I love it when my projects just start off as a project and
along the way it triggers a memory…..I have experienced that trigger a few
times in this year-long journey that I have undertaken of exploring the rich traditional
arts and crafts of India. This project too
began the same way; as a project, as a personal exploration of the paper mache
arts of Kashmir; but in one deep lost moment when I was painting the box…memories
came together and I realized I have a personal connect with this project. I
remembered a small shiny round floral box with red and orange flowers, a black inside,
and a triangle notch, a box that my mother had, that she used to keep in a
small cupboard in her dressing table and that this box had some red glass bangles, a small stick doll and some other odds and ends in it. Memories
are so unpredictable.….I didn’t remember Ma’s box when I was looking at pictures
of paper mache boxes, or when I was planning out this project, or when I was
researching the history of these paper mache objects. This memory of amma’s box came up when
I was painting, when I am usually lost deep in the process. In recollecting
that memory now when I was working on this project; took Ma’s box from just being
an object that sat on her dresser to something that’s alive, something that is
more interesting, more relevant and imbued with meaning. This linking of Amma’s box
aggregated different incidents and small moments from my childhood,
conversations with Ma, memories revolving around the box; giving the box a new
valuable meaning and identity, a soul, an essence. Ma’s box has simply ceased
to be just a box that I might have been okay with losing and is now of treasured
valuable significance.
I called up dad, sent him a close similar picture of a paper
mache box that I pulled from the internet and asked him to look for amma’s box. I remembered where it could be exactly
and dad found it. Here’s Ma’s Kashmiri paper mache box: pictures taken on a
phone camera by my dad in Bangalore, India. Dad remembers buying this box in
Jammu at the local Raghunath bazaar in 1973 when they were stationed there
right after their marriage. Memories….I am sure this triggered many for daddy
too.
Many of my readers in India or from India will find these paper mache boxes familiar….we used to see them all the time in local exhibitions and
handicraft fairs.
Like these:
Paper
Mache is a delicate decorative art, born in Persia originally and brought to
Kashmir by a Kashmiri Prince who spent years in a prison at Samarkand in
Central Asia. The art was further encouraged by mogul emperors that came from
Uzbekistan in Central Asia in the 15th and 16th century and ruled India for
nearly 200-300 years. Inspired by the serene and beautiful valley of Kashmir, the
lakes and meadows, the majestic snow clad mountains, this art took root in the
simple homes of local people and evolved into a rich traditional folk art form.
The creativity and romance of this art was then passed down the family through
the generations.
Kashmiri
paper mache objects are distinctively identifiable by the wonderfully vibrant, extremely detailed,
and intricate small hand painted motifs of flowers bursting in full bloom and
birds singing, and the illuminated finish on them.
The creation of a papier-mâché object can be divided into
two distinct categories, the sakhtsazi (making the object) and the naqashi
(painting the surface). In
the traditional method of making these paper mache objects, waste paper is
soaked in water for several days until it disintegrates. After the excess water
is drained, the soaked paper is mixed with rice straw, cloth, and copper
soleplate to form a pulp. This mixture
is packed into molds of different shapes and left to dry for two to three days.
After it dries, the shape is cut away in two halves and then glued again. The surface
is then brushed with a layer of glue and gypsum, smoothened with a stone or
hardened clay, and finally pasted with several layers of tissue paper. A neutral
base color is painted on and now the piece is ready for the detailed painting
work.
The
intricate design painted are always done free hand and are usually of very
small florals and birds in bright colors, and with a strong Persian flair. Gold
is used on most objects, either as the only color, or as a highlight for
certain motifs. Among other rich designs are 'Arabesque', done in gold
against a brown or red ground to show sprays of rose blossoms in fine lines and
'Yarkand', an elaborate design built up in spirals with gold rosettes radiating
from various centers and white flowers laid over gold scroll work. The colors used were
obtained by soaking and grinding vegetable and mineral dyes into pigments.
Finally the object is sandpapered or burnished and is finally painted with
several coats of lacquer. This lacquer gives the finished product a high gloss and
smoothness, and increases with every coat applied and is a very distinctive feature
of Kashimiri paper mache products. Another noticeable feature is that the boxes
have a triangle notch that works as a locking mechanism. The result is an exquisite
art piece object that also serves as a utility piece.
Changing with the times, Kashmiri paper mache products have become highly stylized and modern and now include Christmas ornaments, coasters, napkin holders, some have real gold or silver used in them, some are made with wood or cardboard instead of paper mache as it is cheaper and less time and effort intensive.
Changing with the times, Kashmiri paper mache products have become highly stylized and modern and now include Christmas ornaments, coasters, napkin holders, some have real gold or silver used in them, some are made with wood or cardboard instead of paper mache as it is cheaper and less time and effort intensive.
Here's my attempt of the Kashmiri paper mache boxes:
I began with a store bought small light wood box that I base painted in a neutral warm white color.
I decided on florals with twirling vines and paisleys, a pattern true to kashmir crafts, patterns that you might see on boxes and their famous pashmina shawls and other embroidery pieces.
After several coats of a high gloss lacquer
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papier-m%C3%A2ch%C3%A9
Check out a large variety of products for inspiration here:
Videos to watch:
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