13 Oct 2014: Handmade in India November 10, 2014 – Posted in: Newsletters

Handmade in India unravels a tapestry of the knowledge and skills of generations of India’s craftspeople in traditional and contemporary settings.

UNESCO defines traditional craftsmanship as perhaps the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. The Convention acknowledges that it is not just the skills and knowledge involved in craftsmanship that are important, but also the continuation of passing skills and knowledge onto others, particularly within the same communities.

Handmade in India is a celebration of Indian handicrafts in all aspects – historical, social, and cultural in both traditional and contemporary settings. The aesthetic and artistic range is as disparate as the country`s cultural diversity. Based on extensive fieldwork and research, this encyclopedic book maps out the regional crafts identified across the country on the basis of prevailing craft work patterns while capturing the traditions that have enriched the day-to-day lives of the people. The narratives are closely interwoven with images to reveal the array of crafts in India, producing a rich gamut of items, including tools, clothing and jewellery, costumes and props for festivals and performing arts, storage containers, objects used for transport and shelter, decorative art and ritual objects, musical instruments, household utensils and toys for both amusement and education. The incredibly wide array of objects enables the reader to discern subtle, sometimes unusual, differences in the same craft practiced by distinct regions or communities.

The book’s rich store of information and vivid illustrations will be a tremendous resource and an indispensable acquisition for many, including designers, artists and architects, libraries, connoisseurs and collectors of handicrafts, and those working in the field of intangible cultural heritage conservation. Handmade in India is written by Aditi Ranjan, a weaver, textile designer, and design teacher, and M. P. Ranjan, an industrial designer and design teacher. It received the Gold Medal in Crafts category at the 2009 ForeWord Book of the Year Award and has recently been reprinted due to demand.

Crafts of India: Handmade in India is now available at Areca Books. Visit our new bookshop at 72 Lebuh Acheh. We open daily, 10am – 6pm.