Thewa: gold on glass

Thewa is the only known craft of working pure gold into transparent glass. A single town — Pratapgarh in southern Rajasthan — has practiced it for three hundred years, passed strictly through a small number of family lines.

The technique: gold is hammered into a paper-thin sheet, hand-cut into intricate patterns (peacocks, hunts, court scenes, Krishna leelas), then fused onto coloured glass at a temperature precise enough to bond without burning.

Eleven families still practice authentically. UNESCO has flagged thewa as in-decline. The craft is recognised by India's GI (Geographical Indication) registry.