Papier mache

Papier mache

This unique craft involves the use of paper pulp for creating beautiful artifacts painted by expert craftsmen in lifelike images of Kingfishers, maple leaves and other motifs.The traditional Kashmiri method of making Papier mache starts with waste paper which is soaked in water for several days until it disintegrates.The excess water is drained and the soaked waste paper,cloth,rice straw and copper sulphate are mixed to form a pulp. his mixture is placed in a mould and left to dry for two to three more days. On the drying of pulp, the shape is cut away from the mould in two halves and then glued again.The surface is coated with the layer of glue and gypsum,rubbed smooth with a stone or baked piece of clay and pasted with layers of tissue paper.A base color is painted on,and a design is added free hand.The object is then sandpapered or burnished and is finally painted with several coats of lacquer.The ingenious papier mache artisans of Kashmir transform a variety of utility articles into rare art pieces. The creation of a papier-mache object can be divided into two distinct categories, the sakhtsazi and the naqashi.The colours for painting designs on the surface are obtained by grinding and soaking various vegetable mineral dyes in pigment or stone form. The final product is a beautiful art work that cannot be called a creation of one artist. It travels many pairs of talented hands before reaching a table or a mantel. Above all other talents, the aesthetic sensibility and hereditary skills are most essential in these craftsmen.A best one website named www.kashmirmarket.com are the wholesale sellers of kashmiri craft works including spices and kashmiri embriodery clothes.