At a glance
- Not Jaipur: CET (Senior Secondary) 2024 asked where thewa is made; the answer is Pratapgarh. Jaipur is known for meenakari and kundan.
- A secret craft: only the men of the Raj Soni family practise it, and it passes from father to son.
- Award: Mahesh Raj Soni of Pratapgarh received the Padma Shri in 2015.
Facts
| Place | Pratapgarh town, Pratapgarh district |
|---|---|
| Craft | 23-carat gold foil, cut by hand into a design and fused onto coloured (Belgian) glass |
| Makers | The Raj Soni family of goldsmiths |
| GI | Thewa Art Work: filed 17.10.2011, certificate 31.03.2014 |
| Stamp | A ₹5 stamp, one of a set of four handicraft stamps issued on 15 November 2002 |
Origin
According to the family's tradition, a goldsmith named Nathu Soni began the craft; the year is given as 1707 or 1767. A ruler of the area is said to have given him the title Raj Soni ('royal goldsmith'); accounts name the ruler Sawant Singh or Sumant Singh.
Remember: often mixed up
- Gold craftsthewa is gold on glass, Pratapgarh · meenakari is enamel on gold or silver, Jaipur · koftgari is wire inlay on iron, Udaipur.
- Glass in two craftsthewa fuses gold onto coloured glass · Jaipur blue pottery has powdered glass in its dough.
Test yourself: asked in exams
CET Senior Secondary Level 2024 · Q104
Thewa Art is associated with which of the following areas of Rajasthan?
- (1)Churu
- (2)Jaipur
- (3)Pratapgarh
- (4)Jhalawar
Show answer
✓ (3) Pratapgarh
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