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| The Inhabitants and culture of the East, widely regarded as the ‘cradle’ of the civilized world, have been enriched for millenniums by people with diverse backgrounds. The fusion of these civilizations and their culture has contributed tremendously to the ingenuity and creativity of the craftsmen that now inhabit this modern land with historic roots. Pakistan centers this beautiful and mystical region that spans to the Turkish and Persian Empires and rich Afghan traditions in the West and the magic of greater India to the South. The Karakoram mountain range in the East overlooking China has some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the world. |
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| The East has been the melting pot of many civilizations whose
historical and aesthetic influence is reflected in the variety and
beauty of crafts still created today. The fusion of Roman, Turkish,
Arab, Persian, Gandhara, Hellenistic, Indus Valley and the Royal
"Mughal" traditions create the mystique and magic of the region.
From textile crafts, mirror work, straw basketry, glazed pottery,
Kashmiri embroidery, traditional floor coverings, to onyx and marble
crafts, metal work, costume jewelry and wood, each artistic creation
is engulfed with color and talent that tells an enchanting tale
which would otherwise be lost in time. |
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Over
Time... |
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In southern Pakistan, discovery of
historical sites such as "Mohenjodaro"
and "Harappa" indicates that the art of ceramics and pottery
making had attained a high degree of perfection. |
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North-west Pakistan's folk-crafts
reveal ancient, creative traces of Greek, Roman and Buddhist
cultures that once flourished here. Buddhist art forms
are dominantly traceable in the folk
pottery, Silver jewelry and
architectural woodwork of Swat, Kaghan and Taxila
in the North West Frontier province of Pakistan. |
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Muslims arrived in the Indian Sub continent led
by the Prince Mohammad Bin Qasim and helped combine indigenous
Indus Valley tradition with Arab and North African culture. This led
to the discovery of ceramic wares and
shows the intermingling of Arab scripts and geometric themes with floral motifs of Indus
Valley civilization. |
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The fusion of the Medieval Sultanates of Aibak,
Khilji, and Tughlaq reflected in the style and
architecture of the famous mausoleum
of Shams Tabrez in Multan in central Pakistan. |
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The reign of the
Mughals brought in superb architecture and beautiful
domes, the ornamental arches, the calligraphic friezes, floral and
leafy panels. The geometric tile work is a
typical example of Mughal architecture in Pakistan. |
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Mughal court house found its way into the
entire gamut of handicrafts like
pottery, copper, wood carvings, stone carvings,
silk & cotton carpets embroidery, leather
jewelry, ivory and miniature paintings. |
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