Delhi BRICS Bazaar brought crafts to National Crafts Museum

Shadab Ahmed, a ninth-generation lac-bangle artisan from Rajasthan, made bangles to order as visitors moved through the BRICS Bazaar at Delhi’s National Crafts Museum.

The free public event, held on September 14 and 15, brought traditional crafts and artists from participating countries into one venue. At the entrance, patterns representing 21 countries became a photo stop. Inside, demonstrations ranged from lac work and pottery to Kashmiri papier-mâché painting.

Terracotta potter Karan Singh displayed miniature pots as small as 3mm, while papier-mâché artisan Riyaz Ahmad described floral work painted with fine brushes. India’s stalls included Manipuri and Kashmiri handlooms, Mysore rosewood inlay and portrait weaving.

Other exhibitors brought Ethiopian coffee and music, Iranian embroidery, Malaysian batik, Russian Gzhel pottery, South African beadwork and Vietnamese lacquer work. Cuban artist Filiberto Mora Rosales said he sold all 30 pieces he had brought.

The bazaar concluded on September 15.