Object Number: VRM6327

Dimensions: 31.1 cm diameter

Material: Stone

Find Location: Natore, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh

Date: 19th Century CE

This stone object is ornately carved on one side with repetitive circular motifs with geometric designs. In Bangladesh, such patterns are known as Nakshi. Although beautiful, this is not the intended final product but is used to create objects in other materials.

One possible use for this object was as a mould in which rice cakes were decorated. The mixture of ground rice flower and other ingredients, such as sugar, spices and fruits, are kneaded and then pressed against the stone to create beautifully shaped and patterned rice cakes. These are often shared during celebrations, including the end of the harvest season, as well as the New Year.

Another use may have been to print patterns on textiles. Silk is one of the main industries of Rajshahi, and many factories undertake this process from the nurturing of the silkworm through to the finished garment. Fed on the mulberry bushes, the silkworm then forms a cocoon, from which the fine silk thread is spun. Woven into sheets of fabric, the silk can then be dyed and transformed into garments. One technique used during dyeing is to paint designs on the fabric with hot wax, which will stop this area taking on the colour of the dye. Another method is to place the dye within a mould and to press the fabric onto the mould.

The third possible use of the mould was as a template to bend wire into decorative patterns which could then be sown into a dress (as can be seen in Object 23). Whichever purpose, this physical object is a reminder of, and a testament to, the creative traditions and intangible heritage of Bangladesh.