(Art by New Artist on our platform: She's based in NYC and has done some fabulous collabs with Armani, Ogilvy, Furla and others Site: https://rijutaagarwal.com, IG: thingsbyrij First time on blockchain! )

Story behind the Art:

MATKI: When I think of things that are handmade in India, so many things come to mind. From the Phoolkari of Punjab to the Coconut Carvings of Kerala there's an endless number of vibrant crafts that India is known for.

But undoubtedly the first image every Indian thinks of is a simple earthen pot — why? Because while you and I rarely use these earthen pots, Matkis, anymore they're still a staple in innumerable Indian households. Matkis are still used to fetch water and keep it cool. They're hygienic, eco-friendly and have a really, really lovely earthy smell.

They're deceptively simple because it actually takes skilled hands to make them (trust me, I've tried many times)! They're molded from clay on a wheel, shaped, dried and then baked. And often painted by hand after that, with different styles in different parts of the country.

Matkis are charming little objects to us, but they’re also a livelihood for many potters and that goes largely unnoticed — I illustrated this woman painting matkis, to shine a little light on it.