History of Indian Handicrafts

An ode to Indian Art & Culture!!
The glorious history of Indian handicrafts dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization (3000 B.C. - 1700 B.C.) where the first traces of Indian handicrafts can be found. Indian arts and crafts have evolved through religious traditions, local needs and foreign trade and commerce. Today, India is a treasure-trove of various arts and crafts in the contemporary world.

Indian handicraft is just another precious gem in the bejeweled crown of Indian culture and heritage. Be it intricately decorated metal craft or some exquisite paintings, Indian handicrafts have always an extra edge for their ethnic designs and flourishing textures. Time is the silent onlooker during the evolution of the art and craft since the civilization grew from cave to the modern mega cities and now Indian handicraft is the integrated part of the Indian culture leaving the whole world amazed. The various forms of art and crafts in India include Paintings, Sculptures, Pottery, Metal work, Textiles, Ivory work, Glass products, Leather works, Stone works, Wooden work, Cane work, Toys, and Terracotta and many more.

Happy Journey of Indian Handicrafts
Going back to the Indus Valley Civilization one can find a rich craft tradition with technical excellence specially in the field of pottery, sculpture (metal, stone and terracotta), jewelry, weaving etc. In the Vedic age (1500 B.C.), we find numerous references in the Vedas of artisans involved in pottery making, weaving, wood craft etc. A variety of pottery made from clay, wood and metal are referred in the Rig Veda.

During Maurya period Indian handicrafts reached to perfection especially in Stone crafts. Transformation from imperialist Ashoka to Buddhist allowed many craftsmen to flourish. It is said that more than 84000 Buddhist Stupas were build during the reign of Ashoka. Remains of few of these stupas are still available at Sanchi, Bharhut, Vaishali, Amaravati and Mathura. How can one forget the Iron Pillars of Delhi and Vaishali reflecting the marvelous examples of metallurgy.

Mauryan Period was an assimilation of regional influence in Indian arts and crafts. Since this period in Indian history was that of political turmoil, not a single dynasty could rule over India for a long time. The regular attacks of Indo-Greeks, Indo-Bactrians, Shakas and Kushanas made Indian scene topsy-turvy. These invasions influenced the handicrafts of this age. Buddhist sculptures of Mauryan era found at Taxila, Begram, Swat Valley, Bamiyan etc. depict these influences clearly. In fact, Buddha with curly hair and wrapped in draperies was the result of Greek influence. The main crafts which got maximum influence of the Central Asian invasions were jewelry, sculpture, textile making, leather products and the metal works.

Gupta Age has been called classical age because the art and crafts domain was greatly affected by the political stability, efficient ruling, capable administration and the consistent patronage of art and crafts. Fascinating murals of Ajanta and the significant development in sculpture, jewelry making, wood carving, stone carving and weaving took a giant leap in this age. Stone sculpture and metal sculpture were made of high standards. The rock cut temples of Ellora are the astonishing examples of stone craft. This structure lead Indian Crafts towards perfection.

During Medieval period, the temples with numerous intricate details were carved. Gems and jewelry found a new dimension. Bronze sculpture and silk weaving craft reached at its zenith. In North India, under Delhi Sultanate, the art of pottery making, weaving, wood carving, metal works and jewelry also flourished. The Mughal Empire lead the art and science of architecture to the starry heights. Painting saw its zenith under the emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. The Mughals introduced methods like inlay work, glass engraving, carpet weaving, brocades, enameling etc. Not only this but the School of Mughal paintings influenced other regional painting schools too like Pahari School of Painting, Rajput School of Painting, Kota School of Painting, Boondi School of Painting etc. Metallurgy achieved several milestones during Medieval period.

Thus from Indus Valley Civilization to the modern day, Indian Handicrafts evolved to high levels of the perfection and skills. Craft traditions have become an integral part of lifestyle of many. Indian handicrafts present some of the world’s widest and finest range of products. Indian paintings are now finding place in every art lover's house across the world. A collection of Indian handicrafts, exquisitely carved and intricate in design is sure to leave you spellbound. Let us come together to create the ethnic Indian aura through the numberless Indian handicrafts products artistically crafted in different materials.