ART OF CRAFT
The art of craft lies as much in its history as it does in the manufacturing process. Kashmir Box, an online venture, is a showcase of traditional Kashmiri products. A look at what makes them so special.
Kashmir's traditional techniques make for interesting conversation pieces and elegant decor
What is Kashmir if not a beautiful mix of myriad forms of artistic expressions? Be it the overwhelmingly, sensuous landscape and the poetry it evokes or the crafts (papier mache, wood work, silk ware, jewellery, floor coverings, basketry, metal works, clays, ceramics and stone crafting), Kashmir has lots to offer. No one understands this better than 26-year-old, Muheet Mehraj, who in 2011 along with friend, Kashif Khan, started Kashmir Box. “The idea was to build an eco system that thrives on technology, creates an access for consumers to authentic produce and crafts of the geography of Jammu and Kashmir and at the same time focuses on improving the livelihood of artisans of the valley. Kashmir is a huge brand in the offline space, however there was negligible presence on the internet,” says Mehraj. The e-commerce store retails the largest collection of Kashmir products online with crafts ranging from papier mache, decoratives and furniture, walnut wood artefacts, furniture, chain stitch rugs, oriental carpets, crewel curtains, bed spreads and copperware, to name a few. The beauty of all the pieces on sale is that they are all made by hand. As for the time taken, “it depends on the kind of product one would choose. Some take a week while rugs, carpets and furniture sometimes take months to make,” says Mehraj, who helps decodes a few of the traditional crafts sold at Kashmir Box. PRICE `2,500 to `9 lakh AT www.kashmirbox.com
CREWEL INTENTIONS
“Hand-crafted in a beautiful valley caught between the majestic Pir Panjal and the glorious Himalayan range, crewel embroidery is actually as ancient as the 1st Century BC,” says Mehraj. The craft uses a specialised hook called awl or aari, a sturdy base fabric and thick threads of wool.
WOOLLEN BEAUTIES
Namda derives its name from a man Nubi, who conceived the idea of felted carpets made in wool. Today everything from floor coverings to cushions are made using this techniques.
THE ART OF WOOD CARVING
From manufacturing of walnut wood trees into fashionable planks and giving the final finishing touches to it using the local tools and techniques, walnut wood carving is a fashionable craft form.
THE WHIMSY OF WICKER
Wicker willow is locally known as veer
kani. “It forms the raw material for making baskets, room dividers, and curtain rings, to name a few,” adds Mehraj.
COPPER TOPS THE LIST
“What entices one most about the copper craft of Kashmir is the sheer elegance it commands,” says Mehraj. Copperware or traam as it is locally known, is still an irreplaceable household article.
CARPETS OF KASHMIR
“Normally, one carpet takes an average of two years to complete,” says Mehraj. All Kashmiri carpets are hand woven by tying knots on the warp strands. The value of the carpet is directly proportional to the number of knots in the carpet.
FOLLOWING THE PAPER TRAIL
In Kashmir a papeir mache product involves two simple procedures, sakhtsazi and naqashi. “Sakhtsazi involves fashioning the base product from the pulp of paper into the desired form while naqashi is the painting process done over it,” explains Mehraj.