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Kupi
Among other products of leather, Kupi is also very famous which is a bottle made
of camel hide to keep oil or attar (perfume). Bikaner is a famous place for Kupis.
Manoti art is the reminiscent of the exquisite marble work of Mughal era. In this novel art articles like lamps, lampshades etc. are colored and decorated with floral designs and figures and plated with gold leaf. 
The leather work of Rajasthan is interestingly a joint effort of the local men and
women. While the men do the tanning, cutting and stitching, the women do the embroidery
and ornamentation.
This ornate craft represents a magnificent combination of two craft forms: (1) the
skill of making products - from saddles to water bottles known as kupi (2) of ornamenting
these products.
Nakashi is an ornate lacquer work on an embossed surface, in which gold leaf and/or
paint is used for decoration and designing, in adjunct with other colours and other
kinds of decorative ornamentation akin to minakari are used.
The art of nakashi is supposed to have been brought to India by Mughal emperors
who brought Usta artists (those who do the delicate and meticulous nakashi work).
The Junagarh Fort in Bikaner stands testimony to the enchanting artworks created
by these artists. The Anup Mahal in the fort is resplendent with golden lacquer
work, spun into delicate floral and bird and animal designs.
During the time of the British in India, nakashi work on camel leather became popular.
Camel hide was light and unbreakable, and camel-hide saddles and bags (especially
as containers for water, since they were easy to transport without breaking) became
common bases for nakashi work in this desert kingdom and adjoining areas. These
water bottles/containers called kupis - ornately decorated with nakashi work, much
in the style of the tradition of ornately decorated camel-leather saddles - were
popular in Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner. Their utilitarian value, quite apart
from the exquisite artistic tradition they represent, has meant that they continue
to be made till today.
The motifs in nakashi work are linked closely with the Mughal origin of this craft
in India. In depiction, they closely follow a style of Mughal miniature paintings
- especially court paintings - whose hallmarks include acute detailing, intricate
designing, a superbly deft use of colour and line in a small space, and a very ornate
effect, shot through with gold work. The patterns created are also distinctly Mughal,
and are closely allied with relief detailing in the ornate aspects of Mughal architecture.
Where to Shop Kupi in Bikaner
Bikaner shopping destinations are a shopper's paradise. They have something to offer
to everyone. The best time to shop in Bikaner is during the Camel Festival. You
can ride on a camel and shop for the local crafts in the numerous stalls put there.
Apart from that, the other famous shopping places in Bikaner, Rajasthan are Kote
Gate (King Edward Memorial Road) and Junagarh Fort.
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