Linking culture with industry
The wherewithal of a culture preserves and promotes those of its material and nonmaterial expressions. This is how a vibrant and adapting culture evolves, and its deep indigenous scope expands in society with local pro-duction industry.
The ability of a material cultural production should have a market of acceptance, homogeneity and demand that fulfils its both ends i.e., preservation and promotion of a culture’s products, and remains value-added to people’s livings.
The material cultural heritage of Chitral is an added asset to be proud of and to adapt with (income) market. There are unique opportunities of specialization sites, artisans, artists, and craftsmen. And a variety of apparels, headgear, rings, embroidered stuff, (for ceremonies, cultural events and common use) ceramics, and the capacity and opportunity to innovate ‘indigenous production’ in market so demands. The local material production continues to pull market charm.
The cuisine of Chitral, with its variety of indigenous production, is another aspect. It is inspired by the sense of hospitality and intention to offer something different to the guest. It has continued to be the universe of woman’s creation, innovation, and expanding the variety of food stuff prepared in different areas at different times and events.
Similarly, women artisans have sewn magnificent designs of embroidery for clothes, in headgears and embroidered garlands. They have also been making woolen products like socks, gloves, coat, waistcoat, and cloaks. Embroidered mats have man’s involvement too in their preparations and production. The embroidered stuff produced for a variety of use and purpose is another aspect of material cultural production. The handkerchief, decoration pieces, bedsheets, headgear, and embroidered pieces for clothing are widely valued in local and outside market.
The ceramic production areas of the past, in different areas of Chitral, have already identified asset of raw material. Indeed, the people of those areas are the forerunner of this heritage. Madak, Ayun and Seen have been known for it.
We need to accept the harsh reality of ‘demonizing art and demoralizing (some) material cultural production’ in our society. We have even dehumanized the artist. That culture of ‘classing’ people and demoralizing art evolved in this tribal state from the times immemorial. It caused people to disown that cultural heritage, and limit its ability of production and innovation.
The people with their industry of skills, arts and production at homes would have far developed of their age and time in Chitral had we recognized them as artists, and their art as an art of production. It were those cottage industries, in different areas of Chitral, that remained the source of people’s livings, and provided to what local market needed.
Like embroidery, ring making (from horns), traditional architecture, interior designs of houses and rooms remained shielded from that demoralizing culture in Chitral. With the passage of time some indigenous productions have evolved and some aspects of that material culture have turned out to be redundant. For example, now in Chitral it is either a luxury to construct a traditional house or to keep a symbolic cultural architecture. The multiple purpose house (ratheni/baipash) has also become redundant because its prior utilization is non-existent given the current family needs and priorities in constructions. The government can protect the redundant aspects of local material culture as a preservation initiative.
The industry of embroidery, ceramics, rings, woolens, wooden utensils and instruments and many other stuff produced in Chitral in valleys and sub-valleys have the potential to grow, and keeping our indigenous knowledge and production to survive. The promotion of material cultural production has the market to be aligned with its preservation, and essentially its demand to be linked with the market as a value-added and symbolic to the culture.
