Textiles in a Textile – Study of a 17th C Kalamkari – 3
A study of Costumes & Textiles in a 17th century Kalamkari textile. Note not just the prints and motifs but also the style of the stitched garments! A must-study for … Continue reading
Glimpses of Punjab
A few photos that offer a little cultural flavour of the style Punjab. It was a delight to witness the preservation of ethnic identity in-spite of the tsunami of bland … Continue reading
Just another day in India
And while real rural India wears gorgeous clothes as daily wear, in urban India I am wearing blue jeans… Sigh! jm December 2018
Service or Sacrilege? The Dilemma of Textile Art Fragments
Have you seen these? Amazing creativity isn’t it?!! ❤️ The ones that I have are in good but not in perfect condition – usage, withering natural life of the fibre … Continue reading
Artwork of the Day
Amazing Ethnic Art worn by a very small minority group in Guizhou China. Asset 228 on WOVENSOULS.COM Enjoy the Visual Feast!
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
Who doesn’t enjoy Music in the Park!
MUSIC IN THE PARK – Notes in Silk!!! Just received this beauty made in Canton a century ago! Am yet to count the number of instruments being played in this … Continue reading
Choosing A Wedding Dress – Swat Valley Textiles
Choosing is wedding dress can be tough – especially when each is a stunning work of textile art. Presenting a few vintage and antique bridal dresses from the Swat Valley region
The Way We Were – II
Photos of an exhibition of photos from negatives in the archives of Souza & Paul – the oldest photo studio in Goa, presented at the fabulous Serendipoty Arts Festival 2016. … Continue reading
Textiles in the Chaurapanchsika Love Poem of the 16th Century
Chaurapanchasika is a love-lament poem from the 16th century (some say earlier). [Chaurapanchasika is a set of 50 verses written by a Kashmiri Pandit Bilhana in the 11th century. It … Continue reading
External Link: A Wedding in Central Asia
I do not understand the words – but the beauty can be seen and understood easily! LINK
Adornments to Entice
In many cultures in the Eastern hemisphere, lifestyle devices are structured with the intention of security and protection. Clothes and costumes are designed to deflect the viewer’s eyes rather than … Continue reading
INVITATION – Antique Indian Textile Art @ The Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
BAZAR: SAT & SUN 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th November 4pm-8pm A mini-exhibition will showcase some textile masterpieces from the past. Some pieces from the wovensouls collection will also be available … Continue reading
Mochi or Cobbler Embroidery of Gujarat
Anyone who knows Gujarati or Hindi knows that Mochi means a cobbler. So when I first heard my dealer say that a category of very fine embroidery is known as … Continue reading
Dowry Bags & Purses
A link to the Dowry Bags & Purses of Gujarat, India. jm July 2015
Triangles of Passion – A Special Textile
A Bagh textile with a thousand triangles – created with love and passion
Naga Shells – Nocte Naga Portrait
Portrait of a Nocet Naga girl with traditional costume
At the homes of Rabaris
A few pictures taken with majestic Rabari women & men in their own homes, over the years. Attending a Welcome or Swagat at a wedding in the homes of welcoming … Continue reading
Textiles within Textiles
Am studying my Phad (Par) textiles and enjoying the complex scenes painted in. There are two types of Phads: one narrating the legend of Pabuji and the other narrating the … Continue reading
A Story in a Nose Ring
Four times I have had my nose pierced. In spite of the fact that it is long & hook shaped and has provided all its viewers with immense mirth – … Continue reading
Stunning Old Costume Photos from Tibet
A delightful find on Facebook – stunning old photos of Tibetan women wearing their extravagant headdresses and accessories! The headdress is used as a tool to attach false hair tied … Continue reading
INTRICATE WOVEN ART OF BHUTAN
ANTIQUE BHUTAN KERA TEXTILE ART ANTIQUE KERA VINTAGE KERA (OR KIRA) jm Oct 2013
Costume & Jewelry Culture of the Dard Aryan People, Himalayas
It seems to me that all Himalayan cultures have spectacular costumes! One that stands out as distinct and unique is the Dard ethnic group in NorthWest India. Spread over a … Continue reading
Navratri – the Festival of Garba and Raas Dance
With the Full Moon night of this lunar month, the season of festivals begins in India. The festival phase of the year coincide with the lean activity phases in farming … Continue reading
VINTAGE NAVRATRI COSTUMES GHAGRAS, CHANIYAS & DHOTIS
Vintage Odhnis, Skirts, Ghaagras and Chaniyas from Gujarat from the WOVENSOULS collection: Please view the complete collection at WOVENSOULS.COM Shipping will be from Singapore. JM Aug 2013 Save
Akha Hilltribe Costume Art
The fragility of the Akha hilltribe culture is most poignantly presented in a book ‘Peoples of the Golden Triangle’. Ironically, the two people who wrote this book were missionaries in … Continue reading
Camels go on a Pilgrimage with their Tribal Masters to pray
I am in Kutch. One of the districts of Gujarat. Which is one of the 28 states of India. This little portion tucked away in a corner of India bordering … Continue reading
Additions to the Wovensouls Antique Textile Gallery – Tribal Bags
A few tribal bags that were acquired on my travels….. Some are bags originally used by tribals. Others are made using antique or vintage tribal textiles. All gorgeous. All very … Continue reading
Meeting Lambani Textile Artists
Awhile ago, while doing research for an art installation project, I met these textile artists who work for themselves – who create their gorgeous art mainly for self-consumption and not … Continue reading
Costumes of the First People – a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum
Feel like watching a fashion show? Visit the Royal Ontario Museum and view their rexhibits on the costumes of the First People. These works of textile art are housed at … Continue reading
Textile Art of South East Asia at the Asian Civilsations Museum
An album from a forgotten visit in 2007 to the Asian Civilisations Museum …. taken with a camera I do not even remember. A photography experience that probably made me … Continue reading
Tribal Textile Art of Kutch – the Bhuj Folk Art Museum
A self explanatory photo-essay showcasing the mirrorwork & embroidery of various tribes in the Kutch region of Gujarat India. But first an introduction to the two lovely ladies from the … Continue reading
Textile Art of Mizoram, The Lunglei Museum Collection
A walk through the textile & jewelry section of the Museum of Lunglei, the remotest town in the North Eastern state of Mizoram, India. Details of these pieces are available … Continue reading
Turban Art – the Crowning Glory of Indian Men
Turbans serve many uses for Indian men. They provide relief from the sun and a touch of color to the simple male costume. The loose ends are used as handkerchiefs, … Continue reading
The Classic Indian Village Fair – Gogunda mela
Not a single tourist present besides me. No Indian tourist. No foreign tourist.No men tourists. No women tourists. ONLY locals. ONLY villagers. And me. This is simply not a place … Continue reading
Puppets & Puppeteers of Nagaur Rajasthan
An old folk saying “We are only puppets, our strings are being pulled by unknown forces” This is an article about puppets – from a place that is famous for … Continue reading
Latest Photography Galleries – May 2012
Photo galleries added to JainaMishra.com recently have been linked below: May 2012 PORTRAITS – MANGANIYAR MUSICIAN TRIBE OF RAJASTHAN PORTRAITS – GARASIA TRIBE OF RAJASTHAN PORTRAITS – TURBANS PORTRAITS – … Continue reading
Women of India – the Weaker sex….
Presenting a view of the woman seen as the classical “abalaa naari” or the helpless woman of Indian society. The tribal Indian woman. An epitome of freedom and strength! She … Continue reading
Music of the Manganiyar Tribe
The Manganiyars are famous through their shows worldwide titled the Manganiyar Seduction. Presented by international performance companies their music has received a platform it deserves. Awards and acclaim have followed … Continue reading
The Blacksmith Gadaliya Tribe of Rajasthan & Gujarat
One of the many tribes I met in Rajasthan – the Gadaliyas – the Blacksmiths. I have posted some images and an informed article by another blogger on nomadic tribe … Continue reading
Mewar Diaries
Rajasthan needs no introduction. Colors flood my senses from the moment I drive into the city of Udaipur from the airport late in the evening. After stopping to pick up … Continue reading
Folk Dances of Rajasthan
No words. Just videos that I have taken on my phone camera at the Bagaur Haveli in Udaipur. 1. A folk musician plays a traditional instrument called the Raavanhatta : … Continue reading
The Chapchar Kut Harvest Festival of Mizoram
A glimpse of the Chapchar Kut Harvest festival held at Aizawl in March 2012. The Chapchar Kut is the Harvest festival of Mizoram and celebrated across the hills in March … Continue reading
The Komusa Wandering Monks & their Shakuhachi flutes
Arm Chair Travel The Distance between point A and point B may be reduced by either one of them moving to the other. Since it is not possible to move … Continue reading
Fierce Nocte Headhunters
Portrait-collage of the Nocte Tribe, Khonsa, Arunachal Pradesh, a friendly happy yet fierce tribe with headhunting ancestry. Hi res images available on http://www.jainamishra.com My other related articles Headhunting Tropies Back … Continue reading
The Gaanv Boodhas or Village Headmen of Arunachal Pradesh
Am stating the obvious – that every journey results in not only a fresh view of old things, but also views of things never seen before by the beholder. Having … Continue reading
Glimpses of a contented People – the Arunachalis
Images of interesting elements of Arunachali lifestyle have been put together as a general kaleidoscope. For separate articles on the specific topics, click on the links below: Hunter-Gatherer-Weavers Innovative housing … Continue reading
Tribal Signatures – Face Tattoos of the Apatani tribe
The lifestyle of Apatani hilltribe of Arunachal Pradesh fascinates a cultural traveller on several aspects. But the one that hit me with the greatest intensity are the 2 tribal signatures … Continue reading
Ladakh Diaries
“LADAKH – THE HERMIT KINGDOM” PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO LADAKH AND IS A PREFACE TO A SERIES OF SUBJECT SPECIFIC ARTICLES ON LADAKH. In the olden days, in the Hindu … Continue reading
Costumes of Ladakh – the Hidden Kingdom
This article was written for publication on Jozan.net. and can be found here jaina mishra November 2011
The Chamms Masked Dances by the Monks of Chemrey Monastery – Ladakh
Lamas of the ancient Chemrey monastery performing the Masked dances in Leh in which they enact religious tales with a moral. The stunning colors of the flowing robes combined with … Continue reading
An Appeal for “The Blue Veil Project”
The magnificent head dress of Ladakh – the Perak laden with rows and rows of turquoise gem stones and coral, is probably among the most exquisite bridal ornaments in … Continue reading
Exquisite Vintage Kebayas – the costume of the Peranakan culture
Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya and Straits Chinese are terms used for descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region of British controlled Malaya and the Dutch controlled Java among … Continue reading
Chanting ceremony at Kagyud Monastery, Lingdum, Sikkim
The Kagyud Monastery was the best experience of my Sikkim trip. This is the monastery that I will return to someday. On the first visit, 2 days prior to Losar, … Continue reading
Lama Dances at Thongsa Monastery, Kalimpong
The dates for my Sikkim trip were arranged so that I could experience the Lama Dances at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. Information on the net was sketchy, but some websites … Continue reading
Nagaland Diaries
An image from 1870s Nov 29th, 2010 Am setting out to explore Nagaland – home to over 20 distinct tribes characterised by two intriguing lifetsyles: headhunting and minimal clothing. This … Continue reading
Traditional Naga Bamboo Climbing and Fire Making
Greased-bamboo pole climbing and Traditional fire-making….a few images. Boys preparing to compete in the greased bamboo pole climbing competition between tribes Splashing mud to create friction *** Fire making by … Continue reading
The magnificent Lion Dance
The boys performing these feats are not professionals. They are students or young working adults who also perform the lion dance… The main performers of a team are the dancers. … Continue reading
Ajrakh Block Print Art
This is a photoessay on the art of block printing called ‘Ajrakh’. The process described here, is the same for any block print art. The speciality of Ajrakh is that … Continue reading
Textile Symbolism – 1 : Hilltribes of Northern Thailand
(Excerpt from my article on Jozan.net) Textiles, costumes & dress codes have played an integral role as announcers of significant life events, in some cultures more than in others. As … Continue reading
Hmong Batik Art
The Hmong are one of the hilltribes living in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. One of signatures of this group is their Batik Art used in their garments. The following photos … Continue reading
The Lambani Gypsy Tribe
It is my good fortune to have spent a lot of time with the members of this tribe, and to have the opportunity to explore their memes or their psychological … Continue reading
Lifestyle of Hilltribes of Northern Thailand
Following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Jozan.net. ‘Textiles, costumes & dress codes have played an integral role as announcers of significant life events, in some cultures … Continue reading
Travelling Godmen – the Spiritual Healers of India
Travelling Godmen are wanderers that travel from village to village, restricting themselves to a particular geographical area (usually dictated by the language). They sell spirituality and its benefits in different … Continue reading
