Fantastic Beasts – Second Edition
For our 40th issue of Spotlight, we’re revisiting a theme we first explored back in 2019: the magnificent beasts who have charmed us with their form and spirit over the ages.
Animals
The Emperor & The Hawk
Cleverly hidden in the design of a silver coin is the story of Mughal emperor Jahangir’s lifelong fascination with birds of prey
Sarmaya x Sanctuary Asia Kids for Tigers
On 19 July 2024, Sarmaya organised a puppet-making workshop for the Kids for Tigers event by Sanctuary Asia at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. This was our second collaboration with the conservation organisation. Over 60 students from various schools across the city participated in the workshop, which was inspired by… Read more »
A Lion Hunt
This is a brush drawing from the 18th century depicting a lion hunt and is attributed to the Mughal style. As symbols of imperial wealth and power, the Mughal painting tradition frequently depicted elephants and lions as subjects, especially in hunting scenes. This visual documentation suggests that artists from the Mughal ateliers accompanied the Emperor… Read more »
Elephant Rattle
This elephant rattle is made from bamboo and was used at the Mysore Khedda (Elephant Stockade). These devices, used as elephant rattles, are traditional percussion instruments known as bamboo clappers. Bamboo clappers are common across India and are known by different names. They are made from a thick piece of bamboo, which is split halfway… Read more »
Animal coindom: The symbolism of numismatic flora and fauna
Let’s look into the legends of three animals frequently found on old Indian coins.
Life on the Deccan Plateau – From dinosaurs to diamonds
Like its culture, the geology of the Deccan too is incredibly diverse and supports a dazzling variety of life
Manuscript of Shalihotra Samhita, Jodhpur
Shalihotra was a 3rd Century BC expert on animal rearing and healthcare. The veterinary treatise (Samhita) that he composed consists of 12,000 verses, and has been translated into Persian, Arabic, Tibetan, and English. This copy of Shalihotra Samhita dates from the late 18th century. It contains 160 illustrations of elephants and horses, illnesses and conditions… Read more »
Shalihotra Samhita by Ancient India’s Dr Dolittle
A 3rd Century BCE manuscript from our rare books collection holds the key to raising happy horses and elephants
Magnificent Beasts and Where to Find them: At the Bombay Horse and Cattle Show, 1890
Welcome to the social event of the year, featuring camels, buffaloes, bulls and other gorgeous Indian specimen
Wild World: Animals in Contemporary Indian Art
Spirituality, sensuality and everything in between—what animals represent in a select few of Sarmaya’s contemporary art works
March of the Mammoth, the Indian elephant’s story
No animal looms as large over the art, architecture, iconography, folklore and literature of the Indian subcontinent as Elephas maximus
Mithila: The Procession
The Mithila or Madhubani painting tradition originated in Bihar, and is claimed to be around 1200 years old. It is primarily practiced by women, who used to create these works on the walls of their house interiors. It was only by chance in 1934, when a massive earthquake destroyed of the artists’ mud homes, that… Read more »
Gond: Deer with Foxes
This is a Gond painting created in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh by Durga Bai in her signature style of small dashes, which replace continuous lines. It depicts two symmetrically placed deers, facing against each other and looking at a smaller animal, which look like blue foxes, on their backs. The stags have horns… Read more »
Gond: Dancing Elephants
This image is created by Durga Bai shows three figures who look like Ganesha dancing with two elephants. The painting is monochromatic, and the artist has experimented with the execution style including a wavy pattern, apart from the traditional dashes and the dots. One of the three Ganeshas stands atop the composite trunk of two… Read more »
Mithila: Lion and Cub
The Mithila or Madhubani painting tradition originated in Bihar and is claimed to be around 1200 years old. It is primarily practiced by women, who used to create these works on the walls of their house interiors. Only a chance occasion n 1934 – a massive earthquake that led to the destruction of the mud… Read more »
Unicorn on a Wall and Houses
This watercolour work by artist Badri Narayan (1929-2013) depicts a cluster of houses with a white unicorn in the foreground. Badri Narayan was entirely self-taught and his art betrays a deeply introspective gaze. All of his work was in some way or the other an exploration of the self. He was inspired by various movements… Read more »
Red Horse Galloping
A self-taught artist, born in the small town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, MF Husain has had an extraordinary career. It began with painting cinema posters and toys in Bombay and only really took off after he became a member of the PAG. His primary pictorial concern was to imagine a secular modern Indian art, to… Read more »
The Cross
In this painting, the artist depicts Jesus crucified in a traditional folkish set-up. Two goats look up at the cross, while architectural elements of what look like churches already seem to emerge in the backdrop. Madhvi Parekh got much of her exposure to art from her husband Manu Parekh who studied at the J.J. School… Read more »
Chera, Copper, Un-inscribed
The Chera dynasty ruled in southern India during the Sangam age between 3rd Century BC and 9th Century AD. During this time, the biggest empires in the region were the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas. The Cheras, who controlled the west Malabar coast, were the first powerful dynasty from Kerala and hence given the moniker Keralaputras,… Read more »