These stone products take days to complete and require immense precision and skill from the craftsmen....
interiors
Stone craft is the creation of structures, sculptures and objets d’ art – using stone as the primary material. The blend of modern interior design and traditional stone crafts is a quirky way to symbolise the heritage of a country. It is particularly implemented to adorn your place in a contemporary style. Stone craft that is carved out of natural stones, can be used in any setting of a house including indoors, outdoors, garden, porch, patio, backyard, etc. Pakistani craftsmen have excelled in crafting stones in interesting pieces of art for home décor and other purposes. Sandstone, onyx, slate, marble and limestone are some of the varieties used by the local artisans to produce a wide range of stone crafted items. These stone products take days to complete and require immense precision and skill from the craftsmen.
The stone craft of ancient times mainly involved carving of stones to make small weapons. Arrow heads, spears javelin points and hammers are made out of stone. These tools were used both for hunting and cooking. As the time passed, stone carving evolved into a form of art.
The tradition of stone crafts in Pakistan is as old as Buddhism itself. Wherever the followers of Buddha went, they took with them his story and carved it in stone, adorning all ancient Stupas, up to China and Afghanistan in the north and Sri Lanka in the south. These were skill fully crafted wonderful monuments, living to tell the story of Buddhism to this day.
The earliest Arabs to arrive in Sindh brought the art of calligraphy in stone between the Eight and the Eighteenth Century along with finely carved decorative motifs. The most outstanding workmanship of the period was marble - used in home décor as marble screens/jails with geometric designs.
Taxila is the heart of stone craftwork in Pakistan. This art, which has been present since ages, can be seen on many major landmarks of the country, notably the pietra dura work in the Lahore Fort’s Sheesh Mahal. The stone used in the carvings and construction of monuments in Taxila is ‘Slate’, locally known as Taxila Stone, which is still widely used in modern Pakistani architecture.
Over the years, as society and demands have changed, the local artisans are left to carve tomb stones, mortars and pestles with little or no to source of income and an almost complete loss of culture with their craft no longer being viable to pass down from generation to generation. However, all is not lost; a handful of artists and entrepreneurs are trying to preserve and restore this centuries-old art. In this connection, Islamabad-based design label Noon and Co., spearheaded by Taimur Noon, is also working on the preservation and revival of the ancient art of stone craft in Pakistan.
The company, which is an artisan led guild, has recently opened its flagship store in Islamabad. With their first flagship store, the company endeavours to increase accessibility and visibility of their curated pieces of stone craft for patrons of art across the country and beyond. What is remarkable is that Noon & Co work with stone artists who are multi-generational preservers of the land and its art, working with different stones and textures indigenous to Pakistan, crafting bespoke works of art for the home, ranging from stone sinks, lamps, vases and other Objet d’art. The store offers exquisite pieces. And each piece embodies a history and story of its own and almost each piece is made as a one-off only with no two pieces being the same. The rocks themselves tell a story with no two pieces ever being the same. Each piece celebrates the rich geographic and topographic legacy of Pakistan; from the mountain tops to river basins. All made in Pakistan, by Pakistanis, with an elevated design philosophy.
The founder Taimur Noon himself is an avid traveller and conservationist with a family legacy in the preservation of the great land of Pakistan that goes back to partition. Noon, who travelled extensively across parts of Pakistan, identified and acknowledged the skill of the stone masons and felt if he could help elevate the design sensibility of this incredible craft, a potentially diverse product line could be developed, paying homage to the beauty of Pakistan’s stone while engaging the legacy of these stonemasons, their skill and traditions, to create an array of designs that he knew the patrons of art would appreciate.
Taimur’s vision is to protect the craft and give it a new lease on life by putting it on the map again and to ensure that the legacy of these artisans does not fade away but rather evolves and serves as a proper career.
