Beautiful Handcrafted Papier-mâché from Kashmir

Eggcellent News!

We have received a new shipment of beautiful handpainted papier-mâché eggs just in time for Easter! They are currently on their way to your local Tree of Life where you can pick them up for $5 each. For a limited time, for every five eggs you purchase, you will also receive one FREE!

Tree of Life has always been a company which supports handmade products and the people who produce them. We visit the places where these items are made wherever possible and make sure that the conditions are good for the workers and that they are paid properly. One source of pride and joy for us in this area is the handpainted papier-mâché range from Kashmir.

The art of papier-mâché is a legacy of the Mughals. Paper-mache was developed into a fine art during the Persian rule of India. Artisans in the mountainous Kashmir region use papier-mâché to embellish everything from jewellery to decorative boxes to furniture.

Master artisans use rich pigments and gold accents to hand paint items with traditional paisley, floral, and bird patterns. Today the craft still provides much needed employment for the people of Kashmir who live a hard life due to political unrest resulting in a lack of tourism.

The creation of these unique papier-mâché items, using the traditional Kashmiri method, begins with waste paper. The paper is soaked in water for several days until it disintegrates, then the excess water is drained and the soaked waste paper is used to form a pulp. This pulp is placed in a mould and left to dry for a couple of days. When the pulp is finally dry, the shape is cut away from the mould in two halves and then glued together.

The object then gets coated in a layer of glue and rubbed smooth with a stone or baked piece of clay, then is pasted with layers of tissue paper. The artist completes the piece by painting on a base coat and adding the design free hand. The finished product is a beautiful and unique artwork that has been crafted by more than one artist. Most items pass through many pairs of talented hands before you take them home from a Tree of Life store.

The papier-mâché products you can find in store range from bangles to boxes to Easter eggs, each one of them not only beautifully decorated, but surprisingly light and strong. Their coating of lacquer protects them from water and gives them extra durability. We have watched the steady decline of craft industries over the last four decades and wish to do our best to support the skill and aesthetic sensibility of those involved in continuing this work.

Happily, in a world of increasing mechanisation and homogeneity, there are still many who love these individual and intriguing items. Our handpainted eggs in particular are a charming alternative to chocolate this Easter, and they last longer too!