Editor's Picks

Avocado Handloom Carpet from Kashmir with Knotted Flowers

Midnight Handloom Carpet from Bhadohi with Floral Motifs

Bronze-Mist Handloom Carpet from Bhadohi with Persian Knots

Blue-Mist Handloom Carpet from Kashmir with Knotted Flowers

Kashmir is a very important, and turbulent, religious and cultural centre. Famous for its craftsmanship and textiles, the likes of which are to be found nowhere else in the world, ours is a definitive collection of the produce of the looms of the valley. The most tasteful of sarees and jackets, made from wools and silks that are endemic to the mountains, are curated in our textiles section. Another of Kashmir's much-coveted produce is the statement Oriental rug, of which this is a fine example. Having emerged from the local handlooms of the region, it is a panel of sturdy homegrown cotton embroidered with ample proportions of silk to create an object of great beauty.

Knotted by hand, the plethora of flowers that could be seen on this took an eye-watering number of hours on the loom. Considerable skill and labour have gone into this to reproduce the picturesque local flora onto this rug. Varying tints and shades of brown, rich deep reds, and the occasional white make for a distinctly earthy palette, while the infusion of a dense azure into the central panel makes for an eye-catching colour combination. Note the concentric panels and the curves that define them, which are highly characteristic of these famous rugs of the Orient. A miniscule strip of matching azure hemmed along the edges, and short ivory tassels along the breadth, complete the picture.

The Splendour Of Devi Mahishasuramardini

Cast in a medium as gorgeous as She is, the Devi in Her Mahishasuramardini roopa has no equal in any other artistic or religious tradition. She is the powerful nari-roopa (female form), a manifestation of the wrathful aspect of prakriti (the feminine). The name Mahishasuramardini means 'the female one (mardini) who annihilates the buffalo-demon (mahisha-asura)' in Sanskrit; so here She is standing victorious on his chest, flanked by Her infinite arms and borne to victory by a lion Her equal in ferocity. Mahishasura and His steed, the buffalo, lies vanquished beneath Her feet at the hooves of Her lion - he was invincible to all of purusha (men) from a boon granted him by Lord Brahma, but alas! here he is overpowered by a woman instead.

India's bronze tradition has been dominated by such powerful spiritual themes because it originally produced icons for the magnificent temples of the South. Having begun during the reign of the Pallavas in the eight century, then risen to prominence under the patronage of the Cholas from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, South India has evolved to be the home of bronze. The hallmarks of this great tradition are all over the Devi Mahishasuramardini: Her stature, and the lissome silhouette that accompanies it; the tapering crown that looms on Her head; and the delicately fashioned digits on each of Her limbs. An expression of divine triumph and joy characterises Her gracious brow.

Panchabuddha Against A Complex Background Dominated By Red And Gold

In the language of myth, and not history, the Enlightened Shakyamuni is best understood as the Panchabuddha (in Sanskrit, 'panch' stands for the numeral 5). The one Buddha as we know Him is resolved into five, like a ray of light refracting into multiple colours through a prism, each embodying an aspect of Enlightenment. These figures have evolved as devotees spent years dwelling on the qualities of Gautama Buddha, the ones flanking the central figure having arrived first in the mandala in question. The pristine figure in the centre is Vairochana. To His right are Ratnasambhava and Akshobya, while to His left are Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi, respectively.

Each of the tathagatas come with their own mandalas and iconographies. Their mudras are unique, the motifs on their respective lotus thrones differentiated and symbolic. Zooming in on each of the figures would enable the viewer to appreciate the differentiations, the only one of which that has been conspicuously highlighted and that is the colour of the skin. The blue, gold, white, red, and green are each associated with their own elements, directions, and maladaptations of the soul. The dominant red-and-gold colour scheme of this thangka makes this a highly desirable panchatathagata composition to possess.

Pearled-Ivory Wedding Sari from Banaras with Woven Golden Flowers All-Over

Each year, millions of Indian brides turn to the looms of Banaras whilst putting together their trousseau. It is the home of Indian figured silks, the signature wedding saree of the Indian bride. The fine silk number you see on this page is a product of age-old weaving techniques, which are done today on jacquard equipment as opposed to the traditional naksha drawloom, and an unrivalled attention to detail. It can be classified as a brocade (discontinuous supplementary weft patterning) as well as a lampa (atleast two warps and/or two wefts).

While vibrant reds and greens are the colours associated with Indian weddings, this shimmering ivory number would be a great pick for the rituals preceding and succeeding the evening of the pheras. It has the characteristic thick border of the sarees of this region, and the entirety of the field is woven in with tropical petal motifs in glimmering tones of gold. These Mughal-style motifs that almost always find their way into these sarees lend it something of the regal. Teamed with the best of your latest gold possessions, this Banarasi would indeed turn you into a queen.

Beturbaned Radha-Krishna In Gorgeous Saffron Silks

Radha-Krishna is the most celebrated amorous couple in Indian culture. Having devoted Her all to the most handsome youth of Vrindavan, Radha has the privilege of being an integral part of His iconography to this day. This despite the fact that She could never have Him as Her lord and husband during their time together in ihloka (human realm of existence). The murti you see on this page comprises of the two of them on separate pedestals, with two separate aureoles. Krishna is in His unmistakable tribhanga murari (flutist with the body jutting laterally outwards at three places) form, while His Radha stands graceful and erect next to Him with a hand raised in blessing.

At The Potter's Workmanship, A Moment Of Pure Wonder (Framed)

Seemingly a still from a dream, this oil painting has a finish bordering on the surreal. The brushstrokes are rough-hewn, like lines from a receding memory. The tone of the composition is captured in the cowdust hour light that pervades the painting. The same is cut through - coldly, in an almost bizarre fashion - by a collection of delicate, pristine compositions at the potter's shop. In fact, it is what dominates the centre of the composition, its peculiarity enhanced by the scantily clad street-entertainer who stands afore the shop and looks on at those works. This painting is of a moment of wonder, of an extent only possible in dream-frame.

Her feet are naked but for the copious proportions of silver round her ankles and toes, a hint of which peers out from underneath her lasciviously draped odhni (note how it reveals rather than conceals her matronly bosom). She's dressed in the locally produced ghagra of the Northwestern desert region, and carries in her hand a tambourine that she thumps on to earn her bread. The rest of the men in the frame pay no attention to her - they are used to her presence, having probably seen as much of her as there is to be seen. The surreal appeal of the painting is complemented by the realistically portrayed earth that dominates a major part of the foreground.

Radha and Krishna Fuchsia-Rose Zari-Woven Fusion Baluchari Sari from Bengal

The Baluchar cluster of villages in the Murshidabad district is the home of Bengali figured silks. These rival the slightly more popular Banarasi brocades, together with which these exquisiste silks form a staple of the Indian bridal trousseau. This gorgeous silk saree would be the perfect addition to one, what with the luxuriant coat of gold zari woven against the apt blush-pink of the dye of the base fabric. Both the zariworked paisleys and the miniscule surface areas of silk amidst them shimmer with the motions of the wearer. What makes this a true Baluchari number is the one-of-a-kind enpiece that, characteristically enough, tells a story. A purple border transitions into dark blue over the all-important pleats, then concludes in a statement maroon endpiece. Super-skilled zariwork on the border and the endpiece show moments of Radha-Krishna's togetherness, and Vrindavan gopies singing and dancing to the memory of their Krishna.

Baluchari sarees have a history that goes back more than two centuries, probably all the way to the Middle Ages. The weaving techniques employed to produce these sarees, as well as the means of embroidery, are all possible on the Bengali drawloom to be found only in this region of Bengal. Having traditionally been worn during the autumnal Durgapuja festival, the collection of no saree-loving woman is complete without atleast one Baluchari. Pick this carefully handpicked number to go into yours for the superior quality of the silk and the lifelike appeal of the superimposed zari.