Piecing together craft of life

Purnima Sharma

The Bamyan province misses its Buddha statues,” says Zahra Kazemi. The diminutive businesswoman hails from the Afghani province that shot to fame after the Taliban mercilessly reduced its gigantic art pieces to rubble. But there is now hope for the war-ravaged country and its people. “There’s news that these will soon be restored. That will bring more tourists to Bamyan and help our handicrafts and lives prosper,” smiles the 39-year-old who was recently in the Capital for the Dastakar Winter Mela that brings in tribal arts, not just from India but also our neighbouring regions.

Bamyan, the area that once thrived on the ancient Silk Route, is home to women like Kazemi, who is on her fifth trip to India to sell her wares. “People here are appreciative of our work,” she says pointing to crafts from her region that are an amalgam of creativity and colour. And Bamyan women, she adds, are particularly fortunate as they enjoy a great deal of freedom. “They are being educated (and even allowed to study English as a subject in schools), and work on stuff like handicrafts once the time is right,” she says.

Pointing towards the colourful clothing that she and other artisans from the area have created, she says, “Unlike the tough times we faced because of the Taliban, women now enjoy wearing colourful clothes themselves, so what if these are covered with shawls when they step out,” says Kazemi who has studied at the American University in Afghanistan and proudly talks about her collection of clothes generally made from light and loose-fitting linens.

Beautifully embroidered, the styles and designs that Kazemi works on have come from the different regions of Afghanistan. “We pay great attention to detailing,” she says and goes on to talk about the khamak, khandar and graf dozi (embroidery) together with the mora dozi that is done with multi-hued beads. “Most of our embroidery is done with very thin threads in a variety of shapes, and patterns ranging from geometric to flowery. “The more intricate the design, the more expensive the outfit,” she says.

The women, according to Kazemi, embroider on materials in a variety of stitches in very fine and precise patterns. Different regions of Afghanistan are known for different designs, be it the multi-hued geometric designs or those embellished with tiny beads or gold-coloured braids. With changing times, embroidery has moved on to enhance a variety of other things like veils, stoles, bags, purses, etc. as well. “While the craft and designs remain innately traditional, we sometimes shift gears to cater to the changing tastes of our buyers too,” adds Kazemi.

Talking about women empowerment that is slowly making its presence felt in Bamyan, Masooma Ibrahim, who is accompanied by her husband Hyder Ali, says that out of the total number of people involved in the handicraft business, almost 97 per cent are women. On their first visit to India, the couple tells it took refuge in Iran when the Taliban wreaked havoc in Afghanistan. With over 60 employees working for them, the two started venturing into handicrafts 23 years ago. “Before that our family was into welding business,” informs Ali. Fortunately for them, dress designing has their elders’ support. “Masooma remains up to date with what designs work and sometimes creates new patterns. However, we only work on designs that are allowed by Islam,” says Ali. And yes, Masooma takes inspiration from India too, especially saas-bahu soaps and historicals that have many hooked to the telly in Afghanistan.

The Afghan experience also offers suzanis — pure wool rugs and bedcovers — brought in from Mazar in the Balkh province. Coming from the area that is now Uzbekistan, suzanis are mostly embroidered with wool on a cotton fabric in traditional patterns. Besides suzanis, there are other varieties of Afghan carpets that are finding a ready market in India. “They’ve created a presence here right from the time the Mughals,” says Ghulam Fazaluddin, who hails from Mazar-e-Sharif and is happy continuing with the craft that goes back several generations in his family. 

Among the varieties of carpets that he has on offer are the Khal Mohammadi and the Khal Yusufi. Made of sheep wool, these hand-woven carpets come in a variety of sizes and colours that range from the darker shades of red and brown. “There are no weaving machines in Afghanistan,” informs Fazaluddin.

We ask him about the reports of forced child labour in Afghanistan... According to the US Department of Labour 2014 report on child labor and forced labor, the country is among the 74 of those listed to have registered significant child labour incidence in the manufacture of carpets. Fazaluddin says this is not true. “There are now strict laws against using child labour in this industry. Kids under 15 years of age are not allowed to weave carpets,” he adds.

However, carpet-weaving is an art that many are happy to pursue. “The fact that carpets, depending on their size, can take more than two months to complete, is no deterrent. And at the time of marriage, the more proficient a girl is in the art of carpet weaving, the better are her chances of finding a good match,” he laughs. Happy that Afghan carpets are getting the attention they deserve, he talks about how these have repeatedly won awards at international events, including the Hannover Fair in 2014. “It is equivalent to Oscars in the carpet industry,” he smiles.