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
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
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
Ruins of Ladakh
Over the 10+ road trips through several naalas of Ladakh, several ruins of old buildings would zip past my car at a height or at a distance that was two … Continue reading
Lion of Punjab – Sher-e-Punjab
Punjab – the land that has been facing invasions for centuries – values bravery and courage. And the lion offers an excellent metaphor for these values. Maharana Ranjit Singh was … Continue reading
Tears in Heaven
We never love quite as much as at the time of saying goodbye…. I loved this piece – I loved the artist who lived a hundred years ago – I … Continue reading
Learning History through Art – Sikh Rule in Kashmir
Exploring an example of Sikh influence in Kashmir through illuminated paintings in the Kashmir school from a Bhagavat Gita manuscript written in Sikhi Gurmukhi script
Conversations – The Soul of Punjab
A few photos of the grand old women and men who were young at the time of the “hallaa” … the Partition.
Over deep conversations about phulkaris, over chai & pakodas followed by parathas & butter, we bonded – discussing the culture of their youth, of their childhood homes and the culture of the time.
Opium Culture – History in Art
There is too much that I do not know anything about and the role that opium played in the history of China is one of them. Were it not for … Continue reading
A New Mystery -Ancient Terracotta Blocks
Seen in one of the important trading hubs of the old Silk Route – and retrieved with difficulty from the back of a dealer’s dusty shelf, lying in a plastic … Continue reading
How did Elibelinde travel to the Swat Valley?
One more example of migration of cultural memes that might hold a clue to historical events
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
The Jehangir Spinel
Owned and bequeathed by Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb this amazing Spinel is now in the Victoria & Albert museum in London. Surprisingly it has been described by the V&A … Continue reading
Mother & Child – A Crime Scene in Silk
Clearly this is a part of a larger legend that I am not familiar with yet. And so the cultural crime story intrigues me as much as the art and … Continue reading
Online Exhibition – Tampan Ship Cloths from Sumatra
Introduction The magnetic appeal of Textile Arts, to me, is directly proportional to – the art – the craft – the symbolism – the cultural story and – the usage … Continue reading
Textiles and more in the Kerta Gosa Museum – Bali
On my visit to the small museum in Kerta Gosa, Bali (2015) I did not expect to find any textiles. paintings yes – because that area is famous for paintings. … Continue reading
Parsis and the Opium Trade
Yesterday at a condolence visit, the conversation with my top mentors, inadvertently veered into the subject of collectibles and we spoke of many random subjects such as his encounter with … Continue reading
Chasing a Faded Memory
When I was little, to entertain me and to occupy me, my grandmother used to draw out a picture on a notebook or a scrap of paper and ask … Continue reading
Anatolia Diaries
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone Interesting Istanbul 1 Interesting Istanbul 2 A Walk through the Grand Bazar of Istanbul Intrigued by the past – Cappadocia Art … Continue reading
Who Knew! Forts of Maharashtra
Who knew that Maharashtra had over 75 forts!! Seventy Five!!! And who knew that there are nearly 200 groups that organise trekking & hiking day / overnight tours to … Continue reading
A Kashmir that We Shall Never See Again
Kashmir: A geography I have not yet been to. A history that none of us can ever go to. A few old photos that bring alive the lifestyle of Old … Continue reading
Lost & Found – An Ancient City in Northern Thailand
An experience from 8 years ago almost lost in my memory… revived through photos. In 1984, some ancient tablets were found at a site about 5km from Chiang Mai in … Continue reading
Book of the Month – April 2015
The last book I picked up – a world bestseller – did not hold my attention. I had to drop it half way. My teachers used to say we must … Continue reading
History of Indian Textiles
“The record of ancient and medieval Indian textiles exists mostly in literature and sculpture. There is archaeological evidence of a cotton textile industry at Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley around … Continue reading
Life in Japan 1900s
Hand colored photos from Japan 1890 – 1905 seen on Ebay offer a glimpse into a completely different culture that is rarely seen in Japan today! Geisha Women posing for … Continue reading
Unparalleled Art in Architecture – Havelis of Jaisalmer
The unparalleled art in the architecture seen in the Havelis of Jaisalmer mesmerizes and leaves the visitor speechless. The spell cast by the beauty of the walls built with stone … Continue reading
How many Indian Manuscripts exist?
In my readings about ancient Indian texts I came across an interesting article by Wujastyk. The main page is linked below. A few interesting excerpts: India as a modern nation-state … Continue reading
Journey to the Past : The science of Epigraphy
Imagine walking through a maze with instructions written in a language we do not understand. In reconstructing the history of a civilisation, we work with very few clues – artefacts, … Continue reading
Indian History – my education system failed me
My school teachers and my school text books always told me that India had been ruled by the British. But through my travel and the books that I have stumbled … Continue reading
Tampan – the bewitching extinct weaving of Lampung
Weaving ceased in Lampung at the end of the 19th century. Ceased. Extinct. Forever. This fact would be tragic even if we were speaking of some other geography. But once … Continue reading
Wovensouls makes its first sale to a Museum!
Time for celebration! Wovensouls has just made its first sale to a museum. That the buyer is a renowned museum with one of the best cultural collections in the world … Continue reading
My Talk @ Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
On Thursday, Feb 16th, I presented a talk on the magnificent Blue Veil to museum Docents, textile enthusiasts and museum enthusiasts at the Ngee Ann Auditorium at ACM in Singapore. … Continue reading
Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an – a photo gallery
Made of . These and other artifacts like bells, cranes, amulets and weapons are all widely speculated by experts to be part of the recreation of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s … Continue reading
Bharat Varsha – Ancient Indian Kingdoms
My education, although I am among the small percent of Indians who have a Master’s, degree, has proven to be highly insufficient since I had no idea that the map … Continue reading
Alternate Sexuality Traditions – 1, The Khmers
PREFACE This is a collection of readings from various sources. Each article throws some light on alternative social systems. They intrigue because they are different from models known to me … Continue reading
