Welcome to The Art Blog
“The purpose of art is washing off the dust of daily life off our souls” – Pablo Picasso
Presenting 1000+ notes on the folk arts of Asia alongside the cultural stories contained within.
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~ Jaina Mishra
Art in the Temples of Ninh Binh
A long drive out of Hanoi. A ride in a little row boat. Stopping and seeing temples hidden away in the wilderness. Temples that could have been reached by the … Continue reading
Indonesian Glass Paintings – Museum of Ethnology collection
Presenting here a new form of art that I had not been exposed earlier: Indonesian Glass Paintings. The subjects are always Indonesian folk stories and legends or a narrative of … Continue reading
Cappadocia – Turkey
Remembering fascinating Turkey. Posting photos I’d forgotten about … of an unforgettable trip in 2015. Worth a look. That visit bonded me to that land. So many unanswered questions then … Continue reading
Vintage Photos of Spinning Wheels
It is fascinating to see how these basic devices were deeply embedded into daily lives of women and today most wouldn’t have clue about their use. A few photos from … Continue reading
Rangdum Monastery – An unplanned visit
On a trip to Ladakh a few years ago, a plan was made to visit Zanskar. On account of my family group joining me back in the capital city of … Continue reading
Museum Walk: Mataram Museum, Indonesia
Just a quick post with photos from the Mataram museum in Lombok Indonesia (an island east of Bali). Presenting over 100 photos taken with an old phone camera in 2015. … Continue reading
1675 Gorgeous Red & WHite Phulkari Floral Thirma with Borders
Art for the Soul Beautiful Thirma Bagh with scattered red silk blooms strewn across a white field The double borders with different design / motifs gives this a very striking … Continue reading
Museum Walk – Peranakan Museum
The Peranakan Museum in Singapore explores the history of Peranakan cultures in Singapore as well as other Peranakan communities in South East Asia through it’s artifacts. Known for beadwork textiles … Continue reading
A Caucasian Dragon Zileh like no other
Once again serendipity strikes and brings a stunner into my life. Dragon Zilehs / Sileh / Zili rugs form the South Caucasus are easy to find online. But all the … Continue reading
Sounds of Silence
A leisurely rowing through the silence of Kashmir .
Learning from Museums
Much of what we select in life, depends on what we have experienced until that point in time. The more we’ve seen the more discerning we are likely to be. … Continue reading
Jain Manuscripts & Textiles – National Museum Delhi
See more in my note written in 2014 And if you’d like to acquire an almost complete set of 88 folios – visit WOVENSOULS.COM Asset 9003 *** jm December 2022
Have an Antique Textile to Sell?
Have a travel souvenir you’d like to sell? Have an inherited textile you’d like to pass on to a loving home? List it for sale through WOVENSOULS. This is intended … Continue reading
Dhunuchi Dance – Bengal
This dance is performed in honor of Durga in Bengal. This solo dance is performed before the deity and the movement of hands and feet follows the beat of the … Continue reading
Santhal Folk Dance, Bengal
Seen in Murshidabad during Durga Puja 2022 As usual, tribal culture is inclusive – every individual is invited to participate – irrespective of any segregating parameter of age, marital status … Continue reading
Heritage Architecture of Murshidabad
Palaces of rulers, wealthy merchants and officials … More photos of the remnants of the magnificent history of Bengal. The seat of the British Raj for awhile, the region attracted … Continue reading
Terracotta Temples of Murshidabad
The beauty of the architecture, its unique style, the detail of the terracotta plaques on the walls that tell stories from the Hindu epics, the colors.. all fascinate me. The … Continue reading
Wovensouls Talk Announcement: Interview with former US Ambassador to the UN
Former US Ambassador to the UN and to India speaks to Jaina Mishra / WOVENSOULS online on ZOOM, Wednesday October 26th. The interview will include a virtual tour of the … Continue reading
Visiting the Past – The Heritage House of a Wealthy Merchant
It is a long 6 hour drive from Kolkata. Knowing that India had advanced so much with its fantastic road network, I knew that it would not be a tedious … Continue reading
Murshidabad Diaries
An adrenaline addict constantly needs to find new ways to create the Adrenalin rush. Fortunately this is internally generated. But …. the generation is most often dependent on external stimuli. … Continue reading
The Use of A Chandarvo Textile
I’ve collected Gujarat Textiles for decades. And have come across many ‘canopy’ textiles for sale – that are used as a cover over the goddess deity during ceremonies. Further my … Continue reading
