Introduction to Kashmiri Art

Extremely enchanting and unique – the first thought that would crop up in

your mind after you witness the beauty of Kashmir art. So fine in its nature

and unique in its elegancy, Kashmiri artisans create handicrafts and art

pieces that set them apart from any other machine-made product. The

artisans living in this beautiful land create pieces that are hand-made, some

of which take even up to months to complete depending on the intricacy of

the work involved. The art created ranges from shawls, carpets to hook work

and embroidered products. However, most of these brilliant artisans are paid

just peanuts for their precious work. And this is the story of majority of the

artisans in the state.

History of Kashmiri Art of Weaving

The art of weaving took birth in the Kashmir Valley as early as the 15th

century by the King who ruled the state during that time, Zain-ul-Abidin. He

imported this fine art from Persia, and even today, the art created by the

Kashmiri artisans follow the same intricate motifs and structure. The best

part of this art is its needlework, which is fine and detailed. This art

flourished during the Mughal period and continued even during the Sikh

rule. But the tradition took a turn when British rule arrived in the early 19th

century, which led to commercialization of hand-made products in Kashmir.

The turmoil of 1989 gave a severe hit to the handloom industry when the

military forces got locked in a long withdrawn conflict, creating a void in the

lives of craftsmen.

Arts and Crafts – Today and Tomorrow

Kashmir is known across the globe for its splendid and unique work of arts.

If you travel even through the most interior parts of the state, you will see the

intricate pieces of art everywhere. Whatever you get to see in Kashmir has

some kind of art on it. One can experience some of the most beautiful work

on the Kashmiri clothes and shawls, which is too mesmerizing to be missed.

Even the art done on steel ware, wood and paper is heart throbbing.

Carpets

Perfect representation of Kashmiri art, Kashmiri carpets are famous

worldwide. The impressive workmanship and the great quality material used

in making these notable pieces make the carpets expensive. However, the

intricate design and the artwork are worth every penny you spend on it.

The art has been passed from one generation to another, and in spite of the

high-tech machines available today, the traditional weavers choose to hand

weave the carpets. Even the designs on the carpets reflect a Persian touch

and feel. One of the most commonly seen designs is that of the "tree of life",

which is quite unique in itself. Talking about the durability and the price, it

all depends on its knotting. The more knots you see in a square inch, the

higher is the price, and durability of the carpet. The carpets are generally

made out of the finest wools, which were sometimes imported from

Manchester, Scotland etc.

The entire process of weaving is quite laborious and involves times and

effort, right from cultivation of wool to treatment and dyeing them. The

person who designs the carpet is known as Nakaash, and a Kalimba is the

weaver and a Ranger is someone who dyes them.

The art of weaving is practiced majorly in rural areas and villages of Kashmir,

but the selling happens mostly in urban areas. The business owners buy these

woven items and they are able to sell them at inflated prices.

Wood Carving

Kashmir is also home to some of the best wood carvings, which is done on a

variety of objects-ranging from furniture to articles such as cigar boxes,

photo frames and so on. Walnut is the most common wood that is used for

carving, and Kashmir being the only part of India where the walnut tree

grows, is well known for walnut carvings. Its finesse, sheen and color are

unique, and the work that is done on this wood is of the top-notch quality.

The wood obtained from the walnut is almost black, and the grain is lighter

in color. The branches, which are almost blonde, are the lightest in color, and

have no noticeable grain.

There are various varieties of carving-deep - usually with lotus flower motifs;

shallow carving, done all over the flat surface; open work, usually depicting

the Chinar motif; and semi-carving, with a thin panel along the rim of a

surface. And to add to the beauty, wax polishing brings out the inherent

sheen of the wood.

Shawls

The word shawl, derived from the Persian word "shal", is known for fine

woolen garments. These are worn and used as a warm protective garment all

over India, and Kashmir has become well-known for fantastic shawls all over

the world. Kashmiri Shawls are made out of pashmina, wool and shahtoosh,

woolen shawls being the most modest budget shawls while shahtoosh being

an expensive purchase. Woolen shawls are quite popular because of the

hand-crafted embroidery worked on them, which is unique to Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pashmina shawl is one of the most famous handcrafted products

of the state. These shawls are festooned with exquisite embroidery and are

created with silky soft material. The commonly known types of embroidery

that can be seen on the Pashmina shawls are Aari, Sozni and papier mache.

Hand Painting

Apart from hand weaving and carvings, Kashmiris are very good at hand

painting. Their Papier Mache painting is another amazing form of handicraft

that has brought Kashmir widely known in different parts of the world. The

process involved in creating these products is quite tedious and time

consuming. However, the mere look of these splendorous objects itself will

compel you to buy them. There are also cheaper versions of Papier Mache

that are made up of cardboard, which is commonly used in making

decorative items and other objects such as table lamps, boxes, etc. For

someone who doesn’t know about the art much, almost all the papier mache

objects look the same, however there is a price differential which depends on

the quality of the product and the material used.

Life of Artisans in Kashmir

Although the artisans can be found in almost all the villages and rural areas

of Kashmir, a far-flung hamlet in the district Baramulla, Puthaar has become

quite famous as Kashmir’s craft village. Almost all the men and women in the

village are associated with different types of artwork, which includes

embroidery, craft work, wood work, carpet making etc. These skilled

craftsmen and craftswomen of the village toil hard to earn their living.

Though the work and effort they put in earns a whole lot of name for

Kashmir, and India as a whole, these women and their families struggle for

their survival and are not able to make their ends meet.

Being so common and popular to the masses, the handwork has turned into

the identity of the state, and its impact can be very well seen in almost every

dimension of life in Kashmir. Traditionally, the craft, which includes carpet

marketing, carving etc. passes from parents to their children. However, these

crafts are so interwoven with the culture of the state that the craft enterprises

are referred to as the cultural industry of Kashmir. From 16th century itself,

these crafts then be it embroidery, shawls, carpets, papier or wood carving,

has helped the artisans to earn their livelihood, who are extremely passionate

about their culture.

One of the biggest problem here is there hasn’t been any major technological

growth and development in the sector for almost decades now. The way the

artisans used to create the products in 16th century, it is being followed even

today; the production process hasn’t changed much. Therefore, there is a

strong need for technological transformations that can update the soft

technology in the state, such as design and branding, and then we need hard

technology like physical infrastructure that can improve efficiency. The

artisans in Kashmir are replicating and using the old designs even today,

while in other countries artisans are thriving on the latest designs and use of

software technology. All these attributes are well-suited for the use of

software technology. Additionally, there is also a need to upgrade the present

infrastructure and include scientific transformation into the sector to

improve the visibility and make it more workable.

What our craftsmen and artisans associated with this trade need is not

industry status, but a model that focuses on all these attributes.

Therefore, it is important that we, the people of India, join hands and align

our skill building with the requirements of our crafts sector. For instance, it

is time that the schools and universities of Kashmir offer courses in Crafts

Management to attract and create a talent pool that will professionalize this

blooming market all around the world along modern lines.

And we, the people of the western world, will recognize this art and

appreciate its quality, and add colors and spices from the east to our home.

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