Bamboo crafts have become popular in western society in recent years. In India, they've been crafting bamboo into beautiful and useful objects for centuries. Indians have used bamboo for expression of tribal art since ancient times. Bamboo masks adorning both mud houses and the homes of the rich along with a wide range of decorative items including mats and baskets are commonplace on the bamboo landscape. Even fisherman have adapted bamboo to their advantage. Farmers and gardeners use colorful bamboo headgear while objects such as umbrella handles have been fashioned from this versatile plant. Add to this, furniture items to suit modern homes and you begin to get an idea of just how useful bamboo has been in the east. Tripura, in north eastern India, is very famous for its bamboo works. There, bamboo use has been refined to such a fine art that finished products resemble something of an ivory finish. In Assam and Bengal,the manufacture of baskets and mats are synonymous with this area of India. Assam is rich in raw materials leading to the creation of some exceptionally beautiful bamboo crafts. Musical instruments, baskets, hukkas and mugs are just a small sample of end the bamboo product. Elegant screens made of split bamboo are also a specialty in Tripura. Mizo baskets for storing rice are another popular bamboo craft with four long bamboo splinters at the corners. The baskets and mats manufactured in Bengal and Tripura look very similar. Beautiful bamboo crafts are manufactured in Orissa as well. In Manipur you will find unusual baskets, with dome-shaped lids made from bamboo. Tamil Nadu is famous for its kora grass mats. However, the most aristocratic and delicate mats in the world are manufactured in Kerala. Attractive square bamboo boxes in a black and white design. The western world has a long way to catch up in regard to bamboo use . However, during the last decade in particular, a lot of inroads have been made in adapting bamboo to western culture.