What it is & why it’s specific to India (MP)

• GI-tagged craft: Gond Painting of Madhya Pradesh is officially registered as a Geographical Indication (GI Application #701; Govt. of India).
  
• Cluster & lineage: The contemporary school grew from the Patangarh (Dindori) cluster and nearby villages; the community shifted mural traditions to paper/canvas in the 1980s (notably via Jangarh Singh Shyam).
  
• Visual language: Larger animal/tree forms infilled with dense dots and dashes; nature-myth storytelling is central. (Museum of Art & Photography, MAP Academy).
  
• On-ground institutions: Govt channels list active Gond painting clusters (e.g., Patangarh) that buyers can contact directly.
  

Export classification & market picture

HS/ITC-HS to use (originals):

• 9701 / 9701.10 — Paintings, drawings and pastels, executed entirely by hand (not hand-decorated manufactured articles). This is the correct heading for original Gond works on paper/canvas.
  

India’s export scale (proxy for all hand-executed paintings):

• HS 970110 (India, 2023): US$65.35m; top buyers USA (US$36.25m), UK (US$14.53m), Japan (US$6.62m). (UN Comtrade via World Bank WITS).
  
• HS 9701 total (India, 2023): about US$169m, ≈0.033% of India’s merchandise exports. (TrendEconomy/UN Comtrade).
  

U.S. duty treatment (importer view): Original hand-executed works under 9701 enter duty-free; avoid describing as “hand-decorated manufactured articles,” which are excluded from 9701.

Quality & specification

Substrate & media

• Paper (acid-free ≥200–300 gsm) or canvas; contemporary works use artist-grade acrylics (traditional natural pigments for murals are now less common in exportable pieces).
  

Technique & finish

• Look for clean dot/line infills with consistent spacing; edges of major forms should be crisp; backgrounds well-covered with no patchy binder sheen. (Technique described by MAP Academy).
  
• Framing for export: mount on acid-free board; UV-protective glazing; sealed backs (humidity barrier). (Best practice for paper art.)
  

Authenticity & provenance

• If marketing as “Gond Painting of Madhya Pradesh (GI),” include artist name, place of production (e.g., Patangarh, Dindori), and any authorized-user/cluster references. (State/TRIFED cluster listings; MP govt coverage of GI rollout and authorized-user cards).
  

Strengths

• Protected origin + living cluster (GI + Patangarh/Dindori ecosystem) → credible provenance story for buyers.
• Distinct graphic identity (dense dots/dashes/nature themes) → clear visual differentiation within global “folk/tribal” art.
• Established channels (TRIFED/“Tribes India”; state tourism/culture) → easier vendor vetting and origin storytelling for hospitality/retail.
  

Compliance & logistics

• HS declaration: 9701 / 970110 for originals; ensure invoices describe “original hand-executed painting (acrylic on paper/canvas)”—not “decorated article.”
• Surface-coating safety (frames, if painted/finished): For U.S. retail, lead in paint ≤90 ppm per 16 CFR 1303; EU consumer articles that can be mouthed by children must meet REACH Annex XVII (Entry 63) lead limits—keep your lab reports on file.
• Packing: corner protectors, interleaving sheets, rigid mailers or double-wall cartons; ISPM-15 only applies if you crate on wood. (Best practice.)
  

Buyer-side RFQ template

• Product: Gond Painting (GI—Madhya Pradesh)
  
• Medium: Acrylic on acid-free paper/canvas; size ___ × ___ cm (tolerance ±3–5 mm)
  
• Style: Traditional dot/line infill motifs (animal/tree/myth narrative)
  
• Provenance: Artist ___; village ___ (e.g., Patangarh, Dindori); year ___
  
• Finish: Unframed / framed with UV glazing & acid-free backing
  
• Docs: Commercial invoice: “Original hand-executed painting (HS 9701/970110)” + artist certificate/provenance note; declare country of origin India