Bidri Wins the European Product Design Award
The Aftabi from the Bidri rug wins the European Product Design Award 2023 under Eco design/ Sustainable: Home products. The recently launched Bidri collection is inspired by the metal handicraft of Bidar. By using the craft of Bidriware as an inspiration for our design, we are trying to promote the ancient metal craft and showcase it for the world to see. The rug is made from sustainable materials, where sisal, a natural fiber derived from the agave plant constitutes most of it and the handspun silver zari accentuates it. Once the rug is made on the jacquard loom, silver kasavu yarns are inserted by hand along the warp to fill in specific weaves in the design to signify the use of silver in the craft of Bidriware.
The lead designer Samridhi Mridul was led by our
creative director Nimisha Srinivas and executed
into the product by Kannan Kalathinkal.
Traditionally the designs in Bidriware inlay various flowers, leaves , geometric designs, and human figures. Taking inspiration from these we have added a radical twist to the art by bringing in the striped pattern. The two colors used in Bidri, black and silver, give the design a visually appealing aesthetic that fits into modern-minimalist to traditional home settings. We have elevated the classic Bidriware aesthetic by incorporating pure silver yarns into select sections of the rug. The design is a blend of tradition and modernity, where every silver thread tells a story of craftsmanship, culture, and creativity.