Mandatory Credit: Photo by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/Shutterstock (15012176j)
An artisan showcases a piece of decorative paper-mache item inside a showroom ahead of Christmas. Paper-Mache handicrafts, is an age-old craft that was introduced to the Kashmir valley by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, who arrived from Persia with skilled craftsmen in the 14th century. Papier-Mache is a French word that means chewed paper and the process of making it involves two steps: Sakhtsazi and Naqashi. Sakhtasazi, the initial stage of preparation, includes the making of the figurine from the mixture of paper pulp with the help of rice straw and copper sulphate. In the final step of Naqashi, several coats of paint are applied and the figurine is decorated. However, this art form is vanishing with only a handful of artisans left practicing it.
Paper Mache artwork in Kashmir, India - 17 Dec 2024