Papier-mâché is a craft carried on in homes and small workshops all over the Kashmir Valley (in the north of India). Children of 10 or 11 help with the most simple tasks, as they sit beside elders who have mastered their art over decades. Kashmiri papier-mâché work - not only in boxes, but also in bowls, trays, lamp bases and other objects - reflects in its finely drawn and gilded decoration the Persian heritage. Courtly scenes and lavish flowers are favorite themes, Recalling the splendor of Mogul life and the richness of Mogul gardens.