THE ARTISANS

THE ARTISANS

We provide work to rural artisans and farmers, who, despite economic hardship, toiled to keep their artistry alive. By providing economic opportunity to an individual or village, it helps the rural community economically grow. Marasim also takes pride in women receiving their fair share of work and pay. Currently, we work with artisans across all 29 states of India. We are poised to eventually scale up and expand Marasim to reach pockets of artisans in other parts of the world. 

 

The Artisan’s Library of Work

 

Our vast library catalogs samples of motifs, images, and details about the artisan’s work. Through this archive, you can find your next inspiration. We curate the artists’ story through their craft: embroidery, printing, dyeing, and weaving; the list goes on.

 

Some of Our Artisans’ Stories

 

By the 1800s, the art of hand-making lace was a memory.  Machines were making lace. But India held on to its homespun roots. The hand-made artistry was preserved and reemerged in various pockets of India.

 

Narsapur—An eastern coastal region, housewife lacemakers learned an intricate, handmade crochet lacework from Christian Scottish settlers at the turn of the 19th century. The tradition survived, and today, this form of lacemaking remains the livelihood of many women there. 

 

Mulagumoodu—A coast town in South India, the lacemakers here learned their craft from Roman Catholic missionary nuns in the 1890s. They opened an orphanage and taught 1,000 female children how to weave multiple-threaded cotton lace using fast-moving bobbins. This style came from their native Bruges hometown in Belgium. Today, 150 Indian women in that town keep the tradition alive.

 

In the ancient city of Hyderabad, centuries of rulers fostered Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic culture. Since the 12th century, many generations of artisans honed their labor-intensive tradition of intricate embroidery fit for royalty.

 

Hyderabad—The city’s rich history, vibrant diamond trade, and opulent sultans put a high value on skilled artisans worthy of creating clothing and textiles for its discerning rulers. Master embroiderer Afzal Miyan carries on this craft of his forebears, reproducing 12th century Persian Zari zardozi embroidery, using gold and silver threading. The world thought this handiwork extinct, lost to history, but the rich tradition lives on. 

 

“You may think you’ve seen it all—but we guarantee, you haven’t.”