India

Kanthas of Bengal

Kanthas are vibrant patchworked quilts, recycled out of layers of used and discarded fabric, made by rural women in the eastern part of India. They...

Usta kaam (painting on camel leather)

The Usta community were part of the great migration of artist and craftspeople to the courts of the great Mughals. Later invited to settle...

Wild silk weaving

The use of silk for weaving in India can be traced back to the third millennia BCE. While domesticated mulberry silk was introduced into...

Tilla juttis (the traditional footwear of Punjab)

Climate, ethnicity, gender, age, status and other factors have influenced the diverse footwear traditions across India. Shoe-making is an oral and hereditary tradition. It...

Thewa jeweled objects of glass and gold

Thewa jeweled objects that are created by fusing filigreed gold sheets with glass are crafted by members of the Soni Hindu jeweller caste in...

Handloom weaving

The skill of the handloom weavers is visible not only in museums and collections all over the world, but in everyday life and practice...

Terracotta plaques of Molela, Rajasthan

The terracotta plaques made in Molela, a small village in Rajasthan, mark it as an important hub on the terracotta map of India. Here...

Tang (camel girth belts of Jaisalmer)

In the past decorative accessories were crafted for animals serving the courts and temples with special armour fitted for those that served in battle....

Sarkanda (grass furniture of Haryana)

The knowledge of plant fibres and its processing into bridges or containers or mats or other items is based on age old learnings, innovative...

Sanjhi (hand-cut stencils for patterning)

Talismanic symbols and patterns invoking protection and wish-fulfillment are created on floors, courtyards and entrances with rice paste and dry colored powders across India....

Pith craft of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal

The craftsperson’s knowledge of seed and tree, grass and leaf and other plant material available in their surrounding habitats distinguish the making, skills and...

Pata (cotton handloom weaving in Kotpad, Odisha)

Fragments of woven madder-dyed cotton excavated at the Indus Valley site dating to the third century BCE provide evidence of an advanced knowledge of...