Kashmir’s last Turquoise Artisan fights to preserve a Fading Craft
SRINAGAR: Sixty-two-year-old Mohammad Hanief, the last master craftsman of Kashmir’s centuries-old turquoise jewellery-making tradition, is struggling to keep the dying art alive.
With no other artisan left to practice the rare craft, locally known as Ferozi, Hanief, a resident of Fatehkadal in Srinagar’s old city, fears the tradition will vanish with him. Dwindling demand and a lack of Government support have pushed the art form to the brink of extinction.
Hanief inherited the craft from his father, who, in the 1970s, employed dozens of artisans when demand was high, particularly among foreign tourists. However, shifting market trends and official neglect have led to its decline. By the 1990s, all 60 families once engaged in Ferozi had abandoned it.
Hanief was a child when he took over the family workshop after his father’s death. Under the guidance of senior artisans, he mastered the skill, but as demand dwindled, his fellow craftsmen left.
Struggling to survive, Hanief too stepped away for a few months to sell carpets instead. “I earned more selling carpets, but I felt like I was betraying my father’s legacy,” he says. Unable to let go, he returned to jewellery-making-only to find that local markets had moved on. Shops that once stocked his work no longer had space for it.A turning point came when his sister encouraged him to exhibit his pieces in Bangalore. The buyers appreciated his work, and he regained the customers he had lost in the Valley. While exhibitions outside Kashmir have now become a regular feature for him, his workshop continues to struggle. “In the Valley, there are not enough customers, which is depressing,” he added.
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Exposure to clients from Bangalore and other states gave him a fresh perspective, leading him to experiment with new designs and colourful stones. “Making the same thing over and over is boring for an artist,” he said.
Despite the recognition from outside Kashmir, Hanief feels abandoned by local authorities. “Officials in places like Kerala and Karnataka help me set up stalls, but here, the Government pays no heed to my requests,” he said. His artisan card, which ensures financial support, has been awaiting renewal since 2022.
Hanief warns that if the Government continues to neglect the craft, it will die with him, as the younger generation is unwilling to take it forward. “The art will die with me, and the Government must act before it vanishes,” he said. (Daily Excelsior)
Hanief warns that if the Government continues to neglect the craft, it will die with him, as the younger generation is unwilling to take it forward. “The art will die with me, and the Government must act before it vanishes,” he said. (Daily Excelsior)
