Context: This Christmas, the papier mache artisans in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir have made thousands of papier mache dodos, which are being exported to the markets of Europe.
Dodo was a bird that became extinct in 1681 within 80 years of its interaction with humans and exposure to depleting forests.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about papier mache art.
What is Papier Mache Art?
- Papier means paper and Mache means crushed and ground.
- Origin in Ancient China.
- It is a versatile craft technique in which waste paper is shredded and mixed with water and a binder to produce a pulp ideal for modelling or moulding.
- The pulp dries to a hard surface and allows the creation of light, strong and inexpensive objects of any shape, even very complicated ones.
- Paper-mâché reinforced with textiles or boiled cardboard (carton bouilli) can be used for durable, sturdy objects.
- There is also a "laminating process", a method in which strips of paper are glued together in layers.
In Kashmiri culture:
- In the 14th century, this art was introduced by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani who was a sufi saint and settled in Kashmir with his craftsmen followers.
- Originated in the 15th century when King Zain-ul-Abidin invited papier-mâché artists from Central Asia.
- The art has been used to manufacture boxes (small and big), bowls, trays, étagères, useful and decorative items, models, birds and animals, vases, lights, corporate gifts etc. It remains highly marketed in India and Pakistan and is a part of the luxury ornamental handicraft market.
- Notable example: Shah Hamdan Mosque in Srinagar has papier mache art on its walls.
- "Kashmir Paper Machie" has Geographical Indication Tag.