Bowl
Late 19th to early 20th century
Papier-mache

Decorated in a Chinar leaf pattern with foliage and birds in gold on a deep red background, this bowl is one of the highlights of the Museum’s exquisite papier-mache collection from Kashmir.

Papier-mache is the technique of creating objects using paper pieces or paper pulp moulded in the desired shape and bound with an adhesive. This delicate decorative art was introduced to Kashmir from Samarkhand in Central Asia, in the 15th century A.D. In Kashmir style of papier-mache, the paper is never completely beaten into pulp; it is softened with water and then pasted in a mould layer by layer to achieve the desired thickness.