South Asia
Kalchatti (traditional cookware of Tamil Nadu)
In the small village of Thandankoundanpalayam, in Tamil Nadu, the locally available pale grey soapstone cookware, the kalchatti, is crafted in shapes that suit...
Kaavad (miniature portable shrines of Rajasthan)
The evidence of the antiquity of painted narrative traditions extends from architectural remains and mural paintings to textual evidence dating back to the third...
Horn carving of Kerala
Archeological findings of the finely carved ivory comb, unearthed in Mohenjodaro (2300-1750 BCE) and excavations from other later sites, have revealed the enduring use...
Jaipur quilted razai
Both the domestic and professional craft of hand-quilting in India extends across many living genres. This includes the visually detailed kantha and satgaon quilts...
Hand papermaking in Jaipur
In India the earliest extant texts on paper can be dated to the tenth century, when it is believed that the art of papermaking...
Hand-block printing in Bagh, Madhya Pradesh
It is hard to pinpoint an exact period for the advent of block-printing in India. The discovery of of mordant-dyed cotton fragments and the...
Ganjifa playing cards
Legend has it that playing cards were introduced to the Indian subcontinent by invading armies in the seventh century. However the first mention of...
Embroidery
Archaeological finds in the ancient cities of the Indus Valley have unearthed bronze needles, indicating the existence of sewing skills as early as c...
Dhokra for Metal casting
The excavation of the bronze statuette of the Dancing Girl at the Indus Valley site (2300 – 1750 BCE) is evidence of an ancient...
Danke-ka-kaam of Udaipur, Rajasthan
In the kaarkhanas or workshops in Udaipur, Rajasthan, an unusual form of glittering ornamentation called danke-ka-kaam is embroidered onto textiles. The danka are small...
Chundan vallam (the Snake Boats of Kerala)
The coastline of Kerala extends over five hundred and eighty kilometers. An internal network of forty-four rivers and innumerable backwater canals boats have been...
Chhau masks of East India
Masks were considered an intrinsic part of the performing arts. Chapters on masks were included in the Sanskrit treatise on the dramatic arts, Natya...