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
Art of Worship – Embroidered Tibetan Thangka
The Buddhist philosophy of keeping the mind engaged in various forms of prayers as the route to earning Karma has resulted in many exquisite artworks. Created with the powerful … Continue reading
Wearing her mother’s Bridal Haalvan Phulkari
A “haalvan” phulkari is done on very fine cotton cloth that is similar to mul mul. This is the first time I held one in my hand! All bridal textiles … Continue reading
A Gift from Grandma
Just launched a NEWS! page on WOVENSOULS.COM
The mini-magazine has 5-6 interesting sections …
A Weaver’s Heirloom Patan Patola Sari
Rediscovering a piece from the weaver’s heirlooms – a bridal sari with fabulous double ikat hand woven raw silk!
Patan Patola Ikat Weaving – HOW?
For those who wondered how! A video interview with a masterweaver Kanaiyalalbhai who explains the process step by step. To understand the technique of weaving Patan Patola double ikats and … Continue reading
The Weight of Commitment
The weight of this token of commitment is about 100grams. Of Gold. !!! In case you are underwhelmed … here is a similar piece displayed in the V & A … Continue reading
Courtship in Silk
Daily Art Fix – motif on an amazing wearable antique cantonese shawl! ❤️
Daily Art Fix – Beauty begets Beauty
Old Rabari Great-grandmother working on her embroidery. Photo taken in 2012 in Gujarat. jm May 2016
Daily Art Fix – A Sublime Tampan with an Amazing Soul!
Such an amazing work of art!!! Not painted – not embroidered but WOVEN!! More from the same fragment: And though it is past its prime, it still is … Continue reading
An Affluent Community Endangered?!
Parsis or Zorastrians number only about 75000 worldwide and in spite of being one of the most affluent communities in the world, they are an endangered ethnic group. They have … Continue reading
Gates of Heaven – The Darshan Dwar Phulkari Embroidery Textile
Devotional Textiles – Phulkari Baghs of Punjab
DAILY ART FIX – AN ARTWORK A DAY
An addict constantly needs a fix to keep him stable. Me – in moments of extreme stress I find solace & peace in viewing works of traditional art. In normal … Continue reading
Where the Head is Held High …| Naga Headdress
The Naga people are proud of their heritage. With a hat and fashion sense like theirs, I would be too. It must be so easy to live Tagore’s words there: … Continue reading
A LADAKHI LADY DONS HER HEIRLOOM JEWELRY
On the way back from interior Himalayas in September last year, we stopped at a tiny village in Skyurbuchan that had the only restaurant along the way, for a late … Continue reading
Wovensouls ‘Vanishing Cultures’ Exhibition Highlights | Heirloom Patan Patola Ikat, Pre 19th century
This extremely fine example of double Ikat is an heirloom piece of one of the two surviving Patola weaving families. Known as the heirloom fragment piece that has been with … Continue reading
A Large Heirloom Ladakhi Skeypuk Necklace
Made primarily of the much valued coral and the turquoise that is very popular in the region, This Skyepuk has a large Ghau amulet box encrusted with turquoise. A very … Continue reading
Turquoise Art – The Blue Veil of Ladakh
An unusual Museum Quality Perak headdress from the Purang / Burang region. Authentic heirloom peraks are extreme,y rare now and among Peraks Purang Peraks are the rarest to find. The … Continue reading
The Fantastic Skeypuk Jewelry of Himalayan Interiors
The mystery of how coral got to the Himalayas has many explanations yet the mind continues to meander into the past seeking confirmations. While the mind continues to thirst for … Continue reading
Adornments beyond compare – Tribal Jewelry of Nagaland
Even though the young & the rich get allured into buying gems and jewelry by big brands that add very little value by stamping a brand name on it and … Continue reading
Recent additions to the antique jewelry collection
Exquisite heirloom pieces just added! 1. Antique turquoise necklace with large Ghau (with compartment) 2. Antique heirloom Naga necklace with shell, bone and glass beads 3. Antique Tuareg (African Sahara) … Continue reading
