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Future
dream of golden past Last week saw one of Sri Lanka's oldest jewellery stores Pattakannus make the transition to meet the current demand. Founded in 1895, this famous name has been part of the growth of the gold industry in the island. The first Pattakannus
workshop was established in Gampola and its founder began work in
the plantation sector together with his family who had migrated
from India.
In 1910, Pattakannus moved to the location of its current corporate office in New Chetty Street, Kotahena, and the company was registered two years later. Back in the 1920s, gold jewellery was not bought 'readymade' off the counter. Families came over to the goldsmith's workshop and had extensive discussions before deciding on the design and quality of the jewellery they wanted made. "This is how the company built a family-based clientele," reveals Mr. Thiagarajah, adding that most of the time, orders arrived in bulk months ahead of weddings. Being of Indian origin, Pattakannus catered mostly to the manufacture of the 'thali' and 'padakkams' worn by Hindu brides. Over the years, a Sinhalese clientele was gradually built up as they began making the traditional Kandyan seven chains (mala hatha) for weddings. The thali is
an ethnic Indian form of chain and pendant worn by a bride as a
symbol of marriage. As tradition has it, the thali is made by melting
gold at an auspicious time. The 'padakkam', yet another ethnic Indian ornament is a gold plate-like pendant set with precious stones worn by women especially to special occasions such as weddings. It usually takes an average of 10 working days to complete. Most of the designs for gold-based jewellery in the 1930s, were either ethnic Indian or traditional Sri Lankan 'hansaputtu', with certain Western influences from Victorian jewellery patterns. Large brooches were fashionable and all jewellery was of 22 carat gold. One of Pattakannu Achchary's sons, Subbiah Achchary, introduced the then modern techniques of the jewellery trade in the mid-1930s, bringing in large quantities of machinery, equipment and tools from the United Kingdom. As the demand for production grew, the building was expanded to accommodate a larger workshop and showroom. Until the 1950s, gold was freely available for the Sri Lankan jeweller, and almost 90% was imported from the UK. However, with import restrictions being slapped on the trade in the fifties, the method of obtaining gold for manufacture also took a twist. Under the new regulations, each company was supplied with a standard amount of 1 ½ ounces of gold (equivalent to six sovereigns) to each craftsman per year, which in turn was used for production. As some of the workers were individually registered manufacturers themselves, they demanded that they be given the stipulated amount of gold separately. On a permit given through the village headman, they were then granted the gold, which was eventually re-sold to the leading manufacturers of the country. The situation was slightly different in the 1960s, with jewellers being able to purchase gold from the Bank of Ceylon. Currently, gold can be purchased from almost any bank that imports the precious metal. In 1959, Pattakannus was handed down to the next generation, that of its current Chairman S.A. Thiagarajah, just as the demand for gold jewellery was on the rise. Until then, almost all the jewellery was handmade with a few pieces being turned out using a hand-operated machine. However, as the need arose, Mr. Thiagarajah visited the West to acquaint himself with the latest techniques in the field and introduced several machines and other equipment to make way for mass production. In the present day, even some of the most intricate jewellery can be mass-produced via machines. Pattakannus was also one of the pioneers to introduce lost wax casting and automatic chain making, sand blasting, tumbling and other such methods in 1978, with their technicians being trained in Germany and Switzerland. The jewellery industry took a positive turn when in 1981, the Jewellery School at the Technical College of Ceylon was established with the aid of the Belgian government. A few dozen pupils pass out after a course in jewellery design bi-annually. In the early stages of gold jewellery manufacture in Sri Lanka, most of the designing was done by the craftsmen themselves. In recent times however, most establishments employ specialist designers, and Pattakannus has award-winning designer Manojani Goonatileke, better known in industry circles as 'Mano'. The late 1960s saw a global trend towards jewellery in platinum and white gold, with many of the local elite opting for diamonds set in platinum for greater quality. The current trend has also seen the emergence of readymade jewellery sold over-the-counter rather than custom-made. Pattakannus has also made the leap to the 21st Century with their 'Golden Dream' boutique, opened in Colombo’s fashionable Alfred House Road neighbourhood. nveiling a new collection of fashionable and classical jewellery keepsakes, including a section of 'daily wear', as well as the more intricate designs, the firm has not lost its traditional touch. Ethnic Indian and traditional Sri Lankan jewellery is also available. There's also a special 'museum' area where older designs have been exhibited. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |
For
centuries, diamonds have been a girl's best friend. In Sri Lanka,
though, it has not been diamonds, but gold that most women have
adorned themselves with down the centuries. And from humble beginnings,
the gold industry too has grown to meet the needs of modern times.
The
fact that the workforce in Sri Lanka was paid in guineas during
British rule was inspiration enough to lure the late M. Pattakannu
Achchary, his brother and a few relatives to set up a jewellery
business in the island. Their business began with transforming the
estate workers' gold coins, into intricate jewellery.
Chairman/CEO
of Pattakannus S.A. Thiagarajah reveals that 'advertising' jewellery-making
establishments in the early 20th century was not done in papers,
but instead involved door-to-door canvassing in the city. In the
years gone by, the goldsmith was even summoned to the homes of clients
and the work done there, sometimes overnight.
