Our Story

Born in Kashmir,LovedWorldwide

Five centuries of craft. One mission: bring it to the world, fairly.

What we believe

"Every home deserves a piece of living history — and every artisan who makes it deserves to be known by name."

— Layli, Srinagar · Est. 1900 · Online since 2026

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Years of craft history

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Average hours per piece

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Artisan families we partner with

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Countries we've delivered to

Five centuries

A craft older than
the printing press

1400s

The art arrives in Kashmir

Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin brings Persian master craftsmen from Samarkand to the Kashmir Valley, planting the seeds of Kar-i-Qalamdani — the art of paper-box work.

1800s

Chinar, paisley, lotus

Kashmiri artisans fuse Persian motifs with local flora — the chinar leaf, lotus, kingfisher, and alpine poppy — forging a uniquely Kashmiri visual language that captivates Mughal courts and Victorian collectors alike.

1900

Our atelier opens

The family workshop opens in the Zaina Kadal quarter of Srinagar. Four generations on, the same two disciplines are still practised under the same name — sakhtsazi, the moulding of paper, and naqashi, the painting.

2004

GI Tag recognition

Kashmiri Papier-Mâché receives Geographical Indication status, formally protecting the craft and certifying its authenticity — safeguarding five centuries of artisan lineage.

2026

Layli goes online

After more than a century of selling from the workshop, we open the doors to the world — the same pieces, the same hands, now shipped direct: fairly priced, fully certified, and with every artisan family recognised by name.

How it's made

48 hours.
Thousands of brushstrokes.

01

Paper pulp

Old newspaper is soaked, pulped, and layered over hand-carved wooden moulds — sometimes 20+ layers thick.

02

Chalk & polish

Each dried piece is sanded and coated with powdered chalk mixed with rice starch, creating the signature silky-smooth surface.

03

Base coat

A rich ground colour — deep crimson, midnight blue, or ivory — is laid in multiple rounds, polished between each coat.

04

The Naqash paints

A master Naqash (pattern artist) picks up a thin brush and begins — freehand — working through paisleys, leaves, and motifs refined over generations.

05

Lacquer & gold

The finished piece is sealed with multiple coats of lacquer, then real gold or silver leaf is burnished onto details. Ready to outlast centuries.

What we stand for

Craft. Conscience.
Community.

Authenticity

Every piece is GI-certified and hand-crafted in the Kashmir Valley — never factory-produced, never imitated.

Fairness

We pay artisan partners above-market rates and publish the name of every craftsperson whose work we carry.

Sustainability

Natural paper pulp, chalk, and mineral pigments only. Zero synthetic resins, zero plastic packaging.

The artisan is the
author, not the factory

We name every artisan whose work we sell. Their story, their signature, their livelihood — that's what you're really buying when you choose Layli.