Living in Kashmir: A Year of People, Places and Memories
Papier Mâché
In Kashmir, papier mâché was not merely a souvenir industry. It occupied a space between inheritance and commerce. In the old quarters of Srinagar, artisans still worked within workshop traditions that had evolved over centuries. They shaped paper pulp or board into boxes, trays, vases and ornaments before covering them in lacquer, gold and fine floral painting. The term itself referred as much to the decorative tradition as to the actual paper-pulp of the object.
It relied on painstaking labour. The moulding of the shapes, the hand painting and the application of the lacquer all required specialist skills. The decorative elements often included leaves and curling vines, animals, gold scrollwork, lakeside and garden scenes.
We chose two small bells, finely wrought and glowing with colour. They were modest things, by the standards of the grander pieces on display, yet something in their craftsmanship appealed to us. They have hung on our Christmas tree every year since, reminders of a time we have never forgotten.
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| Kashmiri papier mâché bells |
The Working People
No portrayal of life in Kashmir would be complete without reference to the hardworking people of the region. Our snapshots cover a range of workers in a variety of situations.
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| The carters with their beasts of burden |
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The wood carriers, usually women climbing to the remote posts in Baltistan
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| The sweeper in autumn |
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| The women leaf carriers |
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| The soldiers with mules delivering water and kerosene to their mountain posts |
This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin
The bells are lovely…we collect decorations for our tree when travelling. I don’t envy those workers.
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