Metalwork · South India
Thanjavur Bronze: The Lost-Wax Gods of the Chola Country
In the temple towns of the Thanjavur country, hereditary sthapathis still cast gods in bronze by the lost-wax method the Cholas used a thousand years ago.
South India
Temple silks, bronze gods and lacquered toys — the peninsula's deep craft memory.
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Wood & Furniture · South India
Mysore Rosewood Inlay: Pictures Set in Dark Wood
In Mysuru, artisans cut pictures into dark rosewood and fill them with ivory, pearl and coloured wood — a royal craft, known locally as Kundana Kale, that still glows after two centuries.
Textiles · South India
Kanchipuram Silk: The Temple Sari
Woven in a temple town from three-ply mulberry silk and real gold zari, the Kanchipuram sari is South India's bridal cloth — and one of India's first GI-tagged crafts.
Textiles · South India
Kalamkari: Painting Epics on Cloth with a Bamboo Pen
In the temple town of Srikalahasti, artists still draw the Ramayana and Mahabharata freehand on cotton with a bamboo pen and dyes made from roots, bark and iron.
Wood & Furniture · South India
Channapatna Toys: The Lacquered Wooden Toys of Karnataka
Turned on a lathe and coloured with lacquer on the spin, Channapatna's wooden toys have delighted children for two centuries — and they are still safe enough to chew.
Metalwork · South India
Bidriware: The Blackened Silver of Bidar
Silver inlaid on metal blackened with soil from Bidar Fort — Bidriware is the Deccan's most dramatic craft, and one of its most endangered.