India, Aug. 20 -- The practice of making durable representations of fruits and vegetables in materials such as clay and wood has a long history in many parts of the world. By the nineteenth century, this tradition developed into a more specialised craft in India, where artisans produced remarkably lifelike models of fruits and vegetables alongside figures of people and animals.

Poona was famous for its elaborate and lifelike models of men, women, animals, and objects, including fruits and vegetables. Known as 'Poona' or 'Poonah Figures', they were valued for their detailed modelling, colouring, and dress, which depicted the characteristic features of different castes and classes of western India.

The first documented artisans in Poona w...