Bangle making in Jaipur, Rajasthan

From the archive record

The making of colourful lac bangles, over the heat of burning coal. The lacquer used for making bangles is natural lac which is coloured using coloured lac by heating it. Melted coloured lac is rubbed over normal lac until it absorbs the color. The lac is pressed and stuck on the brass metal bangles. Lac bangles of Jaipur are very popular. The lac used for making bangles is natural lac which is coloured using coloured lac by heating it. Normal lac is stuck/pasted thickly on a wooden rod and rolled over a flat surface to make it into a cylindrical shape. This lac is then heated slowly over the coal burner. The heated lac is continuously pressed and rolled over the flat iron plate with the help of wooden tool. The coloured lac is heated simultaneously and then applied evenly by rubbing it on