A New Wicker Collection from Kashmir

This month, I am delighted to dive deep into the work of four different artisan groups from Kashmir, India. I’ve been working with these groups via Aid to Artisans/ Creative Learning to help create market opportunities for artists in Kashmir, India. Over the next month, I will be featuring all four of their new collections, recently designed and developed in partnership with a series of talented designers as a way to bring fresh and sustainable home décor collections to you.

This project is working in partnership with Kadam India, an artisan enterprise that has been working in tandem with SHAAKSAZ Producer Company. The collection was designed by Howard Peller and inspired by the natural earthy tones of the Kashmir willow wicker. The artists mixed in pieces of willow that had been dyed with ash that organically comes from boiling the fiber, developing a unique and exciting technique in the process. Some products were also designed in consult with the Indian Design team, taking inspiration from traditional life in Kashmir. Let’s dive into the people behind this collection, the story of their process, and why the material they use is a sustainable choice.

To start, could you tell us about the wicker? Where does the raw material come from and how is it sustainably harvested?

Willow wicker grows abundantly in the swampy wetlands of the Ganderbal district of Kashmir. The location is perfect, allowing the wicker to grow without the use of pesticides, fertilizer, or water irrigation. All water runoff goes back to the land to maintain the water table and the fiber itself helps prevent soil erosion.

The willow shoots are put in mud where they grow for about one year. They are then harvested twice a year as a collective family activity. The fiber is boiled, manually de-stalked, and dried in the sun before it’s ready to be woven.

Families often bicycle to work and an average workday is 4-6 hours per day for 8-10 months a year.

Tell us about the collection and the inspiration behind it.

Our collections of nested baskets were both designed by an American designer, Howard Peller. He was inspired to work with the ash that naturally forms during the boiling process to dye the wicker a beautiful black color, an exciting new technique for the artists. The collection celebrates organic tones, natural materials, and traditional techniques while using entirely eco-friendly dye processes.

What is something that buyers should know about wicker that often goes unnoticed? 

Wicker is not only eco-friendly but also incredibly durable, more so than other fibers used in basketry like cane, rattan, or bamboo. It is less susceptible to insects, can be kept outdoors, and feels like a natural wood without being actual timber. Wicker also provides livelihoods to over 5,000 people throughout Kashmir.

Could you tell us about the impact this collection has on these artists?

It is a part of their everyday life and ingrained in their culture. It makes them proud to be the bearers of their heritage while living in sync with nature. The artisans and their families have inherited techniques practiced for over a century, so they are true experts of this craft.

What are some of the main challenges these artists are facing today? What are a few challenges that you have been able to overcome? 

Kashmiri artisans were using much the same process 100 years ago as is still used today. It’s highly labor-intensive and incomes haven’t increased nearly as much as the rate of inflation over time. This has prevented the next generation from having the incentive or motivation to continue this craft as trade as wages continue to be low. Most would rather do manual labor in the fields because they can make just a little more than basket making.

Our goal in intervening is to help improve wages and create new channels of exposure for them. We aim to highlight new designs and techniques to show the international market that their products should not be compared to low-value, mass-produced baskets. They are high-quality products, made to last a lifetime, and the artists deserve fair wages for such integrity and beautiful work.

This collection has been made possible by the “Art-X Kashmir - Export Linkage for Four Artisan Clusters in Jammu & Kashmir” project funded by the Project Implementation Unit of Industries and Commerce Department of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir under the World Bank funded Jhelum & Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP).

Photographers to credit: Arif Irshad and Sandeep Dhopate

To place an order please contact annie@aowhandmade.com and she will introduce you to this enterprise.