The lower Indus
Sindhسندھ
Sindh is the land of the lower Indus: the river delta, the port city of Karachi, and Mohenjo-daro, one of the oldest cities in the world. Its crafts are built around cotton and colour. Block-printed ajrak, patchwork rillis, mirror embroidery and painted trucks all come from here.
Karachiکراچی
Port city on the Arabian Sea, and home of the painted truck.
Truck-art kettleٹرک آرٹ
Hand-painted metal kettle
The painting on Pakistan’s trucks, shrunk to fit a kitchen shelf.
Shan masalaشان مصالحہ
Pakistani spice mixes, one dish per box
Biryani, nihari and karahi from a Karachi box, with the recipe printed on the back.
Pakolaپاکولا
Green ice cream soda
Karachi’s bright green ice cream soda.
Rooh Afzaروح افزا
Rose and herb syrup for cold drinks
The ruby-red syrup that opens the fast in every Pakistani home.
Tapal Danedarدودھ پتی
Strong black tea for milky Pakistani chai
The strong, granular tea behind Pakistan’s milky, sugary doodh patti.
Hyderabadحیدرآباد
The city of glass bangles, on the banks of the Indus.
Hyderabadi banglesچوڑیاں
Glass bangles, sold by the dozen
Glass rings in every colour, from the city that makes them for all of Pakistan.
Sindhi topiسندھی ٹوپی
Embroidered mirror-work cap
A round cap covered in mirrors, with an arch cut out at the front.
Hala & Bhit Shahہالا
Block printers and quilt makers in the villages along the Indus.
Ajrakاجرک
Block-printed cotton shawl
Indigo and madder, stamped by hand on both sides of the cloth.
Rilli quiltرلی
Hand-stitched patchwork quilt
Hundreds of cloth scraps, cut into triangles and stitched into one heirloom.
Hala lacquerwareجنڈی
Lacquered, lathe-turned wood
Wood turned on a lathe and coloured by friction, in bands of red, yellow and green.