The Real Thing: Craft, Caste, and Commerce Amidst a Nationalism of Tradition in India

Traditional crafts represent the precolonial historical and sociocultural values in the nationalistic narratives disseminated by governmental institutions. Crafts are also a fast-growing export sector in India. In this paper, I explore the concept of “tradition” as it is used by the craft industry and how it impacts a hereditary sculptor community in Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu. How can “hand” work coexist with profitability in a capitalistic market? I argue that Vishwakarma caste sculptors claim traditional status in spite of a changed arts practice because of the malleability of the concept of tradition.