TL;DR: Many textile traditions pattern cloth by blocking dye with wax, paste or mud before dyeing. India has hand block printing, including resist-and-indigo work in Rajasthan, and Kalamkari, the painted and printed cotton of Andhra Pradesh. Indonesia’s batik is on UNESCO’s list, Japan’s katazome uses a rice-paste resist through stencils, and Yoruba women in Nigeria…
TL;DR: Lost-wax casting means shaping a wax model, covering it in clay, melting the wax out and pouring metal into the space. It is used by Dhokra artisans in central and eastern India, by Chola-tradition bronze makers in Tamil Nadu, by the royal brass casters of Benin in present-day Nigeria and by ancient Greek bronze…
TL;DR: Bandhani, a tie-dye from Gujarat and Rajasthan, and shibori, the Japanese family of resist-dye methods, both keep dye away from parts of the cloth by tying, folding, stitching or clamping it. Their results differ: bandhani is known for tiny tied dots, while shibori covers more than a hundred methods, from dappled spots to folded…
TL;DR: Fake ageing usually shows up as wear and dirt that look the same everywhere, instead of building up where hands, feet and weather actually touch an object. Tool marks, surface layers, ultraviolet light and a documented history all help, but each has limits and the best forgeries can fool experienced buyers. For anything valuable,…
TL;DR: Every dot on genuine Bandhani, a tie-dye from Gujarat and Rajasthan, is a tiny knot tied by hand, so the cloth tends to be crinkled, slightly uneven and dyed through to the back. Printed imitations usually look flat and crisp. These are commonly given signs, not proof, and a registered GI tag such as…
TL;DR: Indian law defines a handloom simply as any loom that is not run on power, so how cloth looks and feels can hint at its origin but cannot prove it. Slightly uneven weaving, a telltale selvedge and a price that reflects real labour are commonly given signs. The dependable answer is an official label…
A guide to popular Indian mango varieties such as Alphonso, Badami, Dasheri, Kesar, Langra and Totapuri, with tips on picking good mangoes.
The Jaipur spice fair (Cooperative Masala Mela) is a ten-day fair where cooperatives sell pure whole and ground spices, usually in April and May.
The Puneri Pagadi is a traditional Marathi headgear from Pune, a symbol of pride and honour with a GI tag since 2009.
Banarasi paan is Varanasi’s famous betel leaf treat, a GI-tagged paan folded into a gilori and offered as a gesture of hospitality.