Spectacular Beadworks across Cultures
I begin my mornings ensconced in my room, away from the newspaper, away from any human contact. The thing that won’t let me sleep longer, the one thing that excites … Continue reading
Rangoli – Featuring my Aunts
Here’s a link to lovely film on Rangoli – the folk art of powder painting that was practiced across the length & breadth of India by all housewives. ALL. Video … 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
Animal Love
We all love our animals! The Qashqai weaver put hers in her rug while I had a few sweet moments with a sheep & a goat in my lap! See … Continue reading
The Girl with the Dragon
Can you spot her? . . . . . Isn’t she lovely? See more of this gorgeous not-for-sale antique dragon sumac rug here on WOVENSOULS – asset 1379. *** jm … Continue reading
The Art of Marble Jalis
Seen at the magnificent Mumbai Airport Museum. Cannot get enough of this airport! jm April 2019
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
The Olden Days – Punjab
Can you feel the peace in this village? It is almost as if time had stopped still here: That era always attracts me and makes me wistful …the helplessness of … Continue reading
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.
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
Waiting…. The Antique Shekarlu Qashqai Rug
For years I’ve eyed Shekarlu rugs. Their identity is highly evolved and very striking! Very rustic in character the rugs are filled with an extravagant number of minor motif elements … Continue reading
A Man and His Dowry
In many parts of North Africa, at the time of the proposal the families discuss the dowry the man is willing to pay to get his bride. The dowry is … Continue reading
External Article: Italy’s last Sea Silk Master (on BBC)
Byssus, or sea silk, is one of the rarest and most coveted materials in the world – and this is the last person on Earth who still knows how to … 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
Before the Blue Jeans came along…
My world seemed mighty impressed with the concept of ‘blue jeans’ when they came along in the 1970s. Everyone had to have a pair. But before that, much much before … 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
Mountain Art – Large Ancient Himalayan Buddhas – 1
Huge Ancient Buddhist Sculptures in the Himalayas
Wealth of Motifs – Fulani Art!
What if we measured the wealth of nations by the number of indigenous motifs it has? Or the cultural history within those? Would we be fighting the same wars? Here … Continue reading
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
Daily Art Fix – Antique Kalamkari Art
A fabulous 17th C Kalamkari Artwork!
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
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
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
Creating Art Every Day
Isn’t it terrific that in our way of life, the act of creating art is one of the basic household activities that every single woman indulges in? Art is 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
On My Coffee Table
The advantage of my nomadic life is that I forget tbe pieces strewn around the other spaces that I dwell in (and that dwell inside me….). and so I see … 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
Walking the Dog
And the bird in the cage. Scene in a double sided embroidery from the early 1900s. But could well have been a snapshot from modern day Singapore! More photos of … Continue reading
The Art of War – Motifs in an Embroidery
Surely Sun Zhu meant THIS arr? More photos coming soon on WOVENSOULS.com
Daily Art Fix -Sindh Dowry Embroidery
Bless the woman who made this!! A great way to start my day …. with a dose of beauty – gives the heart a small positive kickstart! Sept 2017
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
Courtship in Silk
Daily Art Fix – motif on an amazing wearable antique cantonese shawl! ❤️
Beaded Textiles from Rajasthan?!!
Just noticed the fabulous beadwork on a shawl from Rajasthan that I’ve had for awhile. Endless delights in old acquisitions… All from the WOVENSOULS collection! ❤️
A look at Miao Embroidery
“Miao embroidery is a unique and incredible skill—weaving actual metal thread into intricate patterns to create beautiful garments. A tradition over 500 years old, Miao tin embroidery is sadly a … 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
Where the Men are Liberated
In most places around the globe, the world has imprisoned men in clothing of plain colors – colors that ensure that the wearers melt into the background. The most they are allowed is a strip of color in the form of a tie. [But don’t be fooled – it is mostly lip-service – out of the 5 feet of fabric, only about 1 foot is allowed to peep through from under the coat!! ]
Hybrid Art 2 – A Paithani weave from Benaras
A lot of people frown upon hybrids ….. I have no view on the subject. If evolutionary forces caused this to occur then so be it …. I am no … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix – Beauty begets Beauty
Old Rabari Great-grandmother working on her embroidery. Photo taken in 2012 in Gujarat. jm May 2016
March of the Elephants – Antique Angami Naga Textile Art – Available for Sale
Surely this must mean something! One day I will learn what that is! In the meanwhile let’s enjoy the art: This Angami Naga cloth is a part of the wovensouls … Continue reading
A Precious Package for a Precious Bundle – Dayak Baby Carrier
One more precious carrier for a precious baby! Over a dozen types of trade beads, some extremely fine, some multicolored, some from one of the 3 groups of mutisalah beads, … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix
Old Food Covering appropriate for a ceremonial feast! Made of Coconut shell and decorated with sea-shells. Indonesia – probably Sumba. Part of a museum collection jm Dec 2015 … 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
The honor of meeting Padma Shri Award Winner – Shri Shreelal Joshi
A trip to Bhilwara Rajasthan. Singapore – Mumbai by air. Mumbai to Udaipur by air. Udaipur to Bhilwara by road. Cabs to the airport, airport waits, security checks, luggage hassles … Continue reading
Mathematics Lessons or Works of Textile Art?
MATH & ART The subjects of math and art are perceived to be orthogonal and mutually exclusive. The left brain-right brain theorists have us believe that in general, an individual … Continue reading
NEWS: A Prestigious Textile Artwork Installation ….
So excited to be working on this! Projects like these will put these wonderful traditional textiles in the spotlight and perhaps make a small difference in delaying the extinction of … Continue reading
Karakalpak Motifs – Art in Geometry
Sometimes it is enough to just enjoy the visual without knowing the meaning… View the complete piece and other images here on wovensouls,com … Continue reading
Art of the Red River – Ceramics from Avanos
Avanos lies along the Red River in Turkey that contains a unique red clay that is wonderful for ceramics. And so over the decades or centuries, the preferred medium of … Continue reading
Across the Universe – A Bridge to the Other World
Each of us has wondered at some time or another about what happens when we die. Too many questions that have no answers. And then along come the religious bosses … Continue reading
The Art of Spirituality
In my childhood I had heard my grandma say that there are four stages in one’s life a. The Stage of Bacherlorhood – a life of study, a life of … Continue reading
Thai Paintings – Mediums of Mythology
Art of art’s sake is the rage of the day! Paintings of red dots on orange backgrounds fetch 6 figure prices and no one really seems to know why! … Continue reading
A Glimpse of Heaven | Antique Yao Paintings
Imagine a small community of two million people spread across a few thousand kilometers, living a life that straddles two radically different worlds – the life of their ancestors and … Continue reading
Colonial Ceramic Art – Floor Tiles in Penang
Even the floor beneath our feet can please our souls! The Colonial influence – primarily Dutch & Portugese in these parts that is seen in Goa … Continue reading
AN ARTWORK A DAY – Antique Vietnam Beaded Weaving
Antique Vietnam Sapa Beaded Woven Textile Skirt
Motif & Meaning – 4 | The Case of the Butter Churning Girls
Curious coincidences in Textile Art from two different regions explored
Embellishments in Traditional Asian Textiles
Strange & interesting bits and pieces have been used as textile embellishments. In the decade of collecting textiles, I find that non-textile embellishments are most common in South Asian Hilltribes … Continue reading
AN ARTWORK A DAY – Antique Vietnam Beaded Weaving
Antique Vietnam Sapa Beaded Woven Textile Skirt
An Offering of Art for Goddes Durga – Madhubani Painting from Mithila
A vintage Madhubani painting from Mithila depicting several forms of Goddess Durga Drawn using a pen-type instrument with clean strokes, this painting is about 30-40 years old. A totally … Continue reading
Dealing with Addiction
How does one do it? How does one wean oneself off? How to stop obsessing? How to break free of the hypnotic spell? How to stop wallowing in the semi-conscious … Continue reading
Double Sided Embroidery 1 – The Technique
While doing some research on newly acquired textiles with double-sided embroidery from Rajasthan & Swat valley, I came across this fantastic article. The Su double-sided embroidery from China is different … Continue reading
The Craft of the Kalamkari of South India
Kalamkari – literally meaning ‘pen craft’ [ Kalam = pen in Urdu] involving painting and printing on cloth with natural dyes. Styles of Kalamkari Art The art is an ancient … Continue reading
The day I almost missed a Flight – Textiles of the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
In the late 80s I had heard about the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad and the things I heard evoked a desire to visit. Life came in the way between … Continue reading
Wovensouls ‘Vanishing Cultures’ Exhibition Highlights | Two rare Kohistan Shawls
Two rare shawls from Kohistan – a land whose culture is among the most endangered. Extravagantly embroidered with silk thread, beads and embellishments. Perfect collectible / large wall hanging. Rare. … Continue reading
Wovensouls ‘Vanishing Cultures’ Exhibition Highlights | Antique Banarasi Saris
These two complete bridal Banarasi saris (fragment) from the very early 20th century have been woven with Zari or golden thread that has precious metal content. More details on Wovensouls.com … Continue reading
Mystical Gold Ornaments from the past
When I look at some of the ornaments from the past, they leave me awestruck! The art & craft within them is doubtlessly stunning. But beyond that, there is an … Continue reading
INTRICATE WOVEN ART OF BHUTAN
ANTIQUE BHUTAN KERA TEXTILE ART ANTIQUE KERA VINTAGE KERA (OR KIRA) jm Oct 2013
Folk Art – Food for the Soul
Folk art is mostly unsung art. It does not fetch millions of dollars. But it is likely that as a category taken together, it warms a greater number of hearts, … 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 Additions to the Antique Gallery – June 2012
Antique and Vintage acquisitions from the Dayak tribes from Sarawak, Sumatra and Kalimantan have been added to the Wovensouls galleries linked below: Antique Textiles from Borneo Antique Articles from Borneo … Continue reading
Intricate Nyonya Glass Beadwork – antique pieces from the Peranakan Museum, Singapore
Peranakan culture expresses itself in many unique ways and the glass bead embroidery on articles of daily use is probably the prettiest of all Peranakan cultural signatures. Glass bead … Continue reading
