Talks
A Beginner’s Guide to Thanjavur Paintings by Pradeep Chakravarthy
by Pradeep Chakravarthy
January 16, 2016
Take a crash-course in the history and art of Thanjavur paintings
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Krishna Leela
This Odisha Pattachitra by Akshaya Kumar Bariki illustrates Krishna Leela. The middle panel features Krishna and Radha in an embrace. As Odisha Pattachitras were traditionally used as personal home shrines, the central icons are always larger and primary. This is followed by supporting stories and images around them, which are smaller in size to symbolise… Read more »
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Vima Kadphises, Copper Coin
The Kushanas or Kouei Shuang were the descendants of the ancient Central Asiatic clan of Yueh-chi. They ruled parts of the Bactrian region (Afghanistan and Tajikistan) in the early 1st Century CE. What makes this coin special is that it shows the syncretic spirit of this empire and offers evidence of the king’s assimilation with… Read more »
Talks
Stories in Stone by Dr Suraj Pandit
by Dr Suraj Pandit
February 13, 2016
Step into the underground world of western India’s ancient caves
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Tholu Bommalata: Hanuman and Lankini
Tholu Bommalata tradition of shadow puppetry dates back to 12th century Andhra Pradesh; in Telugu, tholu is hide or leather and bommalata means ‘dance of the dolls’. Gleaming through the screen in night-long performances, these puppets are used to narrate stories from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Tholu Bommalata performances often weave bits of popular… Read more »
News
Crimes of curation
A study of the parallels between the new Bihar Museum and the older one that supplied its core collection
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Watch: Books with fore-edge painting
These secret images are created using a painting technique that’s more or less obsolete today. Read more here
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Indian art and caste
Acclaimed Carnatic musician TM Krishna dissects the unfair structures that constrain Indian art in his new book
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Everyone’s welcome at Kochi
A heartening interview with the first woman curator of the Kochi Biennale, Anita Dube, who’s planning a more inclusive program for 2018-19
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Whose art is it anyway
Some thoughts on the movement to decolonise art—and a look at an Indian exhibition that gets it right
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Map of India in 1022
This map depicts geographical features and the distribution of various Hindu dynasties in India in 1022. In the north-west, the Ghaznavid Empire was at its zenith under Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (971 – 1030), who crossed the river Indus and plundered India seventeen times during the course of his reign. The map was published in… Read more »
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Map of Hindoostan divided into Soubahs
This early 19th century map illustrates the division of Hindustan into ‘soubahs’, or administrative provinces, as listed in the late 16th century Mughal text, the Ain-i-Akbari. The map’s legend distinguishes Hindustan proper, the plains of northern India under the rule and administration of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, from the independent Deccan. In the South, the… Read more »
Spotlight
Sultan of Swing
Love him or hate him, but you have to admit, the man had style
Spotlight
Mighty Mysore
Snapshots of Tipu’s territory, as seen through the Sarmaya collection
Spotlight
Tipu’s book club
Essential reading if you’re fascinated by the Tiger of Mysore
Spotlight
The Enigma of Tipu Sultan
Understanding the complex character who once ruled a kingdom.
Spotlight
Final Countdown
A magnificent work of art that details Tipu’s final moments
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Cashmere Gate by Felice Beato
The Sarmaya collection holds an extensive range of Felice Beato’s work depicting the aftermath of the Uprising of 1857 in places like Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur, which bore the brunt of the violence. The devastation of Kashmere Gate in Delhi was one of the landmark moments that marked the beginning of the revolution’s end. Felice… Read more »
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Ibrahim Lodi, Lodi Dynasty, Silver 1/2 Tanka
Obverse al-Wathiq ba-la-Mulk al-Multaji Abu al-Fath Ibrahim Shah (Ar.) Reverse ibn Sikandar Shah Lodhi al- Sultan Khalla Mulkhu (Ar.)
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Some Years Travels into Africa and Asia the Great
This is a mid-17th-century travelogue by historian Thomas Herbert, who chronicles his journey to the Middle- East, Asia and Africa with particular emphasis on the empires of Persia and India during the 17th century. Thomas Herbert (1606-1682) was a courtier to Charles I (1600-1649). He travelled to the court of Shah Abbas (1571-1629) of Persia… Read more »