Handicrafts

 

Nature, the most talented artisan has used her best artistic skills while creating beautiful valley of Kashmir. The kaleidoscopic landscape of mountains, rivers and forests decorated with embellishments of evergreen meadows, shimmering lakes and vibrant flowers. The sharp and intelligent mind of Kashmiri appreciates the beauty of nature and is inspired to reproduce this beauty in form of crafts. He has acquired taste and a refinement of artistic sense and reproduces colors and designs of nature with perfection. Besides the climate and environment is best suited for industries of handicrafts with nature providing raw materials in abundance.

The main industries are manufacturing shawls, carpets, silk weaving, embroidery, wood carving, willow work, Papier Mache, etc.

 

Willow- Work

  

Willow rushes grow plentifully in marshes and lakes in Kashmir. Willow is used to make charmingly quaint objects such as shopping baskets, lampshades to tables & chairs, and many more items. They are quite reasonably priced. To increase their life-span, unvarnished products should be frequently sprayed with water, particularly in hot, dry climates, to prevent them from becoming brittle. Cricket bats made of Kashmiri willow are most sought after and are used by the Indian Cricket team.

 

 

 

Copperware

 

The coppersmiths of Srinagar engrave and emboss floral, geometric, leaf and even calligraphic motifs on copper or sometimes brass. Their designs are very traditional and appealing. The work is known as naqash and its intricateness and the weight of the object determines the price. Engraved copper household utility objects such as samovars, bowls, plates, trays and decorative items like flower vases etc are in great demand.    

 

 

Silver-work  

 

The silver-work of Kashmir is very exquisite. The native patterns such as the chinar and lotus leaf are created by the silversmith who works with a hammer and chisel. The silver-work of Kashmir has a special white sheen which looks beautiful at first sight, but tends to tarnish after a short time. This whiteness is achieved by boiling the silver in apricot juice.  

Namdas

 

Namdas are inexpensive colorful floor coverings, made from woolen and cotton fiber, which are manually pressed into shape. Prices depend on the percentage of wool used. A Namda containing 80% wool is more expensive than the one containing 20% wool. These rugs are adorned with Chain stitch embroidery in woolen and cotton thread to make them more attractive.

Namdas originated in the 11th century during the reign of Akbar, the great Mughal ruler. He ordered to arrange for a suitable cover for his horse who was affected by biting cold. A wise old man called Nubi, manufactured the felt and embroidered it in multicolored beautiful designs. The felt was given the title of Namda after the name of its manufacturer Nubi.

 

Gabbas

It is believed that a poor man living in 18th century could not afford a new bed sheet, so he sewed up different rags of clothes to make a sheet. The result was an attractive Gabba. Subsequently Gabba was made by stitching pieces of cloth or blankets of different colors giving it the look of appliqué work or patchwork. The seams are camouflaged by embroidery. A cotton lining is fixed on the backside filled with wool to make it soft and padded. Mostly Gabbas are used as floor coverings but some even use special Gabbas as curtains. Once upon a time Gabba was a poor man’s rug, today it is a fashion statement for the rich.

 

Chain Stitching

In Kashmir, chain stitching is not done by needle but by using ari or hook. The work is completed faster and efficiently with ari. The thread used is either wool, silk or cotton. Very petite stitches are used neatly to cover the cloth entirely. The background is of single color and motifs are embroidered with bright colors. Chain stitching is used on garments, cushions, curtains, soft leather, wall hangings, bed covers, Gabbas, shawls, etc.

 

Crewel-Work

 

The bedcovers and curtains of crewel work are world famous. In late 19th century this European craft was brought into Kashmir. Only woolen thread is used for embroidering in crewel work. It is coarse and less intricate than chain stitching and the base of the cloth is clearly visible. Few basic colors are used on a white or off-white cotton cloth. The crewel work cloth which is mostly used for drapes or upholstery is sold in meters and not as an individual piece.

Walnut Wood

 

In India, a walnut tree is grown only in Kashmir. Hence the items made from walnut wood are very popular in India and abroad. Three parts of the walnut tree, the branches, the trunk and the root are used to make products. The branches have the palest color of wood, and the root the darkest. Walnut is a soft wood; hence carving intricate designs is easier. Chinar leaves, vine leaves and flowers are carved to fill entire surfaces or along the borders. The articles made by woodcarving include a wide range of items such as lamp stands, trinket boxes, the larger jewellery boxes, salad bowls, photo frames, trays, telephone stands, etc. Furniture made from walnut wood is in great demand. Cupboards, writing desks, cabinets, screens, corner tables, large dining tables with six chairs, etc made from walnut wood are generally found in Kashmiri homes. Wax polishing on products is done to bring out the gloss inherent in walnut wood. Varnish is rarely used as it masks the grain of the wood and changes its natural hue. The price of the products depends on the part of the tree used and the nature and expanse of carving.

 

Papier Mache

   

 It is one of the most outstanding crafts of Kashmir. The craftsmanship dates back to the reign of Zain-ul-Abidin popularly known as Budshah (1420-1470 AD).

The Papier Mache products vary from picture frames, pen-cases, screens, writing sets, candle sticks, tie and handkerchief boxes, vases, Christmas ornaments, coasters, to boxes of every imaginable size and shape. These objects are not only intricately decorated, but are surprisingly light and strong.

Papier Mache is a delicate decorative art which shows the artistic passion of a craftsman. The designs painted on objects of Papier Mache` are brightly colored. The creation of a Papier Mache object can be divided into two categories, the sakhtsazi (making the object) and the naqashi (painting the surface). Real gold and silver paint is used sometimes to highlight certain motifs.

To make Papier Mache`, first paper is soaked in water till it disintegrates. It is then pounded, mixed with an adhesive solution, shaped over moulds, and allowed to dry and set before being painted. Varnish is applied to the finished product to impart a high gloss and smoothness.

Carpets

 

Kashmiri carpets are world renowned for two things- they are hand made and they are always knotted, never tufted. Carpet weaving in Kashmir has come from Persia. The colors of Kashmiri carpets are more subdued and soft and only chemical dyes instead of vegetable dyes are used.

Durability and value depends on the number of knots per square inch. Also there are single and double knotted carpets. A double knotted carpet has a pile that bends when you brush it one way with your hand, and stands upright when it is brushed in other direction. A Single knotted carpet is fluffier and more resistant to touch. One can also easily identify whether a carpet is single or double knotted by examining the reverse of the carpet.

A Carpet is a life long investment. It can be the most expensive purchase during your trip to Kashmir. It is interesting to watch making of a carpet. Trips to carpet factories can be arranged for seeing carpet weaving by hotel / houseboat owners or your guides.

Stretched tightly on a frame is the warp of Carpet. The weft threads are passed through, the ‘talim’ or design and color specifications are then worked out on this: a strand of yarn is looped through the warp & weft, knotted and then cut. The yarn normally used is either only silk or only wool or both silk and wool. Both Woolen and silk carpets always have a cotton base. Sometimes in silk carpets, the base is also of silk in which case you will see that the fringe is silk; the cost of such carpets is very high. Occasionally, carpets are made on a cotton base, mainly of woolen pile with silk yarn used as highlights on certain motifs.

Shawls

    

Shawl is derived from the Persian shal, which was the name for a whole range of fine woolen garments. Kashmir is synonymous with shawls all over the world. Shawls have been worn and used as a warm protective garment by kings and queens since ancient times It is said that the shawls were famous in Kashmir in the times of emperor Ashok (3rd C BC) but many writers credit Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin (1420-1470 A.D) as the initiator of Shawl industry in Kashmir.

 

Pashmina Shawl

 

Pashmina is unmistakable for its softness. Pashmina yarn is spun from the hair of the ibex found at 14,000 ft above the sea level, although pure Pashmina is expensive, the cost is sometimes brought down by blending it with rabbit fur or with wool.

                                                          

Shahtoosh

 

Shahtoosh, the legendary ‘ring shawl’ is incredible for its lightness, softness and warmth. The astronomical price it commands in the market is due to the scarcity of raw-material. High in the plateau of Tibet and the eastern part of Ladakh, at an altitude of above 5,000 meters, roam Tibetan antelopes. During grazing, a few strands of the downy hair from the throat are shed and these strands are painstakingly collected until there are enough for a shawl. Yarn is spun either from Shahtoosh alone, or with Pashmina, bringing down the cost somewhat. In the case of pure Shahtoosh too, there are many qualities, the yarn can be spun so skillfully that it resembles a strand of silk. The shawls made from such fine yarn are extremely expensive. Furthermore they can be woven only in a loose manner and are too flimsy for any type of embroidery to be done on them. Unlike woolen or Pashmina shawls, Shahtoosh is seldom dyed as that would be rather like dyeing gold. Its natural color is mousy brown. At present these shawls are extremely rare and very expensive due to scarcity of raw material. Shahtoosh is once-in-a-lifetime purchase.

 

Kani Shawls

 

Another famous variety is the Kani shawls which now adorn the great museums of the world and are a status symbol in rich circles of the society. The art which had almost become extinct has been revived and developed once again. It involves a laborious technique as numerous kanis or little wooden sticks wrapped in colored threads are moved around just for a single weft line of an inch length of shawls. As Kani shawls are very expensive (priced at Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 10 lakhs), the artisans have begun using raffle woolen yarn on a large scale to make the shawls more affordable. These hand-woven shawls are embroidered with floral motifs and in elegant color schemes. They are very popular all over the world.

 

Woolen Shawls

 

Woolen shawls are admired because of the exquisite embroidery worked on them which is a specialty of Kashmir. The embroidery and the type of wool used determine the price. Different types of embroidery are worked on shawls – ‘sozni’ or needlework is neatly worked on a panel along the sides of the shawl. Motifs such as abstract designs or stylized paisleys and flowers are embroidered in two or three soft colors. Another popular kind of embroidery is “Papier Mache” work. This is done either in wide panels or covering the complete surface. Ari or hook embroidery is also appreciated in which flower designs are intricately created in tiny rings of chain stitch.

A shawl weaver once said that:

“Weaving is an ibadat, an act of worship for us”. Weavers have a patron Sufi   saint who demands honesty in ibadat or worship.