Craft atlas
Where Pakistan's crafts come from
The town a craft comes from still matters. Here's what's made where, with a source for each. Six regions so far, and we add crafts as we research them.
Sindh
Ajrak
Matiari, Hala, Bhit Shah, Hyderabad and across Sindh
Cloth block printed and resist dyed in indigo and crimson, given to guests as a mark of respect. [1]
Read: How ajrak is made →Hala glazed pottery
Hala
Hand-painted glazed earthenware in cobalt blue, turquoise, purple, mustard, white and brown. [2]
Read: Multani blue pottery →Jandi lacquer work
Hala
Lacquered woodwork turned into lamps, boxes, vases and furniture. [2]
Read: Hala and Bhit Shah →Rilli
Across Sindh
Patchwork quilts found in Sindhi homes and often given as gifts. [2]
Read: Hala and Bhit Shah →Punjab
Multani blue pottery
Multan
Kashigari: pottery and tiles painted in cobalt blue and turquoise, the same craft that covers the city's shrines. [3]
Read: Multani blue pottery →Multani khussa
Multan
Flat leather shoes stitched by hand, often embroidered with metallic tilla thread. [4]
Read: The Multani khussa →Naqashi camel-skin lamps
Multan
Painted camel-skin lampshades and vases, a rare art that casts warm patterned light. [5]
Read: A craft day in Multan →Chiniot carved furniture
Chiniot
Shisham and rosewood furniture carved by hand with knife-like tools called chappu. [6]
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawari chappal
Peshawar
The Pashtun leather sandal, made to order in old markets such as Peshawar's Namak Mandi. [7]
Read: The Peshawari chappal →Balochistan
Balochi embroidery
Kech, Makran, Kalat, Dera Bugti and across Balochistan
Hand embroidery on the sleeves, pockets and cuffs of the pashk dress, sometimes set with small mirrors. A full dress can take a month. [8]
Read: Handmade gifts from Pakistan →Gilgit-Baltistan
Iraghi embroidery
Hunza and Ghizer
Fine silk embroidery on thick cotton, for women's caps and bridal collars. A single cap can take months. [9]
Read: Handmade gifts from Pakistan →Pakol
Gilgit, Astore and Chitral
The soft wool cap of the north, with a rolled brim you pull down over the ears in the cold. [10]
Read: Handmade gifts from Pakistan →Azad Kashmir
Papier-mâché
Azad Kashmir
Painted papier-mâché, one of the crafts Azad Kashmir's artisans bring to Lok Virsa's fair in Islamabad. [11]
Walnut wood carving
Azad Kashmir
Carving in walnut, cedar and other woods, by masters such as Kamran Butt. [11]
Namda and gabba rugs
Azad Kashmir
Namda, a rug made by felting wool rather than weaving it, and gabba are among the crafts of AJK's artisans. [11]
Know a craft we've missed, or a town that makes something better than anywhere else? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ajrak
- Around Pakistan: Pottery and other handicrafts of Hala
- S.A.J. Shirazi: True blue of Multan (2007)
- Gulf News: Tale of the khussa (2007)
- Nigar Khana, Multan: the House of Art
- Dawn: Chiniot furniture industry a potential forex earner (2002)
- Arab News Pakistan: Famous Pakistani cobbler crafts shoes for crown prince (2019)
- Dawn: A stitch in time, Balochi embroidery (2021)
- Pamir Times: Disappearing forms of embroidery in Gilgit-Baltistan (2016)
- Wikipedia: Pakol
- The News: Kashmiri crafts centre of attraction at Lok Virsa (2018)