Peshawar artist fights to preserve dying Mughal wax art

Peshawar – (Web Desk) – At 76, Riaz Ahmad carefully stirs wax in a small plastic container using a long chopstick, spreading it onto the palm of his left hand before adding natural colors and creating intricate designs on cloth. His home near Lahori Gate in Peshawar is filled with pieces of black cloth showcasing his unique art, a 500-year-old Mughal-era tradition he works tirelessly to preserve.

Ahmad hails from a renowned family of wax artists who originally lived in Shillong and Darjeeling, now part of India, and moved to Peshawar after the 1947 Partition. Following family tradition, he faithfully recreates the same Mughal-era patterns that have been passed down through generations, earning him awards both in Pakistan and internationally.

“I have been making the same designs my forefathers created,” Ahmad told Arab News. He recalled traveling to India in 2004 to receive the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts, and in 2012, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

The nearly extinct craft, believed to have originated in Central Asia and refined under Mughal patronage—especially in Peshawar—uses a meticulous process of heated wax, linseed oil, powdered pigments, and limestone to produce detailed, colorful miniature artworks by hand. Ahmad learned the craft from his father, Miran Bakhsh, nearly sixty years ago.

“My parents used to run a shop in Shillong and Darjeeling,” he said. “After Partition, we moved to Peshawar and continued the same work, keeping our family tradition alive.”

A basic piece of his work costs around Rs3,000 ($10.7). A larger piece made on order can fetch between Rs5,000 and Rs15,000 ($17-$53), but such orders are rare.

“Wax and colors have become expensive. When I sell a piece for Rs3,000, around Rs1,000 goes into expenses, and Rs2,000 is my daily wage,” Ahmad said.

#WATCH: “I have been making the same Mughal-era designs that my forefathers used to make.”

Meet Riaz Ahmad, 76, who continues the 500-year-old Mughal-era wax art, preserving a craft that has survived centuries. https://t.co/XrJwijKQ4u pic.twitter.com/6P44q8ttLY

— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) February 9, 2026

But the 76-year-old worries more about the future of the art form, which he insists cannot be learned quickly and requires “love and dedication.”

“Some people say they want to come, some from Karachi and some from Lahore, but it becomes difficult for me to go there or for them to come here,” he said.

Most wax artists in Peshawar have abandoned the art due to a lack of institutional support, according to Ahmad, who relies primarily on exhibitions to earn a living.

“The reason [for the decline of this art form] is that the government does not pay attention. They are caught in their own conflicts, and the culture is suffering,” Ahmad said.

“Other artists have left this art. Some are selling rice and some are driving rickshaws,” he added. “I have been doing this work inside my house. If there is any event, we go there and sell our art.”

Saad Bin Awais, a spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), said the government has engaged artisans in several projects. He said some of these projects have come to an end while others are ongoing.

“Riaz Ahmad is the only wax artist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the authority is serious about facilitating him,” he said, adding that the KPCTA facilitates Ahmad’s participation in exhibitions across the country to showcase his art.

“We have also been collecting data of artists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for an upcoming project to facilitate them in any way possible.”

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Ahmad has trained his son, Fayyaz, in wax art who now practices it in Islamabad. The septuagenarian says he wishes to train more people to preserve the dying art form.

“I cannot leave this work,” he said. “I will continue this art even though my hands shake.”