The uniform pattern of embroidery and the characteristic shapes of each block of colour are unique to kantha. Zoom in on the same to take in the precision and complexity with which it has been done. The same is hemmed in by a broad layer of pale solid yellow. The reverse of this bedspread is a creamy ivory colour, dotted with miniscule yellow stitches, which you may flip over to depending on your mood.
The beautiful Devi is seated in Her altar on a pale pink lotus. In Her four hands She holds a rosary, a pothi (spiritual manuscript), and of course the veena. She is the deity of intellectual pursuits - learning and music and the arts - which explains the elements of Her iconography. Despite the fact that the work put into the mandir dominates the composition and the pratima is relatively tiny, She has been carved in beauteous detail: the composure of Her countenance, the shringar of Her neck cascading over the stem of Her instrument, and the one-of-a-kind blue-winged crown on Her head.
Natural, traditional motifs grace Her mandir. She is flanked by blue-lotus pillars, sandwiched between platforms engraved with coloured lotus petals. An unconventional templetop characterises the composition. A pair of large, young peacocks are seemingly holding the entire arrangement up on their heads.
The field of the kaftan is a moon-like silver colour. The silk of the make - the most delicate variety grown in the valley - lends it a shimmer that would make you look like some shapely sliver of the moon having descended the earth. Every bit of the embroidery that meets the eyes has been laboriously done by hand. Zoom in on the same to appreciate the perfection of the work, and the irresistible beads and sequins that complete it. This is a fine number to wear to close-knit evening gatherings, best teamed with ever-so-slightly dramatic makeup.
The intricately sculpted Balaji at the top of this hanging lamp makes this a unique work of devotional art. The details of His iconography and composure are intact, framed as they are by perfectly symmetrical floral projections. At the lateral extremes are dual faces of the divine shankha motif. Note how the procession of elephants of lions, beginning midway through the stem, seem to be holding up the Lord’s aureole.
The colour is a deep, viscose orange. Zooming in on the field of this solid-coloured saree would enable you to take in the beauty of the self-woven leaves against the silk. The same is hemmed in with a thick border of gold, onto which are woven rows of elephants and peacocks. The infusion of a dense Prussian blue on the endpiece, most of which is worked with gold, makes for a statement-making colour palette that would look great at a wedding or ritual ceremony.
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