Bindeshwari Devi
Model of an autobus
Asia, India / Europe, GDR, Berlin
1976
Wickerwork from Sikki grass (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash), plaited, woven, dyed and printed, wheels: sheet metal, iron, metal wire
Donated to the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden by the Ministry of Culture on 5 October, 1978
61988
In 1978, the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden received a donation of 76 objects of Indian folk art from the Ministry of Culture of the GDR. These cultural relics had been made for the exhibition entitled “Indian Folk Artists and their Works,” which was held in Berlin in September 1976. Six Indian artists traveled to Berlin for this exhibition and gave daily demonstrations of painting, weaving, and plaiting techniques, as well as demonstrations of making toys out of cloth and paper. The objects that were donated to the museum were made as part of the museum's educational activities. A supplementary catalog to the donation identifies Bindeshwari Devi as the maker of this wickerwork. She demonstrated the art of Sikki grass weaving in Berlin. The use of Sikki grass leaves and roots to make baskets, bags, hats, and jewelry, as well as decorate interiors, is particularly common in the villages of Bihar. Bindeshvari Devi, originally from the Terai region in North Bihar, was a renowned master of her craft and had already been awarded the Master Crafts Woman National Award in 1969.
Petra Martin