About
Kashmir Imports began in 1991 as a small, family business based in Baltimore, Maryland. With one of the owners being Kashmiri and making regular visits to Kashmir, the idea to celebrate the arts of the region turned a dream into reality and the unique business we have today. Our selection of only the finest embroidery and hand-painted lacquerware has allowed us to showcase the individual masterpieces that are still produced by hand in the homes of the Kashmiri people.
The artists are paid a fair wage which they determine and which affords them a second income in addition to their farming. Most of the embroidery work takes place in the winter months, when the mountains are snow-covered and farming is minimal. This second income makes an enormous difference in the quality of life for these families.
Each family has its own specialty —- weaving the fabric, creating the designs and reproducing them onto the fabric, embroidering the actual designs, the tailor who determines the cut and assembles the jackets and coats, and the owner’s family members in Srinagar who work with and coordinate these various communities.
