BENGALURU: The laboratory-grown green diamond that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the First Lady of the USA Jill Biden had come safely confined inside a decorative box made out of papier-mâché, a composite material that has gained a lot of prominence in the sustainability movement.
Vinay Prashant, the co-founder of Tamaala, a social impact organisation that works with indigenous artisans across the country to make innovative indigenous art, also worked with the Kashmir-based artisans who made the globe-trotting papier-mâché box. “The artisans who made that box also work with us. The design used in the box has been a common one that people in our industry have used for the last decade or so. It is a pre-existing design that has part of our native culture and a single person or an organisation can’t take credit for it,” he says.
Artist Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, part of the group of artisans who made the box that harboured the lab-diamond, says they run a unit employing hundreds of such papier-mâché artists. “The art of making such products with those designs has been part of the culture of Kashmir for hundreds of years. We were never in direct contact with PM Modi. The box was ordered by the jewellery person. There are some traders who come and buy such boxes in bulk. We make such products in abundance and deliver them to people all across the country,” he shares.
Adding to the conversation is Maria Joseph, a city-based product designer who works with sustainable materials. She feels this is an example of India’s rich history of indigenous crafts being adapted for both traditional and modern markets. “Papier-mâché is an extremely versatile material. Designers are pushing the boundaries of this material by experimenting with building materials and products such as bike helmets and furniture. It is increasingly being used to help create earthy, natural-looking interiors, architectural forms and products but they also offer a number of environmental benefits. Mulched newspapers can be made into a pulp and then modern manufacturing methods such as 3D printing or vacuum forming can be used to create the shape and design we require. It also ends up being a great alternative to thermocol or products that require to be light weight,” she explains.
Roshan Ray, founder of Seed Paper India, a company creating sustainable paper products, believes despite its advantages, there are still some challenges left to conquer before papier-mâché becomes mainstream. “The first step would be to reduce the cost. We can’t have something very expensive otherwise, it will never achieve mainstream status. Secondly, many people either aren’t aware of papier-mâché or don’t take it seriously. We need to promote the value of the material more. Finally, we will have to figure out a way to increase its production. Unlike plastic, which can be massed produced through machines, papier-mâché needs skilled workers,” says Ray.
Modi’s gift to Jill Biden has not only increased the buzz around laboratory-grown diamonds, but also the papier-mâché box it was gifted in. Incidentally, a B’luru-based organisation which associates with artisans across the country worked with the Kashmir-based artisans who made the much-talked-about box