Traditional Art Forms Sustaining Poor in the City

Her heartfelt smile invited me to start a chitchat session. But it was her sheer talent at her job that left me flabbergasted. I saw her at Dilli Haat where she sells self-made Papier Mache art-pieces. From attractive utility items like pen stands, paper weights, envelopes boxes and jewelry boxes to decorative artifacts like animal and bird figures, she has a wide range of products.

Originally from Bihar, Puneeta Devi resides in Delhi to earn her livelihood. She moved to Delhi in order to support her family financially and now it’s been more than 15 years. Her family including four kids and a husband are also involved in the business. Her children assist her backstage in making art-pieces. At Dilli Haat, famous for its traditional artwork, she works with her brother who has his own shop of Madhubani paintings. Although she sells her stuff here but her random business visits to ongoing art fairs in and around Delhi help her fetch some more clients. While talking to her further, I could feel her pain in trying to make ends meet every day. She told that Papier Mache is a less recognized art in India and there are times when she sells nothing.

For many of us who don’t know about Papier Mache, here comes the basic information of its meaning and origin. 

Papier Mache or Paper Mache is a French word meaning “mashed or chewed paper”. It is a composite material consisting of soft paper pieces, hardened with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as starch or glue.

Papier Mache as an art form originated during 105 A.D from China; the inventors of paper itself. According to studies, they used Papier Mache to make helmets of all things, which they toughened by many layers of lacquer. From China, the interest in the art passed on to Japan and Persia, where it was used in mask-making and festival activities before it eventually spread across the globe.

Undoubtedly the Moguls contributed a lot to Indian art, but one of their greatest contributions was to introduce Papier Mache to Indian craftsmen. This art was greatly favored by Mogul emperors who came from Central Asia in the 15th and 16th century and ruled India for almost 200-300 years.

After much evolution, today, it has become extremely stylized with the use of real gold and silver paint and by the addition of intricate decorations. The designs of Kashmiri Papier Mache, generally in the form of flowers and birds, have a strong Persian flavor. The Papier Mache artifacts are usually made in every Indian village but that of Bihar are famous, in particular, due to its painting style. Artisans of Bihar make beautiful crafts with colourful paintings on them. The most interesting fact about the art form is that it is considered as a great recycle craft and serves as good means of business for many poor and landless people across India.