Antique Indian Wooden Glove Molds On Stand

During the colonial period there were significant interactions between Indian artisans and European fashion trends. Glove-making and the use of wooden hand glove molds likely became more prevalent as gloves became popular accessories. These molds were used to shape gloves from various materials, including leather and fabric. Glove makers would stretch the glove material over the mold to ensure the glove conformed to the shape of a human hand. The molds helped maintain consistency in glove sizing and shape, ensuring that each pair of gloves was of high quality and fitted well. In Hindi, wooden hand glove molds could be referred to as hastkoshti (where “????” (hast) means “hand,” and “??????” (koshti) refers to a “mold” or “shaping tool.”).