Yes, may sound difficult to believe, but as many as 125 adivasi artists from Tejgadh and surrounding villages in the tribal interiors of Vadodara district are now producing just that. Organised into a co-operative with the help of G N Devi of the Bhasha Research Centre, these artists produce everything from paintings to jewellery.

``They have such an exquisite sense of colour,'' says Devi. According to him, tribal art is an expression of the tribal persona at its best, And till the Bhasha Research Centre came on the scene, most of it had remained just that - an expression spawning from the siege within, art for its own sake and fired by the vagaries of life.

But now it is not so. Their art is no longer metaphorical to their pain, it can provide an antidote. The tribal co-operative, aimed at converting the tribals' art into a source of employment, also holds out a strong possibility of mainstream Indian art being enriched by its exposure to tribal art.

The co-operative started three years ago, when Devi, who had been working among the Tejgadh tribals, encouraged them to bring their artworks to him. ``They brought so much that we couldn't buy all. And then we though that if they could be organised into a group their work would find an outlet.''

Much good has already come from the cross fertilisation of ideas that resulted from Bhasha's work. Some declining art forms are now showing signs of revival. Paintings that were once made only on mud walls, never to be seen by the outside world, are now being made on canvas. Most importantly, the artists experience a sense of pride and self respect on seeing that their work has been recognised.

While tribal artist Ghelubhai Rathwa was awarded the President's medal for woodcarving a couple of years ago, Mansinh Rathwa is known for his pithoras or paintings, which have drawn curious admirers at exhibitions in Delhi and Vadodara.

The concept of producing a surplus for sale, which was unknown to the tribals, may now help in improving their lot. The artwork, which the tribals traditionally made only for themselves, is beginning to find a market outside. ``The sky is the limit,'' says Devi. when asked about the extent of the market for this kind of art. He holds out a piece of lacquer-coated pottery as an example and says that besides being artistic it is non-stick, has better heat absorbing properties and is more environment-friendly than metal.

``Jeans come from a kind of cloth native tribes in North America used to wear,'' he says. ``Today everybody everywhere wears jeans. This pottery is our answer to jeans,'' he says.