Craft
HANDS, TIME, TRADITION
At NALOM, craft is a living language – spoken through handwoven cloth and hand-painted art. Rooted in India’s artistic heritage, each creation carries the patience of process, the integrity of materials, and the quiet presence of the human hand. Here, painting and weaving come together as traditions not preserved in the past, but practiced in the present.
A little about Madhubani Art
Madhubani – literally meaning “forest of honey” – is deeply rooted in the cultural memory of the Mithila region. Also known as Mithila painting, this art form is believed to be over 2,500 years old, with references in ancient texts including the Ramayana.
Folklore tells of King Janaka, ruler of Mithila and father of Goddess Sita, who commissioned women to adorn walls and courtyards for Sita and Rama’s wedding—giving rise to a tradition that remains one of India’s most enduring folk expressions.
Madhubani is characterized by its two-dimensional style, bold lines, and ornamental density. Stylized figures with expressive eyes and faces are framed by double-line borders, while empty
spaces are filled with cross-hatching, motifs, or fine dots to create rhythmic harmony.
Themes draw from mythology, nature, and symbolism: fish signify prosperity, peacocks love, serpents protection, and the sun the eternal source of life.
More than art, Madhubani is a cultural text—once created for ritual rather than commerce, inscribing myths, blessings, and community identity onto the walls of homes.
Through this collaboration, Nalom seeks to open new horizons for this living tradition and its practitioners.
Every Madhubani scarf is created on pure Tussar silk, a fabric deeply rooted in India’s cultural and artistic heritage. Known for its textured feel and natural golden glow, Tussar is often called “wild silk” because its threads are traditionally harvested from silkworms that thrive in forest regions. Its subtly uneven, organic texture lends each piece a distinctive character.
Lightweight and breathable, Tussar silk has long been a preferred canvas for India’s hand-painted art traditions.
Its surface absorbs synthetic or natural dyes beautifully, allowing Madhubani’s vibrant storytelling to unfold with striking clarity and depth.
In Indian tradition, Tussar represents grounded elegance — a blend of nature’s rawness and the refinement of artistry.
To own Tussar is to hold a fragment of heritage: a rare silk that becomes timeless art in the hands of master painters.
One of India’s most revered textile traditions, Kalamkari lies at the intersection of narrative art and devotion. Derived from the Persian kalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship), it describes an art form that is meticulous, lyrical, and deeply cultural.
Its origins date back nearly two millennia, when cloth served as a medium for visual storytelling in South India. Artisans painted expansive textiles depicting episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana transforming fabric into narrative scrolls.
Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, Kalamkari is among the most labour-intensive textile arts, involving up to seventeen precise steps. Artisans prepare the
cloth, sketch with a bamboo kalam, and follow a ritual process of dyeing, resist work, painting, and repeated washing.
Natural dyes define its palette: indigo for blue, madder for red, pomegranate rind for yellow, and iron fermented with jaggery for deep blacks.
This slow, layered process—shaped by Vedic myth, Mughal refinement, and Persian ornamentation—gives Kalamkari its earthy luminosity.
Through its collaboration with Nalom, this ancient visual language finds renewed purpose and continuity.
A little about Kanchipuram silk
Every Kalamkari scarf in our collection is handwoven from pure 100% Kanchipuram silk – also known as mulberry silk – one of India’s most celebrated textiles. Originating in the temple town of Kanchipuram, this silk is prized for its lustrous sheen, durability, and rich texture, achieved through a painstaking weaving tradition passed down through generations.
Each piece is distinguished by its ornate ‘zari’ borders, woven with fine gold or silver threads. These borders hold cultural
significance beyond their beauty — symbolizing prosperity, protection, and auspiciousness.
The interplay of mulberry silk and ‘zari’ creates a fabric that is both ceremonial and enduring, long cherished as a symbol of heritage, celebration, and luxury.
To wear this silk is to carry a living legacy — a textile woven with devotion, meaning, and timeless artistry.