Fair Trade Embellished Ottoman Foot Stool from India - Lapis Patchwork

Artisan Organization: Ganpat Mehta

Country: India

"When I was a child I used to see beautiful handcrafted pieces in every household and this has always inspired me, even as grown up. It is unfortunate that these days kids do not want to continue the unique arts and crafts traditions that we inherited from previous generations, and if we do not promote these beautiful arts, they will soon die out. That's why wherever I go, I try and tell people to appreciate and acknowledge them.

"I come from a small village in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, and since there weren't any colleges there I had to move to Jaipur where I studied commerce and law. While in college I met Anil and we became good friends. After college he focused on preparing for the competitive civil service exams and I went into the family business. My father and uncle traded spare parts of diesel engines. Occasionally I would meet Anil and he would always tell me his desire to do something of his own.

"My father introduced me to Babulal Dosi, because he wanted me to do something different which would help me earn a respectable income. Since Babulal was already exporting arts and crafts, he told my father to open a shop for me and that I could take the products from his workshop.

"This was the best thing that has happened to me and I will remain forever grateful to him.

"We did exceedingly well and eventually I partnered with Anil and Mr. Babulal. There were, of course, some initial hitches but that never deterred me. I was confident that I would bounce back and of course we did. Slowly we started getting a lot of good inquiries and there was no turning back.

"We specialize in all kinds of furnishings and small furniture, and have presented our work in various exhibitions in India and abroad. We have a dedicated team of designers for each collection that will participate in an exhibition.

"We work with women artisans throughout Rajasthan who specialize in embroidery and recycled patchwork. This is a very proud moment for us, to be able to help artisans. They can do hand embroidery, mirror work and patch work and dori (cord) work.

"I am so glad to be where I am today. I would never do anything else. In fact, I dream of opening a school to train younger generations in all the different kinds of Indian handcrafts so that these tradition may stay alive.""