Cashmirart

       Perhaps the most effective and certainly the best value for the money is the copper work of Srinagar. The copper-smith work with a hammer and chisels, and many of the present copper-smiths are men who used once to work in silver. They also work in brass. their designs are very quaint and bold, and they are very ready to adopt any new pattern that may be offered to them. A large demand has arisen for the beautiful copper trays framed as tables in carved walnut-wood, and the carpenter is now the close ally of copper-smith.      The old city abounds with shops where objects of copper line the walls, the floor and even the ceiling, made generally for the local market. Craftsmen can often be seen engraving objects of household utility -  samovars , bowls, plates and trays. Floral, stylised, geometric, leaf and sometimes calligraphic motifs are engraved or embossed on copper and occasionally silver, to cover the entire surface with intrica...

          Crewel embroidery  is fascinating needle art. Typically done in thin wool thread on linen or cotton fabric, crewel work provides  texture not seen in silk or cotton embroidery. A special kind of embroidery done with a pointed hook used for drapery and upholstery is known as crewel. Because of the high quality of embroidery done on wall hangings and rugs, Kashmiri crewel-work is in great demand throughout the world.      Crewel  is basically similar to chain stitch. It is also chain stitch done on white background, but here the motifs, mainly stylized flowers, do not cover the entire surface, and the background is not embroidered upon Wool is almost invariably used in crewel-work and colour schemes are not as elaborate as in chain stitch. This fabric is available in bolts, and is sold by the length. They make excellent household furnishings, being washable both by hand or machine.All embroidery is hand done in eithe...

            Pampore, near Srinagar, is the only place in the world besides Spain where saffron is grown. Saffron is the stigma of the fall flowering crocus. Peek inside most any flower, and you will see three threadlike filaments. These are stigma - but only in the saffron crocus are these stigma worth thousands of dollars per pound. Saffron is so valuable because it is a very labor intensive crop, and only 5-7 pounds of saffron can be produced from each acre of land. This makes saffron the most expensive spice by weight - it always has been - but by use saffron isn't that expensive, because a little goes a long way. A single gram of saffron easily translates into golden color and fragrant flavor in 10 recipes of saffron rice for four, several batches of bread, or a couple of big pots of paella. At Penzeys, we sell three different grades of Saffron:          Kashmir "Mogra Cream" I ndian Saffron is the world's finest saffron....

Namda  is widely acclaimed to have been originated during 11th century when Akbar, the great Mughal ruler was on throne. History of the period reveals that the king ordered his exechequer to arrange for a suitable  coverage for his horse who was affected by biting cold. In response  to the proclamation  that was done in this behalf, a wise old man from the east stood up and offered his intention of felt. he was  Nubi  by name. The man manufactured the felt himself and embroidered the same in multicolored beautiful designs. The felt so made aws given the title of Namda after the name of its manufacturer Nubi. The King Akbar is said to have been immensely impressed by the workmanship of Nubi and is said to have granted him villages in honor. The art of felting wool into namdas has come from Yarkand. Namdas  are a kind of mattress, originally from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. These are made by felting the wool rather than weaving it. A low q...

           Kashmir is home to some of the best walnut  wood carving  done anywhere in the world.  Wood carving  is done on a variety of objects-ranging from furniture (tables, chairs, writing desks, dining tables etc.) to articles of personal use like cigarette boxes, cigar boxes, jewelry boxes, photo frames and various other articles.           Walnut is the most common wood used for carving. Kashmir is the only part of India where the walnut tree grows. Its color, grain and sheen are unique, and the carving and fret work that is done on this wood is of the finest quality. Walnut wood from the root is almost black, and the grain here is much more pronounced than the wood of the trunk, which is lighter in color. The branches have the lightest color, almost blonde, and have no noticeable grain. The intrinsic worth of the wood from each part of the tree differs--wood from the root being the most ex...

       The origin of basket making is lost in the mist of antiquity. It is perhaps one of the  oldest crafts in the world , which still holds the imagination of the primitive as well as the advanced man. The perishable raw material used in basketry is as varied as are the types of finished products as well as the large varied as are the types of finished products as well as the large variety of uses to which these products are put. The basic function of a basket is that of a receptacle for holding, storing and carrying various commodities. Such a use suits an agricultural primitive people best. Whereas .the primary use of basketry still continues, the changing pattern of the societies and more ingenious basket-makers have invented several other uses for their products. For example, in  Kashimir this craft is being utilized for making had-fans, soft prayer-mats for the mosques and chick for doors . But be it in the West or the East, old or new, there is...

Papier mache  is a delicate decorative art which shows the artistic zeal of a craftsman. This art was introduced in Kashmir in the 15th Century by a Kashmiri Prince who spent years in prison at Samarkand in Central Asia. The art born in the land of Persia was highly favored by Mughal Emperors of 15th and 16th Century.           At first glance, all  papièr mâchè  objects look roughly the same, but there is a price differential which depends on the quality of the product. However, besides at least three different grades of papièr mâchè, some are actually cardboard or wood! The idea, however, is not to hoodwink the unwary, but to provide a cheaper product with the look of  papièr mâchè . To make papièr mâchè, first paper is soaked in water till it disintegrates. It is then pounded, mixed with an adhesive solution, shaped over moulds, and allowed to dry and set before being printed and varnished. Paper that has been pounded to pulp has ...

  Kashmiri carpets  are renowned through out the world mainly for two reasons one being that they are hand made and second they are always knotted not tufted. Carpet weaving in Kashmir was not originally indigenous but is thought to have come in by way of Persia. Till today, most designs are distinctly  Persian  with local variations. One example, however, of a typically Kashmiri design is the tree of life. Persian design not with standing, any carpet woven in Kashmir is referred to as Kashmiri. The colors- way of a carpet, and its details differentiate it from any other carpet. And while on the subject of color, it should be kept in mind that although the colors of Kashmiri carpets are more subtle and muted than elsewhere in the country, only chemical dyes are used.A carpet may well be the most expensive purchase from your trip to Kashmir but it is a lifelong investment. The knotting of carpet is the most important aspect, determining its durability and value,...

  The word shawl is derived from Persian "shal", which was the name given for a whole range of fine woolen garments. The shawl in India was worn folded across the shoulder, and not as a girdle, as the Persians did.Shawls are worn and used as a warm protective garment all over north India today, Kashmir has become synonymous with shawls all over the world. At the time of Mughal rule in India, Kashmir overtook the North-West Frontier and Punjab, as the center of shawl making. The Mughal emperor Akbar was greatly enamored by the Kashmiri shawls and the way it was worn, folded in four, captured his imagination. He experimented with various ways of wearing it, and found that it looked good worn without folds, just thrown over the shoulder.There are three fibres from which Kashmiri shawls are made - wool, pashmina and shahtoosh. The prices of the three cannot be compared - woollen shawls being within reach of the most modest budget, and shahtoosh being a one-in-a-lifetime pur...