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
The Nayanar Saints – Exploration through Art
Who expected to be learning history through art? And what will we do with learning all this history? I didn’t ever think it was important to know what other did … Continue reading
There’s Gold Plated Hotels and then there’s Antique Gold….
WoW! Promotional messages in my mailbox rarely get opened. But when a Gold Plated Hotel came up I was curious. I could imagine only a few places on earth where … Continue reading
Why paint on Yak Bone? A Himalayan Buddhist Thangka
Devotional Art comes in many forms in the Buddhist Himalayas. Thangkas are the most commonly known artworks and can be found on paper, cloth and walls in large display-worthy sizes. … 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
Daily Art Fix – Stars in her EYES
“Stars in her eyes” – A bridal scarf from the Yao group. The textile is not old but has been made by an old experienced hand! Frame it / hang … Continue reading
Veneration of Human Spirit – Jain Painting
Heroic act spellbind us. And spur us on to do more, to push ourselves a little bit more and to give life the very best of ourselves. In Bombay, there … Continue reading
Fine Embroidery on Indigo from the Yao Hilltribes
Collected from the source a decade ago, these lovely vintage embroidered indigo costumes of the Yao people are currently on offer as a single lot at a discounted launch price … Continue reading
Rare Antique Company School Mica Paintings
In the early-mid 1800s Mica paintings were produced as souvenirs in Murshidabad, Patna and Benares in eastern India and Trichinopoly in South India. They imitated paintings on glass. Mica, a transparent … Continue reading
Butterflies of Indonesia
And just when I thought I was done with the lessons in the Fauna of lovely Indonesia, along comes another Batik that showcases the butterflies of the islands: And the … Continue reading
Wealth of Ladakh
Photos of photo prints of women wearing traditional jewelry at festivals. The magnificentv Petak headdress has been discussed earlier. But the others have not received enough attention! Here are sone … Continue reading
Manila Manton Shawls – Early Global Textiles
Presenting a small online exhibition of palimpsest textiles – with layers of art, craft and culture contained within: The Canton Shawl aka Manila Manton aka Fringed Flapper Shawl
Sentinels & Thresholds
The threshold is a very important line in a traditional Indian home. It is washed and decorated beautifully every day with auspicious symbols drawn in powder by the woman of … Continue reading
Silken flowers from Gujarat India
One more fabulous piece from Gujarat! At first I thought it was a print … until I read the explanatory note! ❤️ This textile is from the V & A … Continue reading
Soldiers in Silk – Guns & Roses
This mesmerising silk Amli embroidery on a square pashmina shawl is from the 1800s and depicts soldiers circling around a thriving establishment. Note the deliberately highlighted flowers (roses?) amidst the … Continue reading
A Kalamkari Coverlet – Antique Indian Textiles
A visit to any museum can be exhausting and the maximum I can handle is about 1 – 2 hours of exposure. In any given hall there are always too … Continue reading
The Bridal Sari of the erstwhile Queen of Sawantwadi 1922
I’ve seen a dozen or so amazing antique zari saris but none has been as unusual as this one seen in the museum of Sawantwadi, This shalu – a zari … Continue reading
Connecting the Dots of Gold
In the past, gold jewelry with motifs created by arranging tiny granules of gold was popular in some parts of India. Ancient Greeks used the granulation process too but the … Continue reading
Encore! Wovensouls Sale at The Arts House
After the successful September Exhibition at The Arts House, we received numerous requests for an encore! So this November, we will be offering some of our beloved antique works … Continue reading
Custodians of Antique Art
“We are only the ‘temporary’ custodians of these antique artworks that lived before us and will live on much after we are gone.” A nice quote to remind myself of … Continue reading
