TRACING THE LOST CHAPPAL

by Anum Sanaullah

To seek knowledge beyond a hegemonic culture, I collaborated with the local Kharani women to recreate a Balochi doll called ‘Chappal’ in the local language and experience this fast-dissipated cultural trait. Chappal facilitated co-creation, play, and storytelling, serving as a communal practice connecting generations and ecology. The dancer doll — with a string attached to the top of the head and the other to her body, Chappal could be swayed to any tune and was designed to strengthen intergenerational bonds, where mothers and daughters would come together to create dolls, build character, as they wove stories around them.

A reminder of times when Chappal was presented to foreign delegations visiting Kharan as a present, accompanied by a handmade camel stuffed toy. Fast-forward to the present — unlearning these hegemonic narratives would require reinstating Indigenous ways of living and their true values through everyday aesthetic practices and the senses. One possible approach could be through stories that reflect their authentic cultural traits.When I visited my ancestral land Kharan, my first aim was to find a Chappal. However, I was surprised to find that a doll that served as a beautiful embodiment of the Baloch culture, where my mother had a chance to play with one, has largely faded from existence today.

Sitting outside on the veranda of my mother’s ancestral home, I ask her to share stories about her childhood interactions with the Chappal, to which she pointed to a corner by my grandfather’s quarters.

“I had plenty of friends, at least a dozen at a time, who would come every day. Every spring I would visit Kharan owing to the extremely pleasant weather. I would have to get a new dollhouse made each time. It would mostly comprise two small clay rooms, with tiny utensils, even brooms, and some earthenware. Pieces of rug and a fireplace were always a must.”