Handmade in India

PAINTED WOOD
In the dry, desolate and monochromatic landscape of
Ladakh, the colourful clothes, dwelling and possessions
of the inhabitants are perhaps the only visual relief. The
painted wood work contributes significantly to the escape
from a severe environment.
A variety of objects such as ritual artifacts, musical instruments, furniture as
well as structural elements of the local houses and monasteries are
embellished with this. Only eight or so colours are used and these are mixed
together in a variety of permutations and combinations to create a rich palette
that contains 48 colours. There is a specific code which governs the selection
of colours for a particular context. For instance, clouds are always
BASKETRY
painted blue, but the outline of the cloud will be
a tint closer to the white while the inner most
part of the cloud is a shade nearer to the black.
The methods of painting different items vary.
For example, wooden tables are painted in
layers thus allowing a number of colour tones
to be simultaneously visible.
Inset : The endless knot, one of the eight
auspicious symbols painted on a cupboard.
1. An elaborately painted screen at the
monastery at Thiksey.
2. The painted walls and lintels of the
courtyard at the Lamayuru monastery.
Production Clusters
Leh
Products
Choktse - folding
tables
Window frames
Furniture panels
Architectural panels
Giant drums
Prayer wheels
Tools
Paintbrushes
Chipkiang is a local grass that grows all over Ladakh, especially in
areas along the River Indus where the soil is especially fertile.
Chipkiang is crafted into backpack like baskets and matting for use in
homes by villagers during breaks from their daily chores and the hectic
farming season. The baskets are made into two basic sizes; the smaller
one is used for carrying vegetables while the larger one known as tsepo
is used for carrying heavier and larger loads. The basket has two
components: the basic skeleton of the basket formed by two sturdy
branches of salchang, willow, bent at right angles, and the body of the
basket that is made from grass stalks, and is woven in
the weft twining technique. The grass is softened by
soaking it in water for two weeks. A set of stems of
equal thickness are then selected. Two of these pairs
are placed at right angles and a pair of grass stalks is
twined around the veritcal stalks of the circular form
as well as the willow branches. The rim of the
basket is finished by braiding the loose ends of the
grass at the open end of the basket. The basket is
allowed to dry in the sun for about a month as the
grass remains wet.
Product Clusters
Ladakh:
Kargil
Bod Kharbu
Lamayuru
Saspol
Nimmo
Chushot
Products
Tsepo - backpack
baskets
The tsepo with its
characteristic square rim
and curved base.