Desert Art – Motifs of the Bishnoi People
How can one not love this art? In my few trips to Rajasthan I’ve not had the good fortune of seeing these in-situ .. being worn by the Bishnoi women. … 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
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
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
Responsibility of Caring for an Antique Yuncu Kilim
An endearing note from the dealer who sold me this …
Bullock Carts & Oil Mills in Applique!
An endearing naive 2-dimensional rendering of bullock cart & a bullock-run oil press or oil mill! And the featute that makes me wonder about the Banjara connection is the white … 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
Women in Art – Literally
A series of textiles with women depicted in the art! 🙂 And more The ones above are from old textiles. Here’s one from a recently made banarasi brocade … Continue reading
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! ❤️
The Weight of Art
As I was measuring this skirt worn by petite young girls, I had to do a double-take. I had just written down 130 inches – that was twice as tall … Continue reading
Goals for Tattoo Lovers
They say be careful about tattoos because you have to live with them for the rest of your life. When I turned 40 I realised that I was way into … Continue reading
Old Tribal Beaded Hair Ornaments for a Child – Available for Sale
Handmade Beaded Hair ornaments for a child. How are these worn? These are fastened to the hair at the level of the eyes – somewhat like blinkers perhaps? Here is … Continue reading
The Mesmerising Qashqai Motif
Clans do things similarly. Like make curry in a particular way, or wear their sari in a particular way. Or weave the central medallion in their rugs using one template. … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix – Warli Paintings on Dung
The original idea was to use the cow dung walls of homes as the medium to paint on using white pigment made of rice & gum. Then at some point … Continue reading
Little Purses for Big Money
Coin purses from the olden days …. When the coins were small & made of gold & silver and their value was huge! When there was no fiat money or … Continue reading
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
A New Museum with a Fabulous Fresh Focus!
A museum or rather an institution that focuses on perpetuating the art amongst the creators … a museum in which the creators can see and learn from the work of … 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
Lombok Art – for the Ears & Eyes!
Just pictures of the art of the Sasak tribe from three different locations in Lombok: And some pieces from the Mataram Museum: And finally an older drummer So much … Continue reading
Motif & Meaning – Dayak Heritage
The title is a misnomer as this note does not offer the meaning of this motif. This note only puts together several lifestyle objects to show that this motif has … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix – A Necklace of Thorns
“But he who dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.” ― Anne Brontë Heavy Gold Necklace modelled on the Gokhru herb of Rajasthan jm October 2015
Dowry Bags & Purses
A link to the Dowry Bags & Purses of Gujarat, India. jm July 2015
Rajasthan Tribal Costume
Regular Costume of a woman from Rajasthan belonging to the Garasia tribe – one of the numerous tribes in Rajasthan. Am wondering how many of us can carry off that … Continue reading
Postcards from Rajasthan
Postcards (or rather the e-version – Whatsapp Images) from Rajasthan. Sent by the remarkable Narayan Gadhvi, a young man who lives in the desert city of Jaisalmer and was pivotal … Continue reading
The Lore of a Kilim Rug | The Lure of a Kilim Rug
One day a Yürük tribal chief saw a kilim rug cast on the ground by a tent. Looking at it brought anguish to his heart, so he called on his … 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
We all love a good story! – Street Photo – Lambani Gypsies
We all love a good story! We all love some details of other lives. This inherent trait of humans across cultures is probably one of the biggest advantages of the … Continue reading
Palindrome Embroidery – Textile Art from the Past
An article on Double Sided Embroidery from the North-West Indian Subcontinent. [click to view the PDF] PALINDROME EMBROIDERY MASTERPIECES – TEXTILE ART FROM THE PAST The pieces shown in the … Continue reading
Naga Shells – Nocte Naga Portrait
Portrait of a Nocet Naga girl with traditional costume
A Banjara Pot Cushion from Odisha
Art from Daily Life among the Banjaras from Odisha.
DAILY ART FIX – Gujarat Embroidery
RUSTIC TRIBAL EMBROIDERY WITH GORGEOUS NATURAL COLORS ON COARSE HAND SPUN COTTON! JM. .
When there is Respect – A glimpse of Bastar, India
In a land as diverse as India, even the smallest administrative segment – the Taluka or District – is home to a few dozen communities. Therefore, no matter who is … Continue reading
The Lambani Project
The Banjaras & the Lambanis lived in the forested areas, mainly in South India.They have now been settled in villages through government schemes and no longer follow the nomadic / … Continue reading
Mystical Banjara Textiles
What does one get when the women of a social group have a strong intellect, happiness in their hearts and time on their hands? Art. Art that is used to … Continue reading
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
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
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
Need a Handmade Iron Tool? Go shop with the Gadaliya Lohar Tribe of Rajasthan
Hand made textiles I can understand – but seeing handmade iron tools on sale brought me face-to-face with my ignorance! As I walked through Jaisalmer, I came across 2 families … Continue reading
TWO WORLDS
Bhil Woman whose lifestyle remains rooted in the past even as her surroundings have moved into the future with the adoption of new technology. Rural Rajasthan, India
Vanishing Cultural Knowledge – the Penans of Borneo
This a picture* of a man from the Penan group that now number 10,000 and is probably the last group that lives surviving solely on the produce of hunting & … 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
Spectacular Embroidery Art from the Patel Community of Kutch
On all my trips to the Kutch, I have only seen 4 such saris. Motifs & Color that are similar to those from the North West Provinces – but … Continue reading
Lifestyle & Beliefs of the Dard Aryan Ethnic Group of Ladakh
“It happens when it happens” Time is not a rare commodity and leisure is a luxury that all enjoy. ‘It happens when it happens’. No hurry. No time crunch. No … Continue reading
Is it Silk? Is it Wool? An Antique Dowry Rug
A challenge: Identify the material of this antique Qashqai dowry rug using just the visuals below: Is this a silk? Or is it a wool? Do leave your guesses in … Continue reading
WOVENSOULS | Antique Jewelry | Tribal and Ethnic
This page showcases some of the old tribal and ethnic collectible jewelry from the Wovensouls Collection. The art and the symbolism contained in tribal pieces is breathtaking. JM AUG 2013
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
Ankle Jewelry or Payal or Jhanjhar Traditions of Asia
All the assets in this article are a part of the WOVENSOULS collection and additional details of each asset may be viewed here on WovenSouls.com . Payal … a piece … Continue reading
DOCUMENTING THE SLOW EXTINCTION OF LAMBANI TEXTILE TRADITIONS
The tribal group known as the Lambanis have settled in South-West India and are known for their unique textile & jewelry adornments. Their traditional costumes are strong signatures and announcers … Continue reading
WOVENSOULS SUMMER AUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT
The Summer Auction of timeless textile art, jewelry art and folk art will be conducted online-only on Artfact.com and is open for bidding until June 30th. The catalog may be … Continue reading
Wall Art of Rural Rajasthan
Dedicated to those mistaken souls for whom ‘rural’ implies ‘poor’ or ‘undeveloped’ or ‘in-need-of-upliftment’. May the following pictures give them reason to modify their beliefs. Following are pictures of a … Continue reading
Tribal Life in Orissa – a tribute!
I was in Orissa in January and the month of May is about to end, and yet the tribal life that I experienced there remains unshared on this blog. … Continue reading
Photos of the Photography Exhibition at Galerie Luz Montreal
Some photographs of my third exhibition this quarter. Presented by Galerie Luz, Montreal. More updates to follow later! Pictures of the other two recently held exhibitions follow : Mumbai exhibition … Continue reading
Mini Photo Exhibit at the Singapore Art Museum Satellite Unit Opening at Taman Jurong
In pictures 5 photograph prints were selected for display at the opening of the Singapore Art Museum at Taman Jurong CC. The objective of having satellite units is to bring … 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
New Textile Art Pieces in the WovenSouls Collection – November 2012
Am back from a project in Kutch India. The dealers of antique textiles are preparing for an alternate as they believe that the supply of up tribal textiles is drying … Continue reading
Textile Artwork Curated for Esplanade Theatre, Singapore
Esplanade Theatre, Singapore has commissioned Jaina Mishra to curate a a series of Tribal Textile Artworks. These will be on display from Nov 23 – Dec 2, 2012 on the … Continue reading
Upcoming Solo Photography Exhibitions : Singapore & Montreal
You are invited to “TRIBAL EXPRESSIONS” an exhibition of tribal portraits (photograph prints) in Singapore & in Montreal * SINGAPORE – NOVEMBER 2012 “THE ARTS HOUSE” The Old Parliament House, … 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
Quill Art of the First People
A short slideshow on the Quill Art of the first people of North America. But first some interesting facts about quillwork : Quillwork, the oldest form of embroidery of … 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
New Acquisitions of Kutch Textile Art in the Wovensouls Collection
The eye learns with every new exposure and becomes more discerning. Now I value the unusual form more than I did earlier. In the world of textile art everything can … Continue reading
A walk through a Rabari tribal Village
Rabari people are gypsies having their deep ancestry origins in Mount Kailash. They migrated to the Kutch via Afghanistan & Kashmir. Just a video taken as I walk about a … 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
Alternate Life Models 5 – Mizo culture
Most Eastern life models are patrilineal and the father-son lineage carries forward important life markers such as caste, name, inheritance etc. The rules are clear and common across geographies. But … 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
Curious Dayak Tribal Objects
I had never articulated the thought in my head until Kuching but had always known this even during my days of scrounging through Chor Bazaar in Bombay and flea markets … Continue reading
Longhouses in Borneo
A walk through a longhouse in the jungles of Sarawak, Borneo. A short video taken on an iphone jm June 2012
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
The Batak Calendar from Sumatra, Indonesia
Everyone reading this would know that it is the year 2012. And everyone would also know that the world did not begin 2012 years ago – so what does this … Continue reading
A Python for Dinner
Note: Please note that this article contains images of raw meat. If this is offensive to you do not read further. “Mom what’s for dinner” “Stir Fried Python” This would … Continue reading
Sarawak Diaries
The number of hours spent in an airplane seems to be directly proportional to the “Exotica Quotient” of a destination. This is false of course and although I knew that, … 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
The Man with 39 Wives
A remote village in Mizoram. Returning from Lunglei to Aizawl I took a detour via Sirchip in order to meet this man with a new idea of life. Communication with … 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
Mizoram Diaries
Mizoram. A landscape of blue mountains. Rising above white clouds and mist. Green. Pristine. Located in the North East of India. With a population of 10,00,000. Spread over half a … Continue reading
Arunachal Pradesh Diaries
Nested in the Himalayan foothills, almost untouched by my world that is desperately seeking answers to its energy crisis, its financial crisis fuelled by ‘more & more’ & ‘growth’, and … 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
A chance encounter with a Shaman Priest during a sacrifice ritual
Rural Arunachal Pradesh, Dec 2011 This was an encounter that took me by surprise and swept me off my feet! When I think back, it is difficult to imagine the … Continue reading
The Arunachali – the Hunter-Gatherer-Weaver
Tiny hamlets dot the Himalayan foothills of Arunachal Pradesh. Some lie along the winding roads while a large number are accessible only by foot paths taking as long as 3-5 … 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
Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 2 : Innovative housing
Arunachal Pradesh landscapes comprise the foothills of the Himalayas and is inhabited mainly by tribes.The hills are dotted with tribal villages all across its 85000 sq km expanse. Hills and … Continue reading
Head Hunting Trophies
The British had banned head hunting during the days of the Raj and ordered that all trophies – such as skulls of enemy tribes – be destroyed. Most tribes complied. … Continue reading
“An Indian Discovers India” – Photo Art Prints Exhibition
For an Indian born and raised in urban India, discovering the diverse spectrum of cultures in the extreme geographical ends has been a journey filled with revelations about India’s identity. … Continue reading
Antique Java Topeng Masks and Wayang Topeng
Wayang Topeng is an Indonesian dance form that uses masks such as the ones shown below, that evolved in the 16th century. Performances enact Javanese stories about 12th century heroes … Continue reading
Invitation to a Lambani Gypsy Tribal Wedding
A Lambani Gypsy family. A Village in Karnataka, India. May 8th 2011. An arranged marriage. This is an account of a gypsy tribal wedding in a tiny village that had … Continue reading
Textile Art of the Ahom Kingdom – Guwahati Museum Collection
The Ahoms are a community found largely in Assam. This community consists of the descendants of ethnic Tai people who accompanied the Tai prince Sukaphaa who established the Ahom kingdom … Continue reading
Street Shrines of India
The Gods are everywhere – literally. In busy Bombay, in parts where its working class real people live, almost every street has a wayside shrine. A holy tree or an … Continue reading
Cultural Photography
It started with an interest in Tibetan antiques introduced to me by the local flea market. Searches on the internet led me to ebay and while I looked at Tibetan … Continue reading
Tribal Textile and Bead Art of Nagaland
This photoessay is preceded by the article that appears on Jozan.net titled “Red, White and Black – Tribal Textiles of Nagaland” available here. Images will say it better than words … 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
Tribal Dances of Nagaland
Every tribe has unique ways of celebrating festivals – some that are common to all Nagamese, others that are unique to each tribe. A collection of images of various tribal … Continue reading
Sacrificial Lamb at Kamakhya temple, Guwahati
I had heard about the Kamakhya or Kamakshi temple through a scientist friend recently. He was intrigued by the world of Tantrics and as he talked about his fascination, he … 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
Naga lifestyle
Pineapple plantation Buddies chatting on a ‘puliya’ Local Backpacks Dimapur market: Small intertwining lanes that would challenge the map-drawers skills; Shops spilling out onto the streets with wares stacked in … Continue reading
Thumbuakar Tribal Group, Borneo
What a delightful and soul satisfying find this has been!! Gorgeous humans, gorgeous textiles and topping all that – gorgeous performance art! Bamboo dance, fire dance – in which they … Continue reading
A cup of tea with Nomads and Gypsies of Kutch
This trip in early 2006 marked the start of my solo travelling life. A novice solo traveller a bit nervous, but as usual serendipity helped me along….. Armed with … 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
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
