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
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
The Astitva Project – Phase III
Just as life happens just one step at a time, it seems to me that in the same way wisdom reveals itself one step at a time. It would … Continue reading
A Yao Ceremonial Mask
On a trip in 2009, I got this Yao mask from back of the bottom drawer of a store owned by an elderly couple. The beautiful woman and I shared … Continue reading
Selk’Nam People
We talk of “vanishing” cultures…. here is one that has vanished. The Selk’nam also known as the Onawo or Ona, used to live in Patagonia. Most photos by anthropologist Martin … Continue reading
Lambanis Celebrating Life – Festive Dance
Ceremonial Dance of the Lambani group
Rare Textiles from Tiny Tribes
Presenting two textiles from really small protected tribes in Orissa, Eastern India. I have seen these worn by the people there but not on sale anywhere. Both were acquired directly … Continue reading
The ASTITVA Project – Rescuing Textile Traditions – Chapter 1
ASTITVA = IDENTITY. This project intends to rescue at-risk textile traditions among vanishing cultures in India.
Sad Story – Vanished Art
Sad observation made by a housewife who, like all the other housewives of that era. embroidered extensively in her lifetime*. [From the biography of Mrs. Krishen found in S. S. … 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
Superfine Weft Warp Embroidery from Kohistan
Embroidery from the Kohistan people never fails to intrigue me. Someday I want to watch them do it. The Kohistani shawl has two separate layers that are stitched along one … Continue reading
A Bleak Sunset of Vanishing Cultures
Yesterday as I walked on Carter Road in the mood for contemplation, I witnessed this totally bland sunset. Grey, bleak, unnoticed, unsung and so gradual that visually one would not … 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
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
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
Aryan Diaries
My first trip to Ladakh in 2011 was an extravagant visual feast of culture. As a first-time viewer I was dazzled and overwhelmed so much that I could barely differentiate … Continue reading
An Appeal for “The Blue Veil Project”
The magnificent head dress of Ladakh – the Perak laden with rows and rows of turquoise gem stones and coral, is probably among the most exquisite bridal ornaments in … Continue reading
