Nineteenth-century Kashmiri Paper: Victor Jacquemont's Account of an Unparalleled Craftsmanship

Kashmiri paper stands out among the many Indian handmade papers by its great fineness and extreme polish. It was used for artistic and literary works by Muslims and Hindus, as well as for utilitarian purposes. This paper re-articulates current knowledge about Kashmiri paper through the study of historical accounts and the description of paper-making in Srinagar provided by Victor Jacquemont, a French botanist and explorer, who visited the region in 1831 and described the craftsmanship behind the distinctive appearance of Kashmiri paper in great detail. His account is the earliest and most comprehensive account of paper-making in the region. The theoretical information is illustrated by examples of documents and artifacts which highlight the multiple uses of this material in Kashmir during the nineteenth century.