‘Quran cases to Izband soz’: Meet ‘Shehr-e-Khaas’ artisan whose silver items sparkle weddings in Kashmir

Srinagar: Do you know the difference between pure silver and ‘German silver’ that is now-a-days bought by Kashmir brides when they shop for jewellery ahead of their weddings? And did you know that a Quran case made of pure silver will cost you Rs. 7500 per piece but a similar box made of ‘German silver’ will cost only Rs. 600?

As the wedding season has started in Kashmir after Eid festivities, the demand for silver items ranging from slippers to boxes has increased.

Master-craftsman Farooq Ahmad from Malaratta in the old city is one such artisan, whose antiquated silverware and German silver artefacts, has kept the traditional craft alive in Kashmir.

Talking to the Kashmir Monitor, Farooq said he had started making silver items from 1990 and it was their family business.

“I used to go out of Kashmir for business prior to 1990 but then I concentrated on making silver items that is our family business. We mostly make items for weddings like Quran cases, dry fruit boxes, izband-soz, slippers worn by brides, soap cases, etc. We make items out of pure silver as well as German silver due to its cheap price. Though German silver is not silver at all, we make items out of it as it is in demand,” he said.

He further said the pure silver had a good resale value and the ‘German silver’ as referred to in the markets was nowhere near it.

“A Quran case made of pure silver will cost you Rs. 7500 but a similar box made of German silver will cost you Rs. 600. There is a massive difference and there is no comparison between the two. If you come to resell the pure silver, you will get a good price. We will only deduct the labour charges of the artisan. On the contrary, German silver is just a silvery-white metal (like nickel copper),” he said.

An official of the Department of the Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir said the workplace of Farooq Ahmad has been included in the itinerary of the ‘Crafts Safari’ that was started in the wake of Srinagar making it to the coveted list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Crafts and Folk Arts Category for the year 2021.

“Farooq Ahmad’s ‘karkhana’ is the only one in the Kashmir valley to create purely antiquated silverware and German silver artefacts including jewellery, jewellery and dry-fruit boxes, culinary pieces and Quran cases. His family members are experts in creating fascinating hand-crafted silver ornaments and jewellery. The antique designs and classic patterns from his collection are exported and admired by connoisseurs across the globe,” the official added.