#indian-artisans

#indian-artisans

Planning the trip, however, filled me with apprehension. Our boys were no longer little travelers content to trail along behind us through forts and museums. They were teenagers now-15 and 13-with strong opinions, independent streaks, and a finely tuned radar for boredom.

Traveller check into hotels for easy access to historical Mayan sites and the cenotes beyond, with ambles through colourful squares and late, balmy nights digesting feasts over tequila tipples. Between cultural excursions and natural wonders, however, there's much to be said for the artisans in these parts. From crafted perfumes to handmade chocolates, these are the gifts and trinkets to make space for in your luggage.

Kulhads, also known as terracotta mud cups, once defined the everyday ritual of tea at railway stations across India. Used briefly and discarded soon after, they accumulated along tracks and coastlines, leaving a quiet record of consumption. For this pavilion, more than 18,000 of these cups were gathered from local communities in Dharavi and reused as a building material with structural purpose.

A February vacation can be the right time to explore different parts of the country. Whether solo or with loved ones, February is a sweet spot for travel. It also means fewer crowds, better deals, and pleasant weather in many destinations. So, if you are planning a getaway, here's a list of some of the best places to visit in February in India.

It is not about reproducing the past but about engaging in dialogue with it. We apply the same level of care and rigor to all pieces. Many of our utilitarian pieces have a strong sculptural quality, and several of the more artistic works originate from everyday forms and functions. We do not establish rigid boundaries between these categories; all are part of the same vision.

During the mid-18th century, while Delhi was rocked by instability, many of its leading poets, painters and craftspeople migrated to Lucknow and Faizabad in search of new patrons. Through this population shift, Lucknow flourished as a courtly capital, its wealth matched by a cosmopolitan atmosphere that attracted Indian elites and European adventurers alike. The ruling Nawabs of Awadh were keen to eclipse Delhi and supported the trades, commissioning many fine jewelled and decorated objects - including, of course, ceremonial swords.

Visually striking and intricately crafted, the traditional armour and weaponry of the Kiribati islands in the Pacific Ocean were built from coconut fibre, human hair, sharks' teeth and porcupine fish. Yet, fearsome and lethal as these objects were, the people of this remote archipelago weren't especially warlike, as British colonists had long assumed, but were instead part of a ritualised style of combat intended to keep violence between clashing groups to a minimum.

Our small crew stayed in the Saadia riad, where rooms overlooked a courtyard lined with Moroccan zellige (tilework) and intricately carved arched balconies. The interiors were a labor of love by the family of Caid Azzi Boujemaa, a former palace worker who was gifted the Riad in the early 20th century as a thank you for his loyalty. In the early 2000s the property was restored by the La Sultana hotel group,

Fashion and dress in Mesopotamia - clothing, footwear, and accessories - were not only functional but defined one's social status and developed from a simple loincloth in the Ubaid period (circa 6500-4000 BCE) to brightly colored robes and dresses by the time of the Sassanian Empire (224-651). Styles changed, but the essential form and function remained the same. As in any civilization, the upper class and nobility wore more expensive clothes of higher quality.

The Irish government will give 2,000 artists unrestricted weekly stipends in a program officials described as a "recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society." After a successful three-year pilot, the Irish government made its basic income program for artists permanent. Similar pilots have been launched here in the United States, but they're supported primarily by the nonprofit sector.

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking Naggar valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, Eila is an art retreat that functions as an extension to the terrain rather than a static object. Designed by MOFA Studio, the project champions fluid architecture through advanced computational design, realizing a structure that mimics the landscape. The site's masterplan adopts a stepped strategy that preserves topsoil and rainwater runways, organizing the resort as a gradual, terraced descent.

The ongoing repression of dissidents in Venezuela following the US attacks reminds us that President Trump never had the interest of the nation's people at heart. The painful reality of many immigrants is one of being caught between dehumanizing forces in their native countries and in exile, and reduced to abstractions in an increasingly unnuanced "discourse" that flattens lived experience.

Tons upon tons of these single-use plastics end up in landfills or even floating in the ocean. Spanish design firm PET Lamp set out give another purpose to these otherwise short-lived materials. Partnering with artisans in communities from Chile to Ethiopia to Australia, the company celebrates both Indigeneity and sustainability, drawing upon time-honored global craft traditions while supporting local economies and recycling discarded materials.

Last February, master of ceremonies Dennis Bowen (a Seneca elder) welcomed the reigning champion into the 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest arena at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of spectators joined them to watch more than 100 dancers compete across the two-day event. Bowen announced Josiah Enriquez's (Pueblo of Pojoaque, Navajo, Isleta) accomplishments as a top place finisher several years running in the teen division and as the surprise winner in an unprecedented tiebreaking round in the adult division the year before.