Crafts of Himachal Pradesh (Living Traditions of India)

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Crafts of Himachal Pradesh Despite their beauty and variety, the crafts of Himachal Pradesh have not received the attention they deserve, nor have they been documented in a comprehensive book till now. Crafts of Himachal Pradesh is among the first books to fill this need. The picturesque people of this land, popularly known as Devabhumi, the abode of the gods, continue to express their innate creativity in numerous artefacts. Apart from fulfilling a functional purpose, these objects are steeped in tradition and are deeply rooted in the soil. All the crafts nurtured by the people of Himachal-be they clay toys, wood or stone carvings, metalwork, gold and silver ornaments, basketware, embroideries, woollen fabrics or ceremonial paintings executed in keeping with the seasonal cyclebear the stamp of the sensitive fingers and refined sensibility of their creators. The link between the sophisticated classical tradition on, the one hand and the spontaneous rural art tradition on the other has been highlighted in.the chapters devoted to each of these craft traditions. One is struck by the contrast between the Himachal people's love of ornamentation and the simplicity of their lives.

DR. Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, received her Ph. D. in the History of Indian Art from M.S. University, Baroda, and has been writing on traditional Indian art, architecture and crafts since 1966. Aryan has travelled extensively all over the country especially in rural and tribal areas, to study Indian arts and crafts. She is a regular contributor of articles, book reviews and research papers to prestigious art journals in India and abroad. Her area of specialised study is the art and architecture of Himachal Pradesh.

Her other books cover a wide range of subjects and include Himachal Embroidery, Folk Bronzes of Rajasthan, Wooden Architecture and Wood Carving of Western Himalayas, Himadri Style Stone Temples of Himachal Pradesh, Woodcraft of Himachal Pradesh, Metal Sculptures of Himachal Pradesh and Masks of Himachal Pradesh.

R.K. DATTA GUPTA'S work has frequently been appreciated for its technical excellence. He was sent to Nepal by the Archaeological Survey of India to document monuments and sculptures. After this, he visited Afghanistan to cover the restoration of the famous Buddhist monuments at Bamiyan. He has also been deputed to Kampuchea to prepare an exhaustive photographic documentation of Angkor Wat and other wellknown historical sites in that country.

**Contents and Sample Pages**