meghwar women are known for their intricate bead embroideries.

These were simple collars to adorn and fasten the animal in the semi-permanent shelters of herders or within the house premises. 

Since camels were an important means of transportation in Kutch and among all cattle herders, there were numerous camel herding communities, so the need for saddlery and other accessories was prominent. Majority of these pieces today have been replaced with other textile materials.