Cheriyal Mask Painting DIY Kit – Telangana Folk Art

Nakashi artisans in Cheriyal village, near Warangal in Telangana, have started running workshops in recent years to introduce their roughly 400-year-old mask-making craft to a new generation, since the tradition — recognised with a Geographical Indication tag in 2010 — now survives through only a small number of practising families. This DIY kit brings that same hands-on introduction to your own home, with the base work already done by the artisans and the painting left for you.

Inside, you'll find an unpainted, handmade Cheriyal mask pair, one male and one female, built the traditional way from tamarind seed paste and sawdust over a wooden core, alongside a set of five colours, two brushes, and an instruction manual to guide you through adding the facial features, jewellery, and headgear detail yourself. It's a genuinely different way to engage with the craft than simply buying a finished piece — you're working with the same base materials the artisans themselves use, just adding the final layer by hand.

This kit works well as an activity for a family weekend, a creative gift for someone who enjoys hands-on projects, or a way to introduce children — particularly those growing up outside India — to a specific regional craft tradition rather than a generic art project.

Kit contents: Unpainted handmade Cheriyal mask pair (male and female), set of 5 natural colours, 2 brushes, instruction manual

Box Dimensions: 26 cm x 18 cm x 9 cm