Glimpses:
A Cultural Heritage
Arts & Handicrafts
Famed
worldwide, the handicrafts of this region are
executed with love and care, and are reflective of
the interpretation of an aesthetic idiom.
Carpet weaving, one of
Kashmir's most proclaimed arts
Kashmiri shawls have been
renowned since several centuries and were once the
pride of the French queen, Marie Antoinette.
European ladies of court favoured these rare
shawls. The most famous of these is the Jameawar
shawl, made of soft pashmina wool and covered with
fine and lacy embroidery. So soft is the Shahtush
shawl, that it can be passed through a ring. And
the embroidered phiran, a woollen cloak worn by
women, too carries fine embroidery on it.
Equally well known is the
art of carpetmaking with its exquisite Persian
motifs handknotted in subdued, but warm colours,
on wool and silk. Floor coverings also include
namdas, gabbas and chain-stitch rugs made of thick
wool and felted in the form of a rug.
Papier mache handicrafts
from Kashmir make excellent souvenirs. Light in
weight, yet colourful, and very artistic, these
are interpreted lay artisans in the form of wall
hangings, boxes, bowls, vases and lamps. Floral
motifs occupy the surface of all papier mache
handicrafts. Equally intricate is the carving on
Kashmiri woodwork and furniture, chiefly walnut,
but also in teak and rosewood. Patterned into
heavy furniture, or into trays, boxes, tables and
cigarette-cases, they make use of the chinar motif
in the carving, just as the shawl-maker and the
carpet--weaver.
Other Kashmiri
handicrafts include silverware and jewellery, as
well as silk fabrics, and woollen fabrics, chiefly
patto (tweed) and Patti (milled blankets).
In Jammu, one can have
rugs embroidered in chain-stitch patterns, or pick
up wicker-work produce, a common sight in the
markets. The latter is chiefly available as
baskets, hampers and boxes. The chintzes of Samba
too are well known. The Dogra Art Gallery has many
samples of the miniature school of paintings of
the region.
In Ladakh, the carpets,
woven in wool, use Buddhist motifs, and a popular
symbol is the dragon. Thankas are religious
paintings made in monasteries, and framed in silk
and brocade patchwork and use highly artistic
skills. Masks, painted furniture, and everyday and
religion-based objets d'art speak of an intricate
art perfected over generations.
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