Photo Essay: Craft of Kashmiri Turquoise

Photo Essay: Craft of Kashmiri Turquoise

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Nisar Ahmed Bhat,70, of Fateh Kadal, Srinagar is probably the last artist of the Valley involved in the craft of turquoise or Ferozi.

The craft of Turquoise or Ferozi originated in Iran and came to Kashmir , as with many other crafts, with Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Shah-e-Hamdan). Nisar’s grandfather learnt it at a famous karkhana near Jama Masjid, from skilled artisans who were called joras. In those times the Turquoise stone was imported all the way from Iran. At this time, around 70 artisans were employed at the karkhana. There were famous ones like Sadder ud din Shah – the Base maker and the Khaar brothers of Fateh Kadal. Nisar learnt the details of the Kasab from his grandfather and father. His passion for the kasab of Turquoise dates back to his childhood when he would sit with his father’s assistant kaarigars and help them complete their designs. In 1974, at the age of 22, Nisar joined the School of Design, where he learnt from artists like – Trilok Koul, PM Kachroo, Mehraj ud din Wanth and Suraj Narayan Tikoo. Nisar soon got national recognition by the President of India and also international recognition. Objects crafted by him were exported to England, Germany and many other countries. However, a great deal was in the turmoil of the 90s. Today he earns a meagre Rs.200/- a day.

After 1947, that import came to a halt, This was the initial downfall of the craft. However, the Joras along with their group of artisans decided to use the Ladakhi pashm stone instead. This stone began to be painted a deep shade of Turquoise to match the original Iranian one. Along with the Ladakhi pashm, rubies and sapphires are also used.

This process of crafting turquoise starts with the moulding of base, in silver,bronze or copper. The second step of the process is making of laach, which is created by mixing a portion of sand with Kashmiri mustard oil.Then heated over the stove till a viscous black mix is formed. Next step is shaping of the pashm stones. These stones are embedded into the hot base, and coloured blue. The final steps involve waxing and making the surface smooth and then varnishing.

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