Handmade Ceiling cornice and building ornaments made with Plaster of Paris in North India, in Meerut

From the archive record

Ceiling Cornice with ornamentation and other decorative items made of Plaster of Paris on display at the Roadside in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Take a look at what entails the making of these small but important finishings in a house. A paste made of the plaster of Paris or POP is made and the paste applied to the cast with design impressions on it. Short strands of polythene material laid on top of the POP layer and made to dry. The cast is then made to dry, the extra filling removed with the help of a sharp object and the removed. Notice the different shapes and sizes of casts in this open shop. No protective gloves, the worker mixes and applies the POP paste with his bare hands. The making of these ceiling cornices is filmed up close inside the makeshift shop. This footage is part of the br