GOA CHAIR (© Line drawing by Tony Fernandes)
Standard Wooden chair with 'fleur de lis' pattern in 'bas relief'.
INTERWOVEN CANE SEAT PATTERNS OF YESTERYEAR
Back in the olden days, people took pride in good house-keeping. Painting the exterior and interior walls of houses for Christmas, and having them repaired before the onset of monsoons were major chores. Old chairs were varnished and given a new look and their seats re-caned. This craft of 'caning' or stringing chairs using cane (and nylon in later years) particularly, belong to the men and women of the 'Mahar' tribe, who were also equally adept at other occupations like basket and mat weaving. When I was young my mother used to summon to our home a woman from another village nearby to have our chairs re-strung. It was interesting to watch this woman at her artistic ability as she rapidly and skillfully entwined a mesh of intricate patterns with her deft hands.
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