An exquisitely crafted elephant in silver filigree style by craftsmen from Karimnagar.
| Photo Credit: Serish Nanisetti
The 260% jump in the price of silver over the past five years has brought the Karimnagar Silver Filigree industry to its knees. “The business is down by nearly 50% and we are finding it difficult to pay artisans. Customers are shifting to bullion as an investment rather than purchasing the beautiful deer, peacocks, ships and other creations of our trade,” says Venkateswarlu Akoju, treasurer of Silver Filigree Handicrafts Society (SIFKA).The impact is not limited to the intricate and exquisite Silver Filigree work (Tarkashi) but has also hurt the Nakkashi metalcraft makers from the same region. During his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Nakkashi box showing a celebratory procession to the UAE Queen Mother Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi.
An exquisitely crafted veena in silver filigree style by craftsmen from Karimnagar.
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