What fits in “Tribal Art & Artifacts”

Representative GI-backed traditions (great for provenance claims):

• Warli Painting (Maharashtra—Palghar/Thane): Registered GI (App. No. 239). White rice-paste figures on red ochre mud surfaces; now also on paper/canvas for export.
  
• Sohrai–Khovar Painting (Jharkhand—Hazaribagh): Registered GI (App. No. 658); harvest/wedding murals, mineral pigments.
  
• Lanjia Saura/Idital Painting (Odisha—Gajapati/Rayagada): Registered GI (App. No. 871); ritual wall art adapted to boards/paper.
  
• Bastar Dhokra (Chhattisgarh—Bastar): Registered GI; lost-wax metal figurines with tribal motifs.
  
• Bastar Wooden Craft / Bastar Iron Craft (Chhattisgarh): Both GI-registered, used for masks, figurines, panels, ritual objects.
  

Exports

Tribal arts ship across a few HS “buckets.” The most useful, with India’s 2023 export snapshots:

• HS 97 – Works of art, collectors’ pieces & antiques (incl. HS 9701 original paintings): India exported ~US$169m (all HS 97) in 2023. Use HS 9701 for original paintings on canvas/paper/board.
  
• HS 4420 – Wood ornaments, inlay, caskets, statuettes (many tribal wooden artifacts land here): ~US$104m exports; India is #2 exporter globally.
  
• HS 8306 – Statuettes & ornaments of base metal (covers a lot of dokra/bell metal items): India exported ~US$239m, mainly to the US/EU.
  
• HS 4602 – Basketwork/wickerwork (bamboo, cane, rattan) (common in tribal craft clusters): global profile shows India at ~US$166m.
  

(Sector context) Handicrafts overall from India were ₹31,095 crore (~US$3.8bn) in FY24 (EPCH/IBEF). Use this to size tribal arts within the broader export story.

“Quality” & authenticity

Materials & workmanship (by craft):

• Paintings (Warli / Sohrai–Khovar / Saura): Declare substrate (handmade paper/canvas/wood panel), pigments (natural/mineral vs. acrylic), and finishing (fixatives/varnish). Reference GI lineage where applicable (GI numbers above).
  
• Dhokra / metal artifacts (HS 8306): Document alloy composition (typical brass/bronze), casting method (lost-wax), finishing (patina/wax). For metal fittings with skin contact (neckpieces, bracelets), REACH Annex XVII heavy-metal limits apply; nickel release must meet EN 1811:2023.
  
• Wooden artifacts (HS 4420): Species disclosure (e.g., mango, teak, sheesham), moisture content, finish (food-safe for serving ware), and carving quality (relief depth, symmetry, sanding).
  

Authenticity & cultural compliance:

• Antiquities are NOT exportable. Under India’s Antiquities & Art Treasures Act, 1972, private export of any “antiquity” (≥100 years old) is prohibited; exporters of contemporary crafts should obtain an ASI “Non-Antiquity Certificate” for art objects (available forms) and maintain provenance records.
  

Compliance & market-access

• EU chemicals (for jewellery/metal fittings): Nickel release ≤ 0.5 μg/cm²/week (and ≤ 0.2 for piercings) per REACH Annex XVII; EN 1811:2023 is the harmonised test.
  
• Wood legality (EU/US):
  
  • EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): due-diligence statements required for wood products from 30 Dec 2025 (large/medium companies) and 30 Jun 2026 (SMEs). Plan traceability (geolocation) for wooden artifacts/packaging where in scope.
    
  • US Lacey Act: many wooden articles (incl. ornaments) require species & country-of-harvest declarations at entry—check HTS applicability for your SKUs
    
• Wildlife materials: Avoid any CITES-listed materials (e.g., tortoiseshell, certain corals/feathers). Cross-check CITES Appendices during design/sourcing.
  

Why India / region-specific strengths

• Provenance you can prove: Multiple tribal arts carry GI registration (Warli; Sohrai–Khovar; Lanjia Saura; Bastar Dhokra/Wood/Iron), enabling verified origin labeling and story-led merchandising.
  
• Material breadth + clusters: Co-located wood, metal, bamboo/cane clusters (e.g., Bastar in Chhattisgarh; Odisha/Jharkhand painting belts) let you build coherent tribal collections spanning paintings, wood, and metal—under one origin narrative
  
• Export readiness: India is already a top global exporter for relevant HS baskets (wood ornaments, base-metal ornaments, basketry), so capacity and compliance know-how are in place.

Buyer-ready mini spec

• Line item: e.g., “Warli painting on handmade paper, 30×40 cm.”
  Origin/provenance: “Maharashtra (Palghar), GI Warli Painting (App. 239).”
  Materials: Handmade paper; natural/archival pigments; protective fixative.
  Compliance: Non-Antiquity Certificate (ASI) on file; no wildlife materials
  
• Line item: “Bastar Dhokra figurine, 18 cm.”
  Origin/provenance: Chhattisgarh (Bastar), GI Bastar Dhokra.
  Materials: Brass/bronze via lost-wax; wax patina finish; felt pads.
  Compliance: If wearable parts present, REACH Annex XVII nickel/lead; packaging wood traceable for EUDR/Lacey if in scope.
  
• Line item: “Tribal carved mask (hardwood), 30 cm.”
  Origin/provenance: Bastar Wooden Craft (GI).
  Materials: Mango/teak (species declared), natural oil finish.
  Compliance: EUDR (wood due-diligence plan by 2025/26), Lacey Act declaration for US.
  

HS code cheat-sheet

• 9701 (original paintings on canvas/paper); 97 overall works of art.
  
• 4420 (wood ornaments/statuettes/inlay).
  
• 8306 (statuettes & ornaments of base metal)
  
• 4602 (basketwork, wickerwork, bamboo/cane).