Our Story

Born in Kashmir, Loved Worldwide

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

Layli is an online store for hand-painted Kashmiri papier-mâché and naqashi on wood. From our family atelier in the old city of Srinagar, we hand-paint jewellery boxes, decorative vases, wall plates and home décor — a craft our family has practised since 1900 — and ship them worldwide.

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

500+

Years of craft history

48h

Average hours per piece

12

Artisan families we partner with

100%

Painted by hand, every piece

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 made and painted by hand in the Kashmir Valley — papier-mâché in the GI-registered Kashmir tradition, and naqashi painted on wood. Never factory-produced.

Fairness

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

Sustainability

Papier-mâché begins as recycled paper pulp and chalk, painted with mineral pigments and sealed with a protective lacquer so the colours last. Parcels go out in cardboard and paper, with bubble wrap around each piece so it reaches you unbroken.

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.