INTRODUCTION

Our star attraction, Firdaus is an awarded lamp hand carved on camel bone by mastercraftsman Mushtaq Ahmad, a descendant of the guild of former ivory carvers. 

It is no exaggeration to claim that a piece like this may never be made again, because while the skill of doing Jaali work in bone is surviving, carving fauna is on its way to extinction. Bone, unlike ivory, is dry and brittle, so such complex lines and textures demand supreme control of angle and pressure. Mushtaq Chacha lost his eyesight when he was placing the falcon on top of this lamp and his retina tore. His best friend, and the only other master who can replicate this level of work is well over 90. The younger generation has not found enough value in this craft to invest time in taking it forward. People now want quick earnings from quick work. 

Firdaus is the last remaining souvenir of a thousand years old skill, as close as it gets to priceless treasure. 

This piece was bestowed with the national award by the Government of India.