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Crafts of Kashmir
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WALNUT WOOD CARVING
Azad Kashmir, with its dense forests and wide variety of Walnut trees, has a rich tradition of wood carving and architecture. The strong, rich, dark and grainy wood of the walnut tree, (Juglans regia), known as dun in Azad Kashmir, was considered ideal for this carved work. The fame of kashmiri wood crafts and wood carving rests on the use of Walnut Wood as raw material. The walnut plants grow at an altitude of 5500 to 7500 feet above the sea level. Due to its durability and natural colour, it is regarded as most suitable both for carving and wood work. The carving is done skillfully in a variety like "Padri" where it is not deep, see through, undercut and deep carving with indigenous tools.
A variety of articles both decorative and utilitarian, ranging from smaller items like bowls, trays, cigarette boxes, wall panels, writing desks, table lamps to screens, bed steads, wine bars, chest of drawers, side boards and furnitures etc are crafted to meet contemporary demands. The important traditional designs are lotus, Dragon, Darbar, Rezkar, Poshkaar.
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Carved Table Set Sun Flower Design
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Walnut Dragon |
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Nest of Tables |
Carved Table |
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KASHMIRI CARPETS
Azad Kashmir has a place in the export trade of hand knotted woolen carpets in the world markets. They have received a tremendous fill up during all these years with the products and consumers encouragement.
Kashmiri Carpets are made in wool and silk, most of them are woven on the cotton warp as well. The raw material inputs are chiefly cotton, wool and silk yarn dyed in the desired shade through a process exclusively traditional.
The loom used in Kashmiri carpet weaving is composed of two horizontal wooden beams, between which the warp threads are stretched, one beam in front of the weaver and the second behind the first. The difference between a carpet and other hand-loom textiles lies in the fact that short lengths of threads or yarn are tied to warp chains to form the pile of the carpets. These are commonly called "knots", though it is a loop rather then an actual knot. Very simple tools are used to make carpets in Kashmir. These include a blade to make the initial cut once the thread has been knotted, a wood or metal comb to push knots and weft tightly together, and a pair of short scissors to cut the carpet to an form once it is finished.
Kashmiris carpet is a craze, a connoisseur's delight, a cherished acquisition and, above all, an intimate friend. It gives years of wears and yet provides an aura of elegance. It floor homes and yet adorns the decor.
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Hand Knotted Woolen Crapets |
Hand Knotted Woolen Crapets |
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PAPIER MACHE
A French term so commonly adopted in the East as well as West and meaning "mashed Paper". Papier Mache is one of the most popular of crafts practiced in Azad Kashmir to-day.
The first Papier Mache object produced in Kashmir were "kalamdans", long horizontal cases for holding pens brushes and ink-pots, giving it the original local name of the craft, Kari-Kalamdani, pen case work. The techniques involved in Papier Mache production are divided into two distinct categories. The first is 'Sakhtasazi', making the object; the second is 'Naqashi', painting the surface.
To prepare a form the 'Sakhta-saz grinds waste paper, rice straw and copper sulphate into a pulp which is moulded around a base shape. At first, Papier Mache craftsmen made their own clay moulds but today they use wooden or metal moulds made by other craftsman. After the pulp has dried and hardened to the required shape, it is carefully cut from the mould with a fine saw. The two halves are then joined together again with glue and the surface is evened with an iron file called 'Kathwa'. Finally, small pieces of paper are pasted over it secure it against cracks etc. Next colour is applied to the object firstly as a protective layer and secondly as a decorative element.
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The colours painted on the object are made from pigments diluted in water to which some glue is added to fix it to the ground on which it is used. The final object of Papier Mache is given one or two coats of Varnish which besides giving it shine, also serves as a protective agent. The designs used in Papier Mache, Naqashi are very intricate and their application requires a great deal of skill and accuracy. The patterns are painted free hand. The Naqashi draws from the reservoir of patterns and motifs in his memory. The chosen design is first outlined in a lighter colour and he spaces outlining flowers or other forms which are to be filled with colour are initially painted white. After this, the flowers, birds and other motifs are painted. Details in black outline or other dark colours are painted in later. The gold leaf is applied first and then detailed over, while the details in liquid gold are done last. Finally, a coat of lacquer made of linseed oil and pin resin is applied. The brushes used for Naqashi were formerly made of cat’s hair, while today commercially manufactured brushes are used. The products range covers, ring boxes, pill boxes of assorted shapes and sizes, flowers vases, wall plaques, bowls, ash trays, table lamps, jewellery boxes, tissue paper boxes, pencil stands, stars, kalamdan etc. |
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Papier Mache Bowl
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Papier Mache Flower Vase
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Papier Mache Jungle Design |
Table Lamp Sur Design |
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KASHMIRI SHAWLS
About Kashmiri shawls, it is said that "of all sub-continent textiles none excel in beauty, colour, texture and design of the famous Kashmiri shawl".
Kashmiri shawl have been renowned since centuries and were favourite of French Queen, Marie Antoinette. With a long tradition of artistic excellence, the shawl is the most admired hand-made fabric of Kashmir. Shawls are produced by two techniques, loom woven or kani shawls and the needle embroidered or Sozni shawls.
The basic fabric is of three types-Shah-Tush, Pashmina and Raffle.
Shah-Tush (King of wool) the shawl that passes through a ring and is also known as Ring Shawl. It comes from a reare Tibetan antelope living at a height of over 14000 ft in the wilds of the Himalayas. Soft yet warm, legend goes to say that it can hatch a pigeon's egg.
Pashmina known all over the world as cashmere wool. It comes a special goat (Capra hircus) which lives at an altitude of 12000 to 14000 ft.
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Shah Tush Shawl |
Pashmina Goat
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KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY
The Kashmiri Embroidery commonly known with its traditional name "Kashida Embroidery" is famous for its sheer beauty and has in perfection attained the limits of fantasy and incredulity.
Patterns and colour schemes are magnificently employed in Kashmiri Embroidery by the crafts-man with a mood aligned to the spirit of nature.
Kashmiri Embroidery is done on canvas base material with crystal threads. Pashmina and leather threads are also used in Kashmiri Embroidery. The designs and motifs employed are Notus, ghobi, chinar leaf, natural depicting flowers and leaf, birds, Blossoms and Trees.
Utility items being produced commercially today are bed spread, floor cushion, pillow covers and sofa cushions etc. |
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Bed Spread Fish Design |
Bed Spread Ghobi Design |
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NUMDAH/GABBA
A Numdah is a piece of pressed felt made either out of wool and cotton or entirely of wool. Wool and cotton or unspun wool is evenly spread over a mat and then rolled and pressed underfoot for felting. The felted piece is then milled, washed and dried. Plain as well as embroidered Numdahs can be seen in the entire area of Azad Kashmir. The Numdah Makes a warm, colourful and inexpensive floor covering and is also used as a mattress, where the climate is colder. Originally, the plain Numdah rug came from Yarkand and was then embroidered in Kashmir. The Numdah sizes range from 2x3, 3x4, 4x6, to 6x9 feet and 3x4,5x6 dia in round shape. The quality depends upon percentage of wool in the felt. Popularly made quality is made 32% wool, 50% wool and 100% wool. Designs are generally styled depicting flowers and leaves, animal figures, folk life scenic views.
Gabba, a 'common man's carpet', is made of used lois or blankets which are washed, milled and dyed in various colours. Gabba making is a house hold craft in which family members, especially girls and women, help the embroiderers in stitching together pieces of used lois and giving them a backing of a waste cotton cloth, washing and dying is done indigenously.
There are two types of gabbas-embroidered and appliqued. Bold and vivid embroidery is done mostly in woollen yarn. In some cheaper types of gabbas, a cotton yarn is used instead. In the appliqued type, pieces of dyed blankets are joined together and interspread with embroidery. Gabbas look very gay with bright flashes of designs on a dark, somber background.
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Nursery Numdah |
Embroidered and Appliqued Gabbas |
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MINERAL RESOURCES
Nestling the lapse of the Himalayas and being located in the collision zone of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, the liberated area of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The Azad Kashmir offers favourable environments for hosting economic mineral deposits.
For the sale of commencing, these minerals can be categorised as Industrial minerals (Limonite, Mica, Quertz Crystals), High unit value minerals (Ruby, Tourmaline etc. and others including Graphite, Marble, Gypsum etc.
The Azad Kashmir is renowned for producing highly prized Blue Sapphires. Rubbies and other precious stones have been discovered at a number of places in Azad Kashmir. The Ruby resource potential in the area has been assessed to be 24.900 million gms. Geological studies carried out by Internal Geologists, with the assistance of the UNDP, have concluded, "Like Sapphires of Kashmir, Rubbies have distinctive characteristics that uniquely identify them with Kashmir".
Treasures of royalty and thousands years of global quest, Ruby ranks amongst the rarest and the most expensive gem material. Ranging from pinkish red to intense blood red, this chromium rich variety of corundum has been discovered at Nanigimali, Valley of Neelum, district Muzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir, a remote area in Kashmir Himalayas. The deposits is located at an elevation of 4400 meter (14500 feet) above the sea level. Thus making it the highest Rubby deposit in the world.
The best quality of marble (white/green/red) is available in huge quantity in mountains of AK.
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 Magnificent Tourmaline Crystals With
Host Rock |
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Bicolor Tourmaline Crystals |
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CHAIN STITCH
Natively known as "Jalakdozi", it is chain stitch done with a hook in long flowing designs. The embroidery is done all over on a hessian or hand woven cloth base. The designs range from florals patterns to animal and human forms traced by designers, while the craftsman embroiders in two-ply or three ply yarns. Silk yarns is also used in the embroidery and the rug look like a carpet in which the pile is substituted by the texture chain stitch rugs are used both as floor covering and wall hanging. The rug is supported with cloth-lining to add to the durability. It comes in sizes 2x3, 3x5, 4x6, 6x9 and 9x12 feets.
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A Bird Design in Chain Stitch |
A Chain Stitch Design Round |
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WOODEN PLAIN CRAFTS
A vast array of intricately hand carved, cut and embossed and skillfully brass inlaid and ingeniously lacquered articles both decorative and functional are produced with fine standard of hereditary craftsmanship in the sector of wood crafts. Of them popular are centre tables, side tables, sofa sets, chest of drawers, cigarette boxes, jewellery boxes, dry fruit bowls, trays, writing desks, partition screens, wall plaques, chess boards, candle stands, carved beds, doors, windows, variety of fancy furniture for offices and house use, schools and college's furniture etc.
The woods include Shisham, Deodar, Coil, Pine-wood. Modern shapes and styles embellished and ornamented with luster of traditional designs and motifs afford the articles the trends of functionalism and traditionalism and also the flexibility of being fit into contemporary way of life.
The resources of high grade Deodar and Pine-wood are easily available in Valley of Neelum (Azad Kashmir).
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Table Sets |
Wooden Trolley |
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TRADITIONAL CRAFTS OF AZAD KASHMIR
NEEDLE WORK
Needle work is a traditional Kashmiri craft. It is done in every type and pattern of the cloth with common needle using the silk thread. Utility items being produced commercially are Shawls, Women dresses, Coaties etc. The needle work costs between Rs. 500/- to Rs. 20.000/- per item, besides the cloth price. Due to its peculiar beauty, there are vast chances of its marketing every where in the country as well as in foreign.
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 Needle Work |
 Needle Work |
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AAR WORK
Aar is a needle shaped tool about 6" length, having a wooden handle at one end. The needle is of stainless steel with a bent edge. This tool is extensively used for embroidery over coarse canvas and weaved wool by using cotton thread. All embroidered items are now-a-days used for interior decorations also. The utility items being produced are Shawls, Women dresses etc.
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Aar Work |
Aar Work |
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KANGRI
A combination of woven twigs around an earthen bowl, the'Kangri', represents a unique and traditional, at the same time most practical and useful, handmade warming equipment-a quaint way of keeping warm. It is used in winter season. The phiren, the Kashmiri overgarment, and the 'Kangri', complement each other perfectly; the 'Kangri' is lodged conveniently within the folds of a 'Phiren' to absorb and contain the warmth. |
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PHIREN
Phiren a traditional Kashmiri product well known from centuries. Is made of coarse cloth and used in winter season to protect from the cold. |
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ORNAMENTS
Jewellery for personal ornamentation has been very popular in Kashmir, possible because of Royal patronage and its wide-spread use by the common people of the area. Worm by the men and women. Traditional Kashmiri jewellery is unique, distinctive and bears the characteristics of the regional and historical links. The women wears heavy and elaborate silver earrings. The local ornaments are highly attractive, low cost and have its own history. |
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KASHMIRI KULCHA
Muzaffarabad is famous for its traditional Kashmiri "SOGHAT" Kulcha. Its ingredients are Flour, Ghee, Salt, Preservatives etc. this Edible product is delicious and used in all folk of life. Due to its taste, it is gifted out of Kashmir even abroad. It has three varieties I-Khund Kulcha II-Saltish Kulcha III-Sheermall.
It can remain in its original shape and taste up to 3 to 4 months. Capital of AJ&K is the biggest market of this industry. Three to four persons can establish and run single unit. Now about 60 small units are functioning only in Muzaffarabad City. |
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