"At his three-story workshop in an old mud and brick house in Hawal, in India-administrated Kashmir, 65-year-old Akhtar Mir leads a team of papier-mache artisans. The workshop is heavy with the smell of paint. Workers sit cross-legged on the floor, their hands stained and smudged as they decorate vases, elephants, and ornamental boxes with colorful patterns of flowers and birds."
"Each year, Mir and his team create special papier-mache pieces for Christmas orders destined for the United States and Europe, But with the Donald Trump administration imposing new tariffs on India, this holiday season might be different. "We are worried about the new tariffs. We haven't received orders for Christmas yet," he told DW. "My workers' livelihood will be impacted if we do not get the orders.""
A three-generation papier-mache workshop in Hawal employs dozens of local artisans who hand-paint vases, elephants and ornamental boxes, supporting many families. The workshop produces seasonal export orders for the United States and Europe, especially around Christmas. Newly imposed US tariffs on Indian goods have raised worries about reduced orders and lost income for workers. Tourist purchases historically provided another major sales channel, but a sharp decline in visitors after a violent incident has cut tourist demand. Carpet weavers and other craft producers report increased stress and uncertainty as sales channels shrink and livelihoods are put at risk.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]