Kashmir's papier mache craft Attains world-class fame

Kashmir is well known for its natural beauty; its K summer capital Srinagar is located in the centre of the valley at an altitude of 1730 (m) above the sea level.

It is because of its natural beauty like lakes gardens, mountains and meadows, besides a pleasant weather, that it attracts tourists from all over the world.

Papier mache, as per history, was found in ancient Egypt where coffins and death masks were often made attract them from layers of papyrus of linen covered with plaster In the Middle and far East, papier mache has been and skills used to manufacture small painted boxes, trays and cases.

Japan and China also produce laminated paper articles using papier mache. In Japan and India papier mache was used to add decorative elements to armour and shields

Papier mache is one among the crafts in Kashmir and a good number of people is associated with it. It is believed that the craft of papier mache has travelled from Iran to Kashmir and was introduced in Kashmir by king Zain-ul-Aabideen.

There are a variety of items prepared by the craftsmen of Kashmir having beautiful designs and colours which include pen stands, coasters, jewellery boxes, flower vases, lamp shades, trays, photo frames and decorative bowels which have a good demand even outside the country.

Some of the items have pure silver or gold dust sprinkled on these to increase their beauty sale Traditionally wood based papier mache is coated with a skinny stratum of stretched sheep skin which is well fitted for colouring pigments. The objects, generally, have dark background and suitable colours are black green, blue, red and white.

The designing on the objects requires skilled hands as the design of each object is very intricate.

Due to the flow of tourists in Kashmir the crafts of Kashmir have groomed much and the people , associated with the crafts are exploring their skill and are worldwide famous.

The crafts of Kashmir are seen displayed in well- decorated shops, especially on the tourist routes to The beauty of Kashmir is well defined by its crafts.

Process: The art of papier mache is based on paper pulp Different kinds of papers, mostly newspapers, are used for the art The papers are, first soaked for a week and then the stuff is are smoothened by grinding partly and then mixed with a liquid of boiled rice which makes it a past, which, then, is applied to the pots prepared by the craftsmen like boxes, trays, bowls wall hangings etc and then dried. A white colour coat is applied to these pots.

Some papers are then applied/ wrapped along the sides of these pots to avoid cracks. At the end different designs are carved on the objects and different colours are applied-mostly bright ones.

A coat of gold or silver (sometimes pure) is applied on these objects to make them presentable. At the end, these objects are made water resistant by applying vamish on them and then these are put for sale.  A good number of the population in Kashmir is associated with the craft and this craft has gained much publicity in the country and abroad as the tourists take these crafts with them as Kashmiri-made gifts.

Syed Batul Ajfan

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Courtesy: 2019 March Koshur Samachar