The craft of coconut shell carving of Bankura district of West Bengal began as a variation of the infamous conch shell carving from the same region. During the 1980’s there was a sudden scarcity in the supply of conch shells in West Bengal, as a result their prices soared. To sustain themselves and to keep […]
About a century and a half ago, a group of wooden toy makers had settled down in Natungram. For centuries, they found markets to sell their craft essentially in only rural fairs. In the early days, small figures were made using this craft, of which the raja-rani (king and queen) and owl (associated with Goddess […]
Shola pith is a milky-white sponge like core or pith of the shola stem which is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art. This plant grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The outer harder brown skin is peeled to reveal the core which is approximately one and half inch in diameter. Some may say […]