Crafts Museum
Location
: Pragati Maidan, Bhairon Road, New Delhi
Built In
: 1956
Attractions
: Tribal And Rural Crafts
The Crafts Museum complex is a charming oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Delhi. Mud huts with painted walls and thatched roofs, courtyards, terracotta horses recreating village shrines, craftsmen at work are some of the elements that add to the rural ambience of the place. Within the museum itself are examples of traditional Indian crafts, wooden carvings and images,
metalware, especially ewe perdue objects from Bastar, West Bengal and Bihar, clay and terracotta pots, toys and images, folk and tribal paintings, jewellery and textiles. Some of the most outstanding exhibits are the life size wooden
buta figures which were discovered in an abandoned rural shrine in Karnataka.
Crafts Museum (National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum)
Home Of Indian Handicrafts
The Crafts Museum kicked off in 1956, as a project to showcase the works of indigenous artisans in one place. By the early 1980's, over 20,000 objects had been collected. The museum is distinct for its architectural display of various villages.
Authentically constructed mud huts are beautifully decorated with folk art and exhibits include woodcarvings, paintings, paper-mache, embroidery and a full-sized wooden haveli from Gujarat.
The complex also houses the Crafts Museum Shop. The first gallery on display is the Tribal and Rural Craft Gallery, followed by the Gallery of Courtly Crafts, Textile Gallery, Gallery of Popular Culture, and others. There is also a reference section with about 15,000 objects, for the benefit of scholars, designers and
craftspersons.
Live demonstrations by the artisans offer close glimpses of the folk arts of India. Tourists can buy ritual objects, ornaments, rugs, shawls and books from the craftsmen as well as from the museum.
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