Indian Crafts Interiors

Contents: Foreword. 1. Introduction: Enter, But with Bowed Head. 2. New Faces of Permanence: Stone. 3. Shaping What Shapes Us: Glazed Ceramics and Terracotta. 4. Embracing the Planet: Grass, Coir and Natural Fibres. 5. Fresh Breezes Stir Bamboo and Cane: Bamboo, Cane and Willow. 6. New Roots for Old Trees: Wood. 7. The Flow of Fabric Enters a New World: Textiles. 8. Changing the Writing on the Wall: Surface Decoration. 9. Old Core Gleams Once More: Metal. 10. Giving Glass a Vanity: Glass and Mirror-work. 11. Old Stones Sing Again: Heritage Properties. 12. Enriching a Living Civilization: Inspiration. Appendices.

Traditional craftsmanship in India is as old as and can be traced back to the beginning of civilization in the subcontinent.  Locally available materials were used by master craftspeople in order to create objects of value used for a variety of purposes.  Despite the wide range of crafts practised in India since antiquity, contemporary discourses on design have been slow to recognize the potential of this heritage, with only a handful of designers incorporating traditional crafts in their vision.  With many such crafts now disappearing owing to modern methods, there is an urgent need to present a design-oriented perspective on crafts, with a focus on sustainability for a symbiotic and meaningful future for both. 

It is not enough to treat craft as an afterthought, but rather, the best results are obtained when craft itself forms the DNA of the design.  This volume aims to create a lavish showcase of the possibilities of Indian crafts being used in expressive, practical and contemporary ways within interior spaces.  Organized by material, the contributors take us through the wide range of regional craft variations as well as outstanding examples of design solutions that utilize these crafts.  The result is a volume that functions as a reference resource, inspirational “lookbook,” and index of practitioners.  With insightful essays on stone; grass, coir and natural fibres; wood; textiles; bamboo and cane; glazed ceramics and terracotta; surface decoration; metal; and glass and mirror-work by various pioneers as well as stunning visuals, this is an indispensable volume for students and practitioners of design.