Indian Art

Indian art and handicrafts crafts are truly fascinating; it is incredible how ancient practices and traditions have continued since time immemorial. The history of India is a story of unbroken traditions that have continued for over 5000 years. For centuries, Indian handicrafts have been distinguished for their aesthetic and functional value.Indian art has been influenced by many factors, mainly religious, political and social. India is a land of immense diversity. Various traditions, rituals, geographic and climatic conditions, lifestyles and cultures have given birth to numerous styles and designs.

The arts of India expressed in architecture, sculpture, painting, jewelry, metalwork, and textiles. Fantastic pictorial conceptions, idiosyncratic conventions, extra-ordinary system of line formations and vibrant colors and ancient tradition makes splendid pieces of art.

Pattachitra

Patta chitras are miniature paintings, used as wall hangings with religious themes as their subject matter. Legends from the lives of Lord Krishna are mainly depicted on this specially treated cloth known as Patta. Developed over the years, this art form has helped a distinct school of painting to evolve. Having its origin in Sanskrit language, the word Patta Chitra literally means a painted piece of cloth. This ritualistic art observes a fine blend of sophisticated art and folk element in the form of rich colors. The skilled hands of the talented artisans present blood red, red ochre, lamp black, yellow, white and indigo in a unique way as they pretend to be offsetting each other. These pattas are carried back home by pilgrims to Puri as precious mementos. Practiced widely in Raghurajpur and Dandshahi villages at the outskirts of Puri, these pattas have become synonymous to the place.The preparation of Patachitra involves a double coarse white cloth pasted together with an adhesive made in tamarind seeds. The tamarind seed powder is soaked in water overnight and then boiled to provide it a gummy consistency. Sometimes, artist adds rice powder to the mixture to give a stiffer feel to the canvas. It is followed by a coat of tamarind paste, which is applied, on both the sides of the cloth and the cloth is left to dry. On the front face of the dried cloth, a coat of soap stone powder mixed with tamarind paste is applied. Finally, the canvas is burnished by rubbing coarse grain and polished stones. When the canvas is ready, the artist marks the border area and outlines the central composition. It is followed, by painting the background in red, also known as pahili ranga bhara or first coloring. In the subsequent stage, the artist colors the figures, applies the red ornaments and black details and completes the border decoration. The central colors used in Patachitra are red, brick red, yellow, white and lamp black. The painter employs the various kinds of brushes.

Terracotta
The word Terracotta is etymologically Italian, and means ‘baked earth’ or ‘fired earth’. Terracotta is an antique practice and bears testimony of man’s civilization through various ages. In fact, these ceramic art forms were the first steps that were taken by man towards creativity and expression. Generally, the practice of terracotta art involves baking molded clay at high temperature and preparing various structures out of it. Sculptured items may range from household utensils, potteries and curios to ornamental statues and designs on temples. The items that are prepared through terracotta are brownish orange in color and are also referred to as ‘Terracotta’.Terracotta crafts have long been admired due to their unique qualities. Terracotta paintings are a distinct art medium with their own set of advantages. Terracotta painting is considered as an integral part of many civilizations. Due to the immense popularity associated with these, the terracotta paintings are widely referred as internationally acclaimed possessions today. Impressing people all around the world, the terracotta paintings have acquired a very special place in todays highly competitive market.

Glass Paintings

Glass paintings or glass engravings as they are sometimes known, typically comprise of an engraving laid down on the back of the glass, and painted from the reverse. The effect is one of stunning clarity and rich color ideally serving as a connoisseur's delight. Glass as a medium of art allows tremendous freedom to express oneself.Glass painting is a form of art, which has evolved and gained prominence in the recent past. Glass painting basically involves painting on tinted glass that miraculously transforms a plain piece of lifeless glass, into a wonderful piece of art. It's effects can be amplified if placed under proper lighting. The images, diverse in subject matter, all unique and individual in character are outlined. They are then painted using special paints. Embedding with semi-precious stones, beaten gold leaf or glitters can enhance the look. Glass painting is similar to drawing than painting. The colors tend to be water or gum based and can be applied in a method similar to the way watercolors are applied. The paints are mostly fired onto the glass using a kiln. The heat of the kiln causes them to bond permanently with the glass. These attractive paintings can be done to enhance the look of showpieces, coasters, napkin holders, cutlery, wall hangings, etc. Decorated with a blend of sparkling light, the beauty of glass paintings is par excellence.

Marble Painting
Imparting a natural and rugged look to the artifacts, marbles are considered as natural stone with immense beauty. They are available in variety of colors. Marble painting reveals immense perfection and beauty encompassing traditional as well as contemporary styles. Made on exquisite variety of marble, marble paintings are considered as miniature paintings. These decorative paintings provide the enhancing appeal to interior as well as exterior. Highly ornate marble painting could be easily searchable in detailed carvings with natural and smooth marble finish. The beautiful marble paintings with inlay work are also done on table tops, wall hangings, furniture etc. The marble paintings are made on marble of different sizes and thickness. With different themes like Indian Musical instruments, pots and vases, statues, floral designs, royal palaces and lifestyles, the marble paintings are occupying very special place in the market today.Rajasthani marble paintings are commonly famous for their art which generally has to be done on the marble tile. These marble paintings, which are done with immense perfection and beauty, encompass both traditional and contemporary styles. Rajasthan where the Marble as a stone is immensely beautiful in itself, the decorative paintings make for perfect showpieces for an enhance appeal of the interiors as well as the exteriors. Marble paintings are exquisite works of Rajasthani/Mughal painting done on marble.

Oil Painting

The magic of Oil Paintings is remarkable.Oil paintings are an integral part of Indian art history. Famous artists have immortalized a number of topics into oil paintings that are now scattered the world over in museums, churches, and as part of private collections. The history of oil painting is rich and diverse. Through time, each artist has added a particular style to an earlier accomplishment that influenced later oil painters for better oil paintings. Oil has also evolved through time. Originally done on surfaces using pigments that are mixed with different oils for varying drying times and intensities, oil used in paintings have now been developed to remain liquid until heated. This minimizes clean-ups that makes oil paintings easier to clean, maintain and manage, which accounts for their increased popularity.

Sand Art
Another famous handicraft of India is based at Puri,Orissa. This implies carving a sand sculpture with just clean and fine-grained sand mixed with water. Attractive sculptures are carved out of this sand by the Oriya artists.Dating back to fourteenth century A.D. the origin of this art is associated to Poet Balaram Das, the author of Dandi Ramayan.Very eye catching and splendidly beautiful, this art form has gained immense popularity with the development of tourism.

Silver Craft
Silver filigree is locally called ‘tarakasi’. It is a silver craft, which has captured the imagination of the people world over. It is one of the exquisite traditions of silver craft. Cuttack is famous for the unique style of art and it has made a mark for itself in the arena of art and craftsmanship. The silver filigree work of Cuttack is very widely known and acclaimed for its superb finish, fine foils and snow glazed texture. It is a must for every visitor of Cuttack to feast his eyes with the sight of these works of art. The art of filigree has attained unconquerable heights of charm and beauty, demonstrating its capacity to remain unspoiled with the passage of time. For its intricate and magnificent style of art, Cuttack has brought this unique Orissan style of handicraft great fame and familiarity world over.

Stone/Cave Craft
Stone craft in India has been in existence for a very long time. From the time of the polished sandstone lion edict of Sarnath to the present time, this craft of stone has traveled a long distance. In its course it flowered, transformed and gave expression to many styles known today as the Maurya, the Gandhara, the Gupta, the Chalukya, the Chola, the Vijayanagar, the Orissa, the Hoysala, the Mogul, the Indo-Muslim art of the Deccan and the like. The rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora and of Udayagiri; the Chalukyan temple of Virupaksha, of Pattadakal, the great Chola temple of the Nayakas at Madurai, the Indo-Aryan temples at Bhuvaneshwar, Puri and Konark, the Sun temple of Modhera, Gujarat and the Chandela temples of Khajuraho: these ageless edifices present an endless variety of exquisite stone carvings. Today, the stone artisans draw much of their inspiration from these monuments and statues. The glamorous delight of the Taj Mahal in Agra has captured the marble craft of India. Most of the statues in the state of Orissa show similarity in form and details to the sculptures of the Jagannath temple at Puri. Traditional motifs such as standing Deepalakshmis, courting apsaras (temptresses,) lotus blossoms are all adopted as decorative stands for table lamps, ash-trays, or stone flower vases. Ancient cave paintings of India serve as a window to our ancestors, who used to inhabit these caves.

Appliqué Craft

Among the traditional textiles of India, the art of appliqué work occupies a distinguished place. According to the Webster’s dictionary, appliqué is a ‘decoration or trimming made of one material attached by sewing, gluing, etc. to another.’ In India, appliqué art is widely prevalent in the western states, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and in the eastern coast of Orissa. It is a decorative work in which a piece of cloth is decorated with glass pieces, metals, wood or metal wires. The craft is practiced in the region of Orissa and Rajasthan. Pipli, a place in Orissa is a main center of Appliqué work. The red, purple, black, yellow, green and white fabrics are mostly used in this craft. First, a base material in the shape of square, rectangle, circle or oval is prepared and then it is stitched onto the base cloth in aesthetic arrangements. After attaching the appliqué patches to the base cloth it is stitched. It is believed that appliqué work made its way into western India either from Europe or Arabia in the Middle East through trade contacts.