One of the many rituals associated with India’s autumn festivities is cleaning, brightening and decorating our homes ahead of the season. India’s rich heritage of handmade heritage offers innumerable options to create a fresh palette each season. From ornamental earthen pots to intricately carved wooden boxes, each painstakingly created by millions of artisans across the length and breadth of the country.
Let us take a look at a few such handmade marvels that can lighten up your home with festive spirit.
Regal Tarkashi artefacts for a royal feel
Whether you are an art patron or just wish to revamp a space, explore traditional Tarkashi (work with wires) craftwork. This intricate craft is inspired by mediaeval Mughal patterns. Fine geometric and floral designs are embedded into wood with copper, brass or silver wires. They make for an excellent gifting solution too. Choose from a range of decorative boxes, Tarkashi elephants, table tops, chests and figurines.
Amazon home styling tip: This art adds elegance and a dash of royalty to personal spaces. We recommend stacking old coffee table books and placing a Tarkashi piece on top of the pile.
Leathercraft to add layers
Andhra Pradesh is a hub of beautiful leathercraft, and one of the most sought-after styles is Kalamkari (work by pens) work on translucent leather sheets. The intricately carved motifs of local flora and fauna makes it unique and unusual. Did you know that wandering performers would travel from village to village, with puppets made in this style, entertaining and sharing news with local village folk?
Amazon home styling tip: Place a tall Kalamkari lamp between your sofa set or in a corner of your living room, on a bed of fresh marigold and earthen diyas, to instantly liven the space. Alternatively, choose from a vast range of leather hangings and create the illusion of layers in between curtains.
Marble inlay work as centrepieces
The word ‘marble’ instantly recalls the timeless image of the Taj Mahal and its timeless architecture, but there’s more to this stone than that. Even the smallest inlay works on the walls of the Taj took days to finish. The precision of the hand-cut, precious rubies, lapis lazuli, emeralds and sapphires were fitted together piece by piece, the intricate engravings as enchanting as a kaleidoscope before our eyes. This spectacular art of traditional craftsmen from Uttar Pradesh is available in our vast State Emporium collection as well.
Amazon home styling tip: Deck up your centre table, using an old silk saree as a table runner, the brighter the better, and place a marble inlay piece as the centrepiece. Place dry fruits or bowls of savoury treats by the side.
Wood art to liven up corners
Also known as Kinhal art, this craft originated from a village named after it in Karnataka. Skilled artisans called ‘Chitragaaras’ have inherited their talent of wood-carving down the generations. Softwood like sandalwood is used to carve out striking handicraft articles like idols, jewel boxes, wall furnishings, table tops, animal figurines, cutlery and much more. This artisanal work expresses the rich Dravidian culture and invokes a sense of earthiness.
Amazon home styling tip: Divert attention from the floor to give an illusion of space. Get creative, use windowsills to display these wooden figurines, or use sandalwood pieces in the centre along with a potpourri to delight your senses, or create an exclusive corner for your bijou collection handed over as heirlooms.
Tribal crafts to add mystique
The indigenous communities of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha boast of artistic traditions that are entrenched in their everyday lifestyles. These crafts are famous for their usage of animals, plants and daily life motifs with cultural significance. Explore the vast world of wrought ironwork, Dokra artefacts, Gond and Santhal paintings and colourful bead jewellery. Indigenous crafts give that touch of earthiness to make any home look especially attractive.
Amazon home styling tip: We recommend taking up the centre wall and hand painting it in a terracotta shade. Use a slightly bigger art piece (Warli or Gond) to occupy the centre. Your festival guests will be raving about your new home décor idea.
When it comes to Indian crafts and handmade marvels, one can go all out. After all, there is nothing merrier than turning your home into a collector’s den with the heritage of our country.
Celebrate our indigenous culture and create grand memories every time you buy a handmade artefact from the vast selection at Amazon.
