Originals, Reproductions, Fakes, Investments …
….and other ramblings. *** In some categories of art it is easy to spot a reproduction. For example the Mona Lisa is a very well known painting and if we … 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
The Life of an Old Thangka
Thangkas that were once in active use for worship hung in high places inside monasteries. They are exposed to butter-lamp vapors over decades.The inside of a monastery is filled with … 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
Boats of Eastern India, 1800s – Company School Paintings
Seen on an auction site, these paintings give us a glimpse of the lifestyle of those times. To pursue the characters that lived these lives, watch the Netflix original series … Continue reading
Chinese Paintings on Ailments
The last thing I expected to find in a medical centre is art that might arrest my attention. But here I am between tasks finding myself searching for the wall … 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
Washing Shawls in 1867
An antique Indian miniature painting from the Kyburg exhibition catalog (1988) depicts the washing of shawls The 1867 painting is possibly from Lahore, Such a treat to get a glimpse … 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
Fierce Deities!
A character that is not pleasant or all goody-goody has an appeal that is perhaps stronger! The glimpse of something fiesty, something temperamental, something strong with overtones of bold confidence … Continue reading
Along came a Ganjifa Set…
And took my sleep away! Why are these little artworks so attractive? Or elusive? A complete set consisting of 120 cards is very very rare! The odd card is seen … Continue reading
Breathtaking Monastery Art
First, the altitude in the Himalayas makes me breathless and then the paintings in the monasteries take my breath away! Each monastery has so much to offer the vision that … Continue reading
Painting Seen on a Wall in Nomadic Chanthang
Contemporary Art is one area that Dies not appeal to me. But this painting seen on a wall spike to me enough to want to cluck it and shate ut … Continue reading
Ancient Cave Paintings in Sasphol
13th Century Sasphol Caves, Ladakh Went up a mountain to see the magnificent Buddhist cave paintings. Worth every huff and puff. The big achievement was the small journey out of … Continue reading
A Visit to Phyang Monastery
Sat still within the ancient halls with only a young monk in attendance. Time passed unmarked by minutes and seconds. What do these matter when the walls have seen centuries! … Continue reading
Ganjifa Playing Cards – Art of Sawantwadi
I remember spending all my summers playing various games all day long! We were about 12-15 boys and girls of various ages living in a neighbourhood of 5 buildings and … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix – Painting of a Weaver – 1800s
Some art to refresh the soul!
An Indian Painted Narrative Scroll
Supposedly this is an old Bengal painted narrative scroll called Patta. Does this have the same rustic character as that of other Bengal Pattuas? Doesn’t the finesse of each element … Continue reading
Painted Map of Benaras – Indian Art
A pilgrim’s map of Benaras with the Kashi Vishwanath temple at the centre. Seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London Feb 2018 jaina mishra| wovensouls View more Exquisite Antique … Continue reading
The Irony of my tiny Astrological Thangka Collection
It is ironical and even absurd that my journey in collecting Tibetan material began from being impressed by their ideology of renunciation of material wealth! The life seen in Tibet … 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
