We at Spiticart, are proud to present to you one of the historic Indian handicrafts, the leather products of Shantiniketan, West Bengal. The great country of India is filled with an abundance of rich heritage of arts and handicrafts and the Shantiniketan leather is one such typical example. Continue reading to explore more about the history, the making, the incredible artisans involved in the making and how we at Spiticart are doing our bit to help promote this fascinating traditional craft of leather making.
- History:
- This unique craft was first introduced during the 1940s in a few villages surrounding Shantiniketan region in West Bengal.
- The product has been registered for protection under the List of Geographical indications (GI) of the TRIPS agreement. In July 2007, it was listed as "Shantiniketan Leather Goods" under the GI Act 1999 of the Government of India.
- Over the years, while the designs have evolved, the artisans have preserved the authentic and unique techniques involved in the making of leather goods. As a result, the distinct classy looks of the Shantiniketan leather products remain true to this day.
Making of Shantiniketan Leather products
- Promoting the rich Indian heritage of arts and handicrafts
- At Spiticart, one of our core values is to promote the rich Indian heritage of arts and crafts from across remote parts of our country. These age old craft are often neglected in the modern era of fast fashion and cheap mass manufactured products often imported from other nations.
- We consider it to be a privilege to showcase this traditional craft to vast number of people and online shoppers on the Internet. We hope this would help revive the interest in our traditional handicraft industry. We firmly believe that as the new generation of India, we should proudly promote our rich cultural heritage and the Shantiniketan leather is a typical example of one such craft.
- Over time, we hope to showcase and promote plenty of such unique and traditional Indian arts and crafts. Explore our full range of products at spiticart.com
- Empowering rural artisans by improving their livelihoods
- The most heartwarming aspect in our whole journey of working on this venture has undoubtedly been the interactions with the artisans working on these crafts. While it is heartening to see the craftsmen work in these sectors, preserving the age old techniques at the same time it is also dispiriting when we get to learn their financial hardships and extremely challenging lives.
- The artisans employed in Shantiniketan leather industry often come from poor background and have to work long hours in order to earn their daily wages. At Spiticart, one of our primary goals is to help improve the livelihoods of such artisans. Every purchase you make, is a small step towards this goal. It is our sincere wish that over the years if we can support Shantiniketan leather products to become more widespread in Indian households, we would be empowering these artisans by improving their livelihoods.
- FAQ
- Tips to maintain Shantiniketan leather products
- How long will the Shantiniketan leather products last ?
- How to identify the authenticity of leather ?
- Folding the product will not leave any crease marks or wrinkles if the leather is genuine.
- Holding a lighter on the product will not affect the genuine leather in any way and will not leave behind any burn marks.