In the face of cheap plastic products from China, Kashmiri craftsmen meld traditional willow with modern designs to create a wide range of competitive products – vases, lamp shades, haute kitchenware and even sofas.
Ghulam Ahmad sharpens the tips of willow wicker reeds with a knife and then carefully picks one after another as he weaves those tensile sticks onto a wood frame.
His fingers move like a bobbin on a loom.
Soon a wicker basket takes shape – before you can make the sandwiches for a picnic.
The 52-year-old Ahmad is a resident of Kachan village in Ganderbal of north Kashmir. It’s a place known for its beautiful wickerwork called kaeni kaem, also known as shaakhsazi, a craft locals believe is as old as the first humans to settle in this land of stunning vistas.
But this legacy craft was under threat as more customers turned to shiny, cheap plastic products, mostly imported from China, that were beginning to inundate local markets.
Until the artisans realized they needed a design upgrade.
Willow wickerwork is one of Kashmir’s most well known cottage industries employing thousands of people. Apart from Kachan, remote villages like Umerher and Shallbugh are also traditional hubs of this work.
The markets were flooded with trendy products, machine-made from China. People took a shine to them, discarding their traditional basketry
The reeds grow abundantly in the wetlands around Ganderbal and Umerher is the largest producer and supplier of ready-to-weave reeds.
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“We harvest and cut them, then make bunches according to length and width. Each bunch is boiled in a large boiler. Each twig is then peeled, bunched again in an upright position and sun-dried in backyards and fields,” said Mushtaq Ahmad.
The reeds take a natural beige-brown colour under the sun and are then ferried to workshops of weavers who fashion them into an array of household and decorative items such as baskets, vases, trays, chairs, kitchenware and the outer shell of the kangri, a small Kashmiri fire pot for helping people stay warm.
The so-called “Chinese invasion” – as some refer to the economic slump caused by Chinese products – forced many families to abandon a craft they have been clinging onto for generations, despite dwindling income because of people’s changing tastes and availability of modern alternatives.
We were stuck on old-fashioned designs and products. But Kadam trained us to explore and innovate
“The markets were flooded with trendy products, machine-made from China. People took a shine to them, discarding their traditional basketry,” said Zahoor Ahmad Wani, whose shop in Srinagar sells local wicker products.
It got so bad that a few years ago, Kashmir’s wicker craftsmen almost had no work other than a few orders for baskets and kangris.
The craftsmen realized it was time to rethink their designs if they wanted to stay in the game.
Some of Ganderbal’s craftsmen united, along with the Kolkata-based NGO, Kadam, which stepped in to rescue the traditional trade along with government support. Kadam helped the artisans craft market-driven designs.
“We were stuck on old-fashioned designs and products. But Kadam trained us to explore and innovate, which helped us a lot. Our designs changed completely,” said Ghulam Ahmad.
What started as a simple nudge became a push and then a shove, as more design experts and training sessions taught the craftsmen the contemporary aspects of wicker products.
Imtiyaz Ahmad of Kadam said the government is still working closely with various organisations to revive the craft.
“Our approach is twofold: to upgrade marketing skills of local artisans and to facilitate market access. We continuously upgrade and reach out to artisans through training modules,” Ahmad said.
The inventory naturally changed.
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Now a much wider range is produced, including home décor items, lamp shades, wall plates, baby cots and even sofa sets.
Market acceptability and access improved too. Online platforms like Myntra sells these artisanal handicraft items.
“Our products now match international standards and we’re getting orders from abroad,” said Ghulam Ahmad, the craftsman.
The question is will the young take up the trade?
“There was a time when they were reluctant. But a lot of youngsters are showing interest these days and many are learning the craft,” Ahmad said, his darkened hands darting back and forth on a loop as he weaves a drawer for a bedside table.
The lead image at the top shows a variety of hand-weaved products (Photo by Nasir Yousufi)
Nasir Yousufi is a journalist based in Srinagar.
