Lot 363
India, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. This is a colorful narrative scroll painted in bright reds, blues, yellows, greens, and oranges, with white and black details. The scroll is composed of over a dozen panels, each telling a portion of a story in delightful detail. This style of scroll painting originated in the 15th century CE and is known by the name of the town it originated in, Cheriyal, located near Hyderabad in Telangana state in south central India. Scroll painting has been described as one of the earliest forms of audio-visual entertainment -- storytellers would travel throughout the villages of Telangana, singing stories and narrating them with these bright scrolls. The visuals tell stories not just about the gods or from famous myths, but also about the lives of ordinary farmers, vendors, or children. The story in this scroll seems to center around the interactions of a variety of colorfully dressed humans with Vishnu, the blue-skinned, four-armed, deity who is central to Hinduism. The scrolls are drawn on handmade cloth called "khadi" which is specially processed by applying a paste of tamarind seeds, tree gum, and white clay. The paste is applied three times and then the outline of the story is drawn on using a squirrel-haired brush. The backgrounds are always red; blue skin always signifies a god. When this piece was made, the watercolor style paint was created from natural dyes, such as white obtained from ground sea shells and black from lamp soot (today, commercial watercolors are often used). This colorful scroll will transform a wall in any home or office! Size: 123" L x 17" W (312.4 cm x 43.2 cm).
Provenance: Ex-Sarkisian Estate, Denver CO.
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#111110
- Condition: Slight wear to paint and edges, but colors are very bright and artwork is all clear. Some of the pigment has stained the back of the scroll but it does not impact the display of the artwork.
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