Book – Himalayan Treasures
It is nice to see a new book on a subject that is of interest. And it is even nicer to receive a mention in tje ‘Acknowledgements’ page! To be … Continue reading
When the Treasure Chest is itself a Treasure…
When the Treasure chest is itself a treasure, how should one store the treasure chest? In the world of art and crafts there seems to be no end to the … Continue reading
Textiles in Ancient Indian Murals
Ikat and other Textile Patterns in Ancient Wall Murals in South India ❤️
Hybrid Art 8 – Gurmukhi Script in a Hindu Prayer Book
I am not a formal student of Indian Miniature paintings but have seen a few here and there and can now identify the Kashmir style of art. These paintings are … Continue reading
Textiles in a Textile – Study of a 17th C Kalamkari – 2
Textiles & Costumes of the 17th Century depicting Indian & Persian styles. How many can you count in this one? The only frustration is that we cannot make out … Continue reading
WHO are these MEN?
Fascinating to find five men lurking in a soumac rug fragment….. Here they are! Am assuming they are men because of the hair. The lower half is mermaidesque … am … Continue reading
Hybrid Art 7 – Kashmir Shawl
Finding pieces that are ‘pure’ in their identity is always a pleasure. But finding pieces that have some hybrid qualities adds excitement to the process of discovery of the character … Continue reading
Who knew! Butterfly Wing Art
Who could have imagined that the world went through a phase in which they made paintings using butterfly wings! With a short lifespan of 2 weeks, it may well be … Continue reading
Textiles in a Textile – Study of a 17th C Kalamkari
A fabulous work of art that also presents us with a glimpse of textiles and costumes in use in India in the 17th century. This rumal bears a date and … Continue reading
A Flock of Sheep in the Living Room
From the late 1800s many towns of the Kuba district were centres of production for Soumac rugs but most were produced in workshops and exhibited a certain order in the … Continue reading
Signs of Ageing
Last year as I took out some of white-base Thirma Phulkari shawls for a client, I could not help noticing the huge difference in the colors of the base cloth … Continue reading
Museum Walk – African Masks & More
A Photo essay on the amazing African collection of the De Young museum, San Francisco. There are about 150 photos so get your cup of coffee and enjoy this virtual … Continue reading
Hybrid Art 6 – Swat Pillow Case
A hybrid textile that memetically straddles two worlds … The motif is from Caucasus region and often seen in wool rugs while the execution in this piece from the Swat … Continue reading
Hybrid Art – 5 – Himalayan Ornament
Here is a hybrid from the Himalayas. A Taweez is worn to ward off the evil eye and is a concept that finds favor in Islamic communities. But in this … Continue reading
Hybrid Art – 4 – Phulkari Shawl
667 Amazing Sar Pallu on a navy blue Nilak base cloth. The impact of the gold & magenta against the deep blue base is amazing! But the remarkable aspect of this … Continue reading
Museum Walk – Papua New Guinea Shields & Spirit Boards
A visit to the De Young Museum enthralls even though I had NO clue what was looking at. The culture is brought out in the art, but sadly, clueless me … Continue reading
Museum Walk – Asian Art Museum
An ambitious name that includes all of Asia. I wonder if they knew what they were getting into when they started … For Asia is the home of diversity and … Continue reading
A Weaving from Sumba
Coming across local names of textiles makes me realise that the 5.5 languages I know are totally inadequate. I should have learnt them all. For, every word, is descriptive and … Continue reading
Little Temples in Gold – Majapahit Gold Rings
Pramabanan Temples. On a visit in 2016 I did not do it justice to the experience. At many levels. Just one day at the heritage site. A visit scheduled during … Continue reading
External Article: Victorian Paper Cutters
An interesting note on Victorian paper cutters. One of these made me gasp – there seems to be no limit to human imagination seeing the odd things people used to … Continue reading
Ceremonial Tibetan Dance at Dring Ri
A small video clip of a ritual dance at Dring Ri near Shigatse in Tibet. Note the headdress of the women: A similar old headdress with coral, turquoise unusual … Continue reading
