Arts and Crafts of South Asia

Paper Craft in India

-Paper craft in India is a traditional art form involving the creation of three-dimensional
objects using paper as the primary medium. Craftsmen employ simple techniques such
as cutting, gluing, stitching, molding, and layering to produce beautiful objects.

Local materials that can be used in making Paper Craft:

-Card stock paper
-Glue
-Papercraft
-scissors
-Tweezers
-Corner punchers
-Mat
-Cutters
-Trimmer
-Paper knives

The art of Indian Basket Weaving:

-Basket weaving serves both functional and decorative purposes in homes.

-It has evolved across cultures, utilizing materials like grasses, rushes, palm, yucca, or
flax.
-Three main weaving techniques include:
Coiled basketry: This involves wrapping a core material and sewing it together.
Plaiting basketry: Utilizes crossing strips of material to create a "checkerboard"
pattern.
Twining basketry: a technique where two or more flexible weaving elements
("weavers") cross each other as they weave through the stiffer radial spokes.

Local/Alternative Materials that can be used to create a basket:

-sedge grass
-bamboo
-Kudzu vines
-Honeysuckle vines
-Woody vines
-Reeds plant
-Oak plant

Earthen Pots of Pakistan:

-Pottery making in the region of South Asia is an ancient skill, with Pakistan being a
notable hub.
-Artisans in Pakistan are dedicated to crafting earthen pots (Matkas) following
traditional patterns.
-Pottery entails shaping vessels and objects from clay and ceramic materials, then firing
them at high temperatures for durability.
-The pottery-making process comprises preparing materials, shaping clay, drying, firing,
cooling, and decorating with glazing.

Basic Pottery Techniques:

-Throwing: This is a fundamental pottery technique where soft clay is centered and
shaped on a potter's wheel to create various forms such as pots, bowls, and vases. The
potter uses their hands and shaping tools to mold the clay into the desired shape. The
resulting form, called greenware, is then carefully removed from the wheel and left to
dry slowly.

-Trimming: After reaching a firm consistency (leather-hard), greenware undergoes

trimming on the wheel. Trimming entails carving away excess clay to refine the vessel's
shape using various tools. This step ensures a smooth surface and even thickness.
After trimming, the pottery is left to dry before firing.
-Slip Carving or Sgraffito: enhances pottery surfaces with decorative elements. It starts
with applying a contrasting-colored slip onto leather-hard clay, which is left to dry. Sharp
tools are then used to carve intricate designs through the slip layer, revealing the base
clay color beneath. This technique creates a striking contrast, amplified after firing and
glazing, enhancing the pottery's visual appeal.

-Bisque Firing: Once the trimmed pottery has dried completely, it undergoes bisque
firing in a gas or electric kiln. This firing process typically reaches temperatures ranging
from 1800 to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bisque firing transforms the clay into a hard and
durable state, known as bisqueware. During this firing, the pottery may shrink by up to
15%. Planning ahead is crucial for the potter to anticipate any changes in size or shape.

-Glazing: After bisque firing, the pottery is ready to be glazed. Glazes are applied either
by dipping the pottery into a glaze solution or by painting it onto the surface. In addition
to traditional glazes, potters may use stains or underglazes for decorative purposes.

-Slip Trailing: Another decorative technique involves slip trailing, where a raised pattern
is created on the pottery surface by applying lines of slip (liquid clay) before bisque
firing. This technique adds texture and visual interest to the finished piece. Other
options for decoration include painting the pottery with underglazes or applying dyes
either under or over the glazes, allowing for a wide range of artistic expression.

-Raku Firing: bisqueware is glazed and kiln-fired at around 1800°F. Afterward, pieces
are placed in a sealed container with combustible materials. Oxygen deprivation creates
distinctive crackled surfaces or metallic lusters, depending on glaze types. Unglazed
parts turn black from carbon absorption.

-Smoking or Pit Firing: burnished greenware pottery is either bisque fired or placed
directly in a pit. Fueled by wood or charcoal, it reaches up to 1300°F. Slow-burning
materials surround it, adding carbon and other by-products for rich colors like grey,
brown, red, and black. This method is used notably by New Mexico pueblos for
blackware.

Arts and Crafts in Central Asia

Embroidery in Turkmenistan:
Embroidery in Turkmenistan is a cherished tradition, showcasing intricate stitches and
unique patterns by Turkmen women, often serving as familial seals. This craft
decorates fabric with needles and threads, including materials like pearls and beads. It
adorns various items today, offering a wide range of color choices.
Basic embroidery techniques:
-Chain stitch: is a sewing and embroidery technique where looped stitches create a chain-

like pattern. This ancient craft dates back to the Warring States period, with surviving

examples found in Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread.

Buttonhole stitch: along with its related blanket stitch, are hand-sewing techniques utilized

in tailoring, embroidery, and needle lace-making.

Running stitch: also known as the straight stitch, is the foundational stitch in hand-

sewing and embroidery. It involves passing the needle in and out of the fabric at a

regular distance. All other sewing forms are based on this stitch, with variations in

length, spacing, and direction.

-Satin stitch: also known as damask stitch, is a technique in sewing and embroidery

where flat stitches completely cover a section of the background fabric. It can be

executed using narrow rows on a standard sewing machine with a zigzag stitch or a

special satin stitch foot.

-Cross stitch: a decorative embroidery technique characterized by X-shaped stitches

arranged like tiles.

Types of embroidery threads include:

● Milliary Wire: A two-part thread comprising a central core wire with coiled wire around it.
● Pearl Purl: Wire wound into a tight coil resembling a strand of gold pearls.
● Bullion Thread: Very fine wire threads wound into a tubular shape, akin to purl threads
but with stretch.
● Twists or Torsade Thread: Made of multiple strands of metal twisted together.
● Matte Embroidery Cotton: This thread's thickness comes from tightly twisted 5-ply
strands, suitable for embroidering on heavy fabrics.

Arts and Crafts in Kyrgyzstan

-The arts and crafts of the Kyrgyz people have evolved over centuries, influenced by
their nomadic lifestyle. Major forms include felt art, weaving, patterned embroidery,
leatherwork, jewelry, and wood carving.

The art of making felt products, like "shyrdaks" (decorated felt carpets), is closely tied to
nomadic dwellings. Shyrdaks are labor-intensive, requiring wool from approximately five
sheep for one rug. Traditionally made by women, the process involves cleaning,
washing, dyeing, and layering wool. Patterns are meticulously cut out, creating stunning
positive/negative visual images often with symbolic motifs like sheep and shepherds.
Unused felt is repurposed to create mirror-image shyrdaks.

Basic materials used in making Shyrdak rug:

-wool (Merino wool is one of the world's most common types of wool)
-dye (contrasting colors)
-soap

Tush kyiz

-Are large, intricately embroidered wall hangings traditionally crafted in Kyrgyzstan and
Kazakhstan to celebrate a son or daughter's marriage. Symbolizing Kyrgyz traditions
and rural life, they feature flowers, animals, and national emblems. These ornate
embroideries, sometimes taking years to complete, are dated and signed by the artist.
Hung in the yurt above the marriage bed, they signify pride in Kyrgyz tradition and the
couple's union. While shyrdaks continue to be made for sale, tush kyiz remain cherished
family heirlooms, representing familial, regional, and national traditions.

Arts and Crafts in West Asia

Calligraphy

-Calligraphy, an esteemed art form in West Asia, involves the design and execution of
lettering using broad-tipped instruments, brushes, or other writing tools. It is “the art of
giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner”.

Techniques - The basic of calligraphy and hand writing In order to achieve

optimal results, it is advisable to learn the basic techniques of calligraphy first.
 ● Base line: The writing line where the body of a letter sits.
● Ascender line: Sets the height of ascending letters.
● Cap line: Sets the height of capital letters.
● Ascender: The part of a letter between the 7 x-line and the 2-ascender line.
● Descender: The part of a letter below the 1 base line.
● X-height: The height of a letter or portion of the script between the 1 base line
and the 2-ascender line (height of lowercase x).
● X-line: Guides the upper limit of the 6x height.
● Slant line: Indicates the correct slant or slope of a letter, measured from the
vertical.
● Nib width: Refers to the width of the writing tool's point or tip.
● Ductus: Refers to the number, direction, and sequence of strokes that form a
letter.
● Hairline: A very thin line, often used for delicate details in lettering.
● Pen Angle: The angle at which the nib meets the paper, relative to the baseline.
● Downstroke: A stroke directed downwards toward the baseline or descender line.

Ceramic
-A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosionresistant
materials made by shaping and then firing a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, at a high
temperature.

Here are some ceramic techniques:

● Handbuilding: Creating objects through pinching, joining slabs, or forming coils.

● Pinching: Shaping clay into a smooth ball and expanding it by pressing inward
with thumbs and fingers.
● Slab construction: Using flat, moist clay pieces stacked and joined together, with
scoring and slipping to maintain form.
● Coil construction: Rolling soft clay into thick strips, layering them, and securing
with scoring and slipping.
● Wheel throwing: Centering clay on a spinning wheel, shaping it into desired forms
by compressing and raising walls.
● Slip casting: Pouring liquid clay into plaster molds, allowing it to solidify, then
removing and air-drying the formed clay.

Local/Alternative ceramic materials:

-Clay
-Powders
-Kiln (oven)
-Glaze