Sikki Art

Sikki is a type of Stemmed Grass characterized by its wonderful Golden hue colour, the grass is found in the wet and marshy areas in Mithila region of North Bihar.

The Maithili Women, collect the grass from the village farms. The upper portion of the stem which contains flowers is discarded and the remaining portion is cut into small pieces and is preserved for making attractive Craft.

Evolution

Centuries ago, women of Mithilanchal region used Grass handicrafts mainly for storage of Food grains & for making household Utilities. Over a period of time the craft-from evolved from utility to entertainment and many innovative products such as Toys, Dolls & Jewellery found its expression. The Art of Making Picturesque images from Sikki Grass, is one of the most recent innovative Improvisation.

Process

The grass is cut from near to the roots and washed with water. The flower in the upper portion is discarded, the rest of the grass is dried and shaved with a knife. As per the need, the Grass is mixed with different colors. Munj Grass is used along with Sikki as base in many Utility Craft to increase the durability of the Product.

Style
Characterized by complex geometrical patterns, in Sikki Art the grass is pasted in accordance with a fixed theme and accordingly symbols, lines, patterns are realized. The Sikki Grass is believed to be auspicious by the people of Mithilanchal region. The Art requires, Skillful Hands, Thoughtful Mind, and a Heart with full of Patience.

The Sikki Grass Work has been conferred with Prestigious GI TAGGED Status in the year 2007, as 46th GI Tagged product of India.