Showing 1311 to 1320 of 1410 results
Showing 1311 to 1320 of 1410 results
The Solemn Banjara Sisters (Framed)
There is something about the banjara's idea of life that survives despite its being counter-intuitive. A sense of home is so fundamental to our psyche that the nomadic way of life appears to us to be an impracticability, albeit a romantic one to some of us. For the banjaras, life is neither romantic nor impracticable; it is simply what it is. Their livelihood is in itinerant trade which range from gorgeous handicrafts to fortune-telling, which would barely count as survival in our books but suffices their purpose - enough for them to have lived this way for years, without desiring what lies in abundance around them. The oil painting you see on this page depicts a pair of banjara sisters. Their self-contained composures of countenance convey that these peoples tend to be reserved with us outsiders.
Sterling Silver Anklets With Ruby And Cubic Zirconia Drops
Every woman should own a pair of statement anklets that are as good to team with party outfits as they are to be worn around the house. In this part of the world, where the anklets on this page have been made by local silversmiths, every woman has that one pair that was her first, gifted to her by a senior female member of her family to commemorate her growing up. The sight and sound of it carries her back to her childhood, and she would probably hand it down to one of her daughters for her to remember her childhood by. These handpicked silver anklets would make for a great hand-me-down among the women in your family.

It is a series of tiny silver discs with rangoli-esque engravings on them. These are interconnected with even tinier silver loops that lock into each other with the help of proportionately sized silver bands. From each of the silver diskettes emerge three drops - a rich majenta-coloured ruby flanked by glassy cubic zirconia. The gems used to finish the anklets are miniscule and encased in silver. They will be sure to announce the wearer's presence as she motions in and out of rooms around the house. Alternatively, these would great in a pair of stiletoe-clad feet.

Cashmere Poncho from Nepal with Embroidery
  • FROST GRAY
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Cashmere Poncho from Nepal with Embroidery
The poncho is a versatile garment. It functions as both a top and an outerwear that you could layer over the rest of your outift. The one that you see on this page is a colour-blocked poncho handpicked for its sheer elegance. Fashioned from pure pashmina wool, it comes from the looms of local Nepalese weavers because no other region in the world has the knowledge and skill to work with pashmina. The naturally molting underbelly hair of the endemic changra goat takes an eye-watering proportion of time and labour to be spun into yarn, dyed, turned into fabric, and embroidered.

This explains why the pashmina fabric is so desirable. This poncho is a pale grey and brown number, superimposed with minimalistic embroidery down the bust. It sits gently on the shoulders, making for a drape that is deliciously feminine. Pashmina is arguably the warmest fabric that there is, which is despite its superlative lightness. This poncho is sure to be a signature addition to your wardrobe - you could wear it to parties or gatherings with a traditional spin, depending on how you choose to accessorise it.

Deepalakshmis Stand In Welcome, Infectious Calm On Their Faces
India has a one-of-a-kind bronze tradition. It began in the recesses of Southern India upon the time of the Pallava dynasty rulers, who were generous with their commissions for local artisans. Temple bronzes had been a thing of Southern life till that point in time, but it was with Chola patronage that the medium gained prominence. South India has been the home of bronze since then - to this day the region produces the most exquisite bronzes, temple and otherwise. The technique is ancient and painstakingly time- and labour-intensive, but it results in pieces of visual art as beauteous as the one you see on this page. It is a couple of youthful Indian beauties called deepalaskhmis ('deepa' is the word for the flame of homemade Indian lamps).

The deepalaskhmi figure is supposed to be placed at the entrance to one's home or office. These gorgeous ladies bear a welcoming stance. The thalis in their hands are designed to hold a number of ghee lamps to be lit shortly before the arrival of visitors. They are dressed in traditional Indian silks and wear a world of shringar. Their hips are jutting out, their faces bearing an infectious calm. A parrot is perched on the gracious shoulder of each of the deepalakshmis, which is considered a symbol of romance in Indian culture. Note the traditional Indian hats that rest at an angle on the lovely heads of the ladies, and the multi-lateral lotus pedestals they are propped up on.

Hanuman Fetches A Mound Of Sanjeevani
The Lord Hanuman bearing a mound of the wild sanjeevani as He traverses over the subcontinent is the most endearing of His iconographies. When the brothers encountered a crisis and Lakshmana, the brother of Purushottama Rama, was on the verge of succumbing to His injuries, no one but Hanuman could be counted upon to revive Him. Having accomplished all eight yogasiddhis, He had flown over to the Himalayas in no time, rooted out an entire range that was home to the all-important herb, and brought it back to the party down South. It is said that he had made a brief stop in the lower mountains and touched His knee at a mountaintop, where a temple has been built to immortalise His great yogic feat.

It is indisputable that Lord Hanuman is the brightest shining jewel in the necklace of Ramayana characters. He has been painted against the stretched cotton fabric canvas characteristic of Indian folk paintings. The technique employed is called batik, the procedure for which involves repeated waxing and dyeing to aid the composition. From the pronounced jawline to the superlative musculature of His form, from the indispensable goad to the large tail flourishing behind Him, this is a painting of the Lord in His full glory. He is minimally clothed as befits a yogi, with His haloed crown and shringar in place. The statement red-and-yellow colour palette exudes a sense of power and stability that complements the aura of the deity in question.

Krishna And Sakhas Pendant, South Indian Temple Jewellery (Multi-Gemstone)
If you are a Lord Krishna devotee, this is a pendant that you must have. Smithed from sterling silver, this would go well with ethnic casuals such as kurtis and everyday suits. The workmanship is unputdownable. The deity is in the centre of the composition, His iconography replete. His posture is in tribhang, jutting out (bhang) at three (tri) places of His anatomy - the shoulders, the hips, and the ankle. He is playing on the flute, which He holds between His superbly carved fingers. His gorgeously pleated dhoti and angavastram are intact, a gracious crown towers above His head, and His shringar and features are carved on to the silver in unbelievably minute detail.

A series of pristine pearl drops grace the lower edge of the pendant, held in place by turquoise gems and silver loops emerging from miniscule black onyxes. The central figure is on a pedestal of lotus petals and leaves, and flanked by two dhoti-clad sakhas (playmates) with a garnet atop the head of each. This pendant is a fine piece of temple jewellery, a kind of ornamentation that has evolved in South India to adorn icons in the region's magnificent temples.

Brick-Red Plain Bridal Sari with Golden Thread Weave on Border
Red is the most celebrated colour in Indian culture. It is the colour of fertility and newness, the colour of the feminine essence, and naturally the most bridal of all colours. The one you see on this page is a statement baked red colour, hemmed in by the gold of the narrow weave along the border. Indeed, red is the dominant colour of the Indian trousseau no matter the region or season, and together with gold this one makes for a definitive bridal number. Zooming in on the border would allow you to appreciate the ultra-feminine, auspicious motifs that the gold thread has been woven in against the luscious base fabric.

While the sarees to be worn on the eve of the phere and other all-important rituals are usually chosen by Indian brides to be on the heavier side in terms of fabric and embroidery, this one is more fit to be worn during post-wedding occasions in the day such as the ritual greeting of relatives and breaking in in the kitchen. It is made of pure silk of the crepe variety, a superbly comfortable fabric to be draped in tropical summer climes. The translucence of the fabric would add to the seductiveness of the drape.

A Mughal Lady-In-Waiting And The Feathered Messenger
A white pigeon has flown over to a lady-in-waiting at the Mughal court. She is a gorgeous young creature, spotted by the king's men and brought to court to wait upon the queen. She is dressed in the choicest of Indian silks and jewels, handpicked especially to go with her beauty. No matter the luxury of life at the Mughal court, the woman in the painting is a rustic one at heart. It almost breaks her heart to have been uprooted from her village and placed here, despite the glamour of it all. It is all too new for her to not overwhelm her, so it is in this little feathered messenger that she seeks comfort. He has brought to her a message from her folks, possibly from a lover, back home.

Her hands are whiter than the plumage of her messenger. Her stance is subdued, which merely serves to emphasise how irresistible she is. Ample black curls gathered in a thick bun behind the head, such superbly defined features as if sculpted from marble. The rest of her is firm and shapely, formed in the best proportions of her sex. She is wearing a pastel green choli with a high-waisted peach-and-purple lehenga that sweeps the floors as she walks. A transparent gold-coloured dupatta reveals rather than conceals her torso and head. She is decked up in a plethora of rubies and emeralds, none of which compares to her personal beauty.

Interconnected Discs Bracelet Embossed With Devi Kali Iconography
For the passionate devotee of Devi Kali, this bracelet is a must-buy. Smithed from sterling silver, it comprises of a symmetrical series of embossed silver plates. They are interconnected with miniscule silver loops, and lead up to the central plate which is embossed with a distinct Mother Kali figure. From the highly characteristic features of Her iconography (the decapitated head in Her hand, the crown on Her head), one may deduce the sheer degree of skill and labour that must have gone into finishing this piece of devotional jewellery.

It is not easy to devote oneself to the worship of a Devi as wrathful as Kali. It takes years of austerities and a highly streamlined temper to turn to Her. She is a force to be reckoned with - Her temples are few and far between, and so are the priests who have the expertise to worship Her. Once the devotee has made one's submission to Her, it is nigh impossible to wean off Her or turn to any other deity from the Hindu pantheon. Ma Kali subsumes you from the soul outwards, and this bracelet would be a token of your devotion to Her in reciprocation of Her ferocity.

Traditional Glam Clutch Coated With Azure And Silver Sequins
For when you feel like there is not much you could do to uplift your outfit from the everyday, an element of ethnic is the way to go. This handheld bag will serve just the purpose, leading to a look that is uniquely Indo-western. It is made from art silk, which is in turn coated with a thick layer of glistening blue and silver sequins. Finished by hand, the resulting rangoli-esque pattern is an imitation of the sun. Which serves to make it a particularly glamorous object to clutch at, say, in the course of an evening at a party or during a wedding ritual where you are wearing a matching traditional dress.

Indeed, this one is a distinctly bridal number. While blue may not be the bride's chosen colour on the day of the phere, it is a lovely colour to wear on the ritual gatherings that follow. It is during those occasions that a statement clutch like this would come in handy. Not only would it accommodate a lady's personal effects, but also make for a great fashion statement to make while meeting one's new relatives. The string of beads that forms something of a handle for the bag adds to the charm of this handheld accessory.