Products Made of Papier-mâché

Over time, the repertoire of articles grew, and during the Mughal period in Kashmir’s history (1586-1782), and included bedsteads, doors, window, frames and panels for walls and ceilings.

It is said that most of the palanquins used in Mughal courts were specially brought from Kashmir.

Seen here is mastercrasftmen Nazir Ahmed Mir in his shop.

Sultan Zain-ul-Abadin brought the art of papier-mâché to Kashmir in the 15th century, after his captivity in Samarkand.

His tomb in Srinagar is a sacred place for crafts people.

Nazir Ahmad Mir in the process of making a model of Zain-ul-Abadin’s tomb in his art of papier-mâché.

This is his way of paying homage to the source of his inspiration.

Sales are conducted from the homes of artists who keep one room as a store and show room.

Shops abound in Srinagar and all over the rest of India wherever art and craft objects and tourists converge.

This decorative box with a floral design of earlier times carries the hues of antiquity and serves as a model to be replicated.

Islamic and Iranian designs like the paisley took many forms and travelled as a motif, changing its name from badam, almond, to kiairi, mango, as it moved southwards into different areas of India.

The paisley was significant historically because although the original shape was of a jewel in the turban of a Persian or Mughal ruler, the British appropriated the shape and used it in manufactured machine-made imitations.

They named it paisley, after the town in Scotland.

Decorative box with intricately painted floral design.

Traditional designs are inspired by the rich local flora and fauna of Kashmir:

An example of the very fine brushwork found in the works of master painters.

A tree with chinar leaves covers the entire papier-mâché box, with the familiar birds of Kashmir flying amongst its leaves and branches.

The pattern made by the papier-mâché artist is a collage of what looks like a collage of designs found on the famed handwoven silk carpets of Kashmir.

This design would be considered a collector’s item as the artist has used his own flight of imagination to arrange the art this way.

Boxes are an ever-popular papier-mâché artefact that range from high quality workmanship like these, to standard medium quality art that seems to be off an assembly line.

However, as prices differ, even the less economically fortunate can always find one to suit their pocket.

The samovar is a large tea pot to serve the fragrant kahwa, a Kashmiri drink of green tea boiled with cinnamon, almonds, saffron and a touch of sugar.

A samovar occupies a ceremonial place in a household. These are considered important and expensive gifts.

This papier-mâché samovar is for decorative purposes only.

A decorative hand painted samovar kettle is one of the popular items made by craftsmen.

Samovar kettles are ubiquitous in all Kashmiri households, and used for brewing and serving tea.

The jug has been adorned with a myriad of patterns and designs inspired by the rich local flora and fauna of Kashmir.

The craftsmen occasionally introduce a new material like willow work over which they add their papier mache embellishments.

Craftsmen often combine many motifs to create a garden resplendent with local flowers and birds, like the kingfisher.

Gold paint and gold leaf are both used in the production process.

The bright flowers stand out against the gold and green backdrop of the this bowl.

Details of an intricately painted elephant decorated in black with gold paint.

This quirky papier mache fish would have been designed in a flight of whimsy by a foreign designer or an innovative artist.

Read more about papier-mâché from Kashmir here:
-Inspiration
-Shaping Process