As a keen observer of art history and the ruptures created by colonization, I have found artisanal practices as an important part of the cultural continuum that exists independent of Eurocentric art history. The assimilation of influences embedded in crafts not only unveil chronologies of the land but also its anthropological particularities.

Currently Lahore based Daachi Foundation is offering an immersive craft experience with its melas that open a Pandora’s box of connections and confirms their timeless vibrancy. As hundreds of craftswomen and craftsmen from four corners of Pakistan gather under one roof for three days, the unbroken connections between the past and present begin to appear like a resilient DNA that is constantly evolving and transforming.

Probably among the earliest link of material culture at the Daachi Mela were the replica of figurines and bowls from Harappan sites. Exquisitely paper thin, and finely crafted from the same riverbed clay, they bear testimony to the lineage of skilled potters who continue to work with such precision. Anchored in the Kashi-ware, popularized under the Mughals from centers in Multan, Nasserpur and Hala, its trail extends further south to the Shah Jehani Mosque at Thatta and countless shrines. In the hands of the potter today, the Kashi motifs have transitioned from tiles and decorative urns to tables, platters and bird- baths for the modern habitat.

Tucked away at the mela was a small table with handmade paper products, a reminder how paper traversed the Silk Road in Northern Pakistan, from China to Samarkand in the hands of the Muslims soldiers who introduced it via Spain to Europe. The offerings at the silver jewelry stalls were a fascinating compendium of techniques and styles unveiling the syncretic influences that converge here, these were metallic cousins of bangles, earrings and necklaces in agate and other tooled stones excavated at Mohanjo Daro. The contemporary jewelry designers also present, plucked motifs and patterns from timeless collections to cater to the 21st century sensibility. Their entry into the craft dialogue heralds another exciting new chapter.

Echo of the thousands of handlooms of Thatta, that put it on the map of every European power who were seeking treasures, has not completely died away but dispersed all over Sindh. New textiles continue to reference Sussi and Ajrak in a plethora of variations explored by young designers that have made Ajrak, hand-blocked patterns into a staple of popular wear.

The Mughal queens Nurjehan and Mumtaz Mahal were influential patrons and innovators who introduced Persian inspirations in formal textiles and jewelry that persist to this day. The Meena Bazars, a kind of a mela, organized for women of the royal families helped them extend patronage to textiles, perfumery and jewelry. In the folk context the mela has been a part of the harvest celebration since time immemorial. The village mela footprint was easy to recognize at Daachi through the hand-crafted toys from up-cycled scraps of bright cloth and embellished with gota, hand puppets and turned wooden toys in the satrangi palette of Sindh; in addition to the gugu ghora crafted by the nomadic tribes that follow the seasonal demand for farm labor.

Besides the timeless versions, the contemporary crafts spawned by new technologies and materials have also begun to appear— digital prints are an obvious addition as are truck art inspired products introducing humorous text in the sensibility of urban folk.

The Daachi Foundation initiative pioneered by Ayesha Noorani and her dedicated team, is also planning to establish a craft village and research center outside Lahore, which will be the first such institution of its kind in the country. It is planned as a permanent site for craft based exhibitions seminars and workshops where scholars and researchers will not only have access to crafts and their creators but resources to investigate erasures and ruptures created by the sharp dividing line between high and low art that was enforced through the curriculum of the art schools set up during the colonial period. This chasm destroyed the traditional synergy between the kashigar, naqash and musavir that for millennia shaped the aesthetics that define our rich material culture. The Daachi Craft Village will have a role to play in decolonization with knowledge production on materials and special techniques that date back several millennia so the people can understand and value craft as an important link to our genealogies.

Title Image: Gugu Ghoras, toys crafted by Nomadic tribes. Daachi 2018 Arts and Crafts Exhibition.

Image courtesy, Daachi Foundation.