The centuries-old papier-mache art form which is deeply interwoven with the culture and traditions of Kashmiri society is dying a slow death as the people involved in the trade decrease. Thousands of families in Kashmir earned their livelihood by selling and making papier-mache items. The emergence of the art of papier-mache accompanied the advent of Islam in the region. It was introduced to Kashmir by Sufi scholar Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani who arrived from Persia with skilled craftsmen in the 14th century.