Chettinad Kottan from Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, is hand-woven basket woven from the strips of palm leaf in a traditional weave pattern distinctive to itself. Chettinad Kottan has been noted for its unique style and colours. They were used for gifting and during rituals and festivals.
Chettinad Kottan weaving was a hobby craft of the women of the Chettiar community, and the baskets woven were originally not mean for sale but were meant only for use during rituals and ceremonies, and were given to the daughter when she left her new home after her marriage. Nowadays, the baskets are also woven to cater to the contemporary market.
Whenever a sacred contract was signed and ritual or ceremony to be held in the family, the colourful Kottans containing Vetrilaipakku (betel leaves and areca nuts) was given to friends and relatives. It was an unwritten unspoken invitation, which everybody respected.
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The raw material used is locally available palmyra leaf from the palmyra tree (Borassus Flabellifer) locally called ‘Panamaram’ which is found growing wild in and around farms and uncultivated lands.
The base of the basket is always a square or a rectangle, and is woven using the feet to hold the wrap in place. The rim of the basket is either round or oval, depending on the shape of the base and is finished in a technique called ‘nool vaai katturadhu’, in which the rim is finished with cotton thread in different patterns.
The ‘Surul’ is the only exception, having only two corners. It is woven with a lid and embellished with ‘Sohi’. These were traditionally used as money purses. Natural dye techniques have been used to dye the baskets into a variety of subtle shades and tints.
The Chettinad Kottan also uses a very unique technique called ‘Sohi’, where an extra strip of palm leaf is drawn through the weave of the completed basket to create an embroidery-like surface decoration in different patterns and contrasting colours. This technique is exclusive to the Chettinad Kottan.
Some of the traditional Sohi techniques are Arai Sohi, Nettal Sohi, Kokki Sohi etc, and the same are used to create traditional patterns and designs, some of which are Visiri (fan shaped) pattern, Vanki (v shaped) pattern, diagonal, and diamond patterns.
Another technique involves the painstaking process of slitting six parallel lines in three groups of two in each line of the wrap and weft through which the wrap or weft is inserted while weaving. This is usually done with two contrasting colours to maximize the effect of the design. The Kottan woven in this technique is called a Cut Kottan.
Chettinad Kottans covered with crochet were used for gifts and offerings. The crochet is worked around the basket and finished at the rim. Chettinad Kottans embellished with beadwork were used for gifts and decoration. The beadwork starts from the base and was worked towards the rim. Chettinad Kottans were also decorated with cross- stitch patterns using coloured threads.
GI Tag Registration Date : 04 March 2013
GI Tag Number : 200
Certificate Number : 185
Geographical Area : Tamil Nadu
Special Cover Release Date : 27 October 2021
Cancellation : Karaikudi 630 001
Type : GI Tag Cover
Cover Identification Number : TN/32/2021
Each cover is numbered. Total 2000 Covers are issued.
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