PESHAWAR: Handicraft business in the provincial capital has survived from earlier times.

“Though the city has seen the number of handicraft shops grow over the years, the market has been in a slump due to lawlessness in the province, which scared away foreigners fond of handicrafts,” Sher Agha, a dealer of Afghan handicrafts, told Dawn on Monday.

According to Sher Agha, who has been dealing in handicraft items for 20 years, foreigners used to throng the city for handmade things until 2000 as from then on, security situation in the province worsened.

“Unfortunately, the last decade witnessed a sharp decline in the handicraft business,” he said.

Built in 1985, a business plaza in Andershehar, a street famous for gold jewellery, soon earned the name of a handicraft bazaar, which was frequented by foreigners.

The number of shops dealing in handicrafts increased from 120 in 1990 to 400 shops over the last three decades despite a sharp decline in business.

Most local handicraft dealers are Afghan nationals, who had set up their businesses in early 80s in and around Peshawar city.

The handicrafts traded here include traditional clothes, utensils, silver jewellery, ornaments, gemstones, beads and mirrors.

The handicraft business is mostly done online these days as mostly foreigners don’t visit the city for security reasons.

“Different handicrafts of Peshawar were exported to UK, USA, Japan, China and Gulf States until recently. The city had copper, silver, brass, wood and straw work artisans in hundreds not long ago but the number has come down to around 50 only as the others have turned to other professions due to a persistent slump in the market. Others have no option but to continue to be in the business,” said Zahid Jan, a local handicraft dealer.

Copper was introduced in the Subcontinent during the era of Alexander the Great but the international world learned about it only when Muslim scholar Al-Beruni and Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang appreciated it in their travelogues published in the seventh century.

They praised the aesthetic sense of the local great carvers, engravers and artisans skilled in handiworks.

“People of Dir, Swat, Buner and Swabi are still very skilled in stone and wood work,” Jawad Ali, an expert of handicrafts, said.

Until recently, Bazaar-i-Misgaran (copperware) in Qissa Khwani Bazaar of Peshawar had widespread acclaim for quality copperware and brass work.

Miskeen Khan, a shopkeeper, said his grandfather used to tell him that the art of copper and brassware was hundreds of years old and that his ancestors had learned it from Kashmiri artisans, who might have inherited it from Greek craftsmen, who had been there during the times of Alexander the Great.

Bowls, plates, urns, koozas, vases, images of camels, horses, and musical instruments are carved and engraved skillfully and even exported to Europe, Japan and US.

Saida Gul, an artisan, said the art of making jewellery reached its peak during the period of Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar.

He used to invite jewellery makers from all over the world and the craftsmen, who produced the most exquisite gold items, were awarded extravagantly.

“Goldsmiths and silversmiths in Peshawar have inherited this art from their forefathers who lived through the Gandhara civilisation. The handicrafts of Peshawar are still in great demand in Afghanistan, India, Japan and Europe,” he said.

More than 40 shops located in Garhi Khana near the historic site of Gor Khutri monument deal in wooden handicrafts. The woodwork is a blend of Persian, Kashmiri and Central Asian design philosophies and is incorporated in furniture and decoration pieces.

Artisan Rahat Wali Khan, 50, said the art of woodwork had been practiced for more than 400 hundreds years by his family.

For decades, his family has been producing wooden images of elephants, camels, horses, swans, ducks, eagles and pigeons, as these animals were and are still very important for the inhabitants of this region.

It is said the craft of making various things from reed leaves, wheat and date palm is ancient. Previously only women were associated with this art but now male artisans have also adopted basketry to meet the increasing demand for this commodity. Things like hand fans, vases, bread pan and even bookshelves are made by weaving leaves together. Locals take interest in stone, wood, straw works.

Artisans in Takhtbhai, Mardan, Bannu and DI Khan are good at straw and leaf work and their handmade items are also brought to Peshawar.

“Plastic made things have replaced many household things but people still have a penchant for using handmade items in daily life while many others buy for decoration purposes,” artisan Sufiyan Gul told Dawn.

Chitrali embroidery is used to decorate handmade goods such as hats, shawls, waistcoats and lady’s handbags.

Dealer Sadiq Amin said around 4,000 families were associated with the business.

“It takes months of hard work to make these goods to perfection but unfortunately, embroiderers are paid a nominal price for their skill,” he said.

Silversmith Shamshad said though the number of artisans in the province had reduced over the years, the better law and order situation could help revive the handicraft business.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2015

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