Willow wicker craft
A crumbling handicraft
Willow
wicker craft locally called “kaeni keam'' is the intricate art of basket
weaving. It is an indigenous business industry of Kashmir using twigs of wicker
as raw material. It is one of the oldest crafts of valley. The products of the
craft once seen in every home are now witnessing a decline.
The
journey starts from harvesting the willow twigs. These twigs are then grouped
according to the required length and breadth called “withe”. Withe is a strong
flexible willow stem which is boiled and peeled subsequently. Withies are used
as raw materials for manufacturing different willow products.
Jammu
and Kashmir enjoys a monopolized market for wicker craft. Wicker craft is a
small-scale forest based cottage industry. It plays an important role in the
livelihood of stakeholders involved.
Products
from this craft like basket ducks and vases are used for decoration. The
chairs, trays, baskets swings, trays, cradles, and the kangri are used as
home utility. Willow products mark the sign of royalty on occasions like
weddings and are also used by world class resorts.
Wicker
craft in Kashmir has undergone a number of uneven circumstances. Chinese
products and plastic are trying to take the place of wicker willow products due
to their finish. Opting white collar jobs and the pathetic attitude of the
government are the reasons that the craft is losing its legacy.
With
the advancing living standards of people, artisans have brought innovative
changes to the old designs. Designs include weaving in several directions and
dyeing wicker willow to blue red or green (kangri) to attain the declining
market again.
Sadaf Fayaz
No comments:
Post a Comment