Stories
Stories
How Pakistan's crafts are made, where they come from, and how to buy the real thing.
The Peshawari chappal: how it's made and how to spot a good pair
The Peshawari chappal, or kheri: where it comes from, how it's made, the Peshawari, Charsadda, Kohati and Kaptaan styles, the Paul Smith copy, and what to …
6 min readHandmade gifts from Pakistan for Eid and weddings, and how early to order them
Handmade Pakistani gifts for Eid and weddings: ajrak, khussas, Balochi embroidery, rilli quilts, blue pottery, lacquer boxes and the pakol cap. How long each takes to …
7 min readA craft day in Multan: blue tiles, khussas and the old bazaar
A one-day craft itinerary for Multan: the tiled shrines of Bahauddin Zakariya and Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Nigar Khana's blue pottery and camel-skin lamps, khussas and Hussain Agahi …
6 min readHala and Bhit Shah: a craft trip from Hyderabad
A craft trip to Bhit Shah and Hala in Sindh: Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's tiled shrine and Thursday music, ajrak workshops, and Hala's glazed pottery, jandi …
6 min readShopping for handmade in Pakistan: where each craft comes from
A craft-by-city guide to shopping for handmade in Pakistan: ajrak and kashi from Hala and Bhit Shah, blue pottery and khussa from Multan, carved furniture from …
7 min readAjrak: how Sindh's indigo-and-crimson cloth is made
How ajrak is block printed and resist dyed in Sindh: the oil bath, the mud resist, indigo and alizarin dyes and river washing, plus where it's …
6 min readMultani blue pottery: the craft behind the city's blue shrines
Kashigari, Multan's blue pottery: where the cobalt blue comes from, how pieces are fired twice, the masters who kept it alive, and how it relates to …
6 min readThe Multani khussa: Pakistan's hand-stitched shoe
How the khussa is made by hand in Multan, the main styles from Saleem Shahi to Nagra, what tilla embroidery is, and how to buy a …
5 min read