A virtual museum of the heritage arts of Kashmir

My name is Zulfiqar Ali or Zulfi (Zull-Fee), for short. I was born and raised in, what is commonly known, as the Valley of Kashmir, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Like majority of families in the valley of Kashmir, my family was engaged in the production and sale of Papier Mache, one of the many art forms of Kashmir. My immediate and extended  family belonged to, what was known as 'business class', My father had his brother had transformed the art of Papier Mache, which they had inherited from their ancestors, into a very successful business. Sadly in my youthful ignorance, I failed to recognize the value of my own legacy and did little to carry it forward. But fortunately, the influences of my legacy stayed withe me and it is what has silently guided me and helped determine what I want to make of my life. My collection is built on that silent foundation.  

After I completed my Master Degree, in Kashmir, an unusual feat for the son of a businessman at that time. Due to a variety of circumstances, I decided to leave home and come to the United States, to pursue an MBA,  After graduating, I returned home but again, fate conspired to bring me back to the US. After the struggles of trying to make a life for myself, in, which was then, an alien world, I finally found a job and then a career, as a freelance business consultant and program manager. That's what I do for a living and fortunately, enjoy it. 

Away from home and my appreciation for what I had left behind, only grew and coupled with my interest in history and art, I began to study and research the history of the Kashmir shawl and other heritage arts of Kashmir. The more I studied, the more I realized how little, as a Kashmiri, I knew about my own artistic heritage. And as I read about the oppression that the shawl weavers endured I felt an almost spiritual calling to tell their story. And as soon as I could afford it or could borrow enough to afford it, I began to collect every piece of Kashmir's heritage arts - a passion that continues to this day and that fuels my continued struggle to restore to the art forms of Kashmir to their former glory

The valley of Kashmir, (Lat. 34.1 N and 74.7 degree E)  is a small valley, 83 miles long and 23 miles wide, situated at an altitude of 6,70 feet above sea level. It is part of the Unition Territory of Jammu and Kashmir of India. With some exceptions, the items in my collection date to the period when this valley was part of the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, a territory ruled by a king. Important to point out that for most of that time,  it was also spelled as Cashmere, not Kashmir.  

Surrounded by the lofty Himalayan mountains,

 covered with cedar and pine forests, that slope into emerald green meadows, rice fields and apple orchards, the Valley has attracted emperor, poet and traveler, for centuries - all of whom found peace and respite in its natural beauty and mild climate, with four distinct seasons. Not surprising that it has a long history of fostering creativity, artistic excellence, mysticism and learning. Indeed, in the early part of the first millennium, Kashmir was known as a center of Buddhist learning and it was from Kashmir that Buddhism and Buddhist art spread to Central Asia, Tibet and China. Kashmir has also been the home of the greatest scholars of Shaivism, a distinct form of Hindu philosophy, still prevalent in Kashmir, while producing some of the finest examples of stone building construction and religious sculptures. With the advent of Islam in the 14th century, Kashmir attracted some of most learned Sufis from Iran, Iraq and Central Asia and this increased travel and communication with the Islamic world, also brought it a variety of art forms, some of which are showcased in my collection.