RARE J&K CRAFTS MAKE WAY INTO THIS BOOK

From carpets to woodwork and jewellery to painting, textile conservationist Madhu Jain’s recent book documents J&K’s art and craft tradition that is at risk of vanishing

You sure have heard of Alibaba. No, not the character from the folktale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, but Alibaba the ‘raffoogar’, who lived in the time of the Afghan ruler Azad Khan, in a popular legend from Jammu and Kashmir. And it Is this Alibaba whose stories Delhi-based design veteran and textile conservationist Madhu Jain narrates in her recent book, The Living Art and Craft Tradition of Jammu and Kashmir.

The book narrates how once Alibaba noticed the imprints of a fowl’s feet on a white sheet and embroidered the resulting outline with a coloured thread to create a beautiful effect. That’s how the Kashmiri embroidered shawls that we love to wrap around ourselves in the winters, came into existence. Unlike the usual talks about the breathtaking landscapes of the valley in other forms of literature, this book focuses on the state’s art and craft.

“J&K has one of the rarest craft legacies in the world,” says Jain, recalling the time when she was working with a government on a project on Kashmir, in 2003. “We made a presentation to educate people about the art and craft of the state. That took the shape of this book. It was important to showcase this craft because due to whatever is happening in the valley, soon all of this will be lost,” Jain adds. “I’m not a writer but we trooped down to Jammu to check the museums there. Most of the images in the book are from Sadar-e-Riyasat of J&K Dr Karan Singh’s (the head of state after Independence) collection, since it was the rajas and the maharajas who were patrons of art and craft, and nurtured it,” she explains.

From carpets to woodwork and basohli miniatures, the book documents it all, and has something for everyone. “Earlier, most families used to have a silver tea set with filigree work from J&K, which is dying now. When Egyptology got introduced to the West, it had such an impact that every 10th American household had a piece of Egypt in their house. This book tries to do the same, and give everyone a slice of Kashmir because everything has backward linkages. Interest creates demand, and demand creates employment,” says Jain.

Most of the images in the book are from Dr Karan Singh’s (the head of state of J&K after Independence) collection, since it was the rajas and the maharajas who were patrons of art and craft, and nurtured it. MADHU JAIN DESIGN VETERAN AND TEXTILE CONSERVATIONIST

PHOTO: AVANTIKA MEATTLE Fashion designerauthor Madhu Jain

Cover of the book; A picture of Maharani Tara Devi of Kashmir from the book