Handmade in India

BHITTI CHITRA-WALL PAINTING
Production clusters
Bikaner old city:
Matheran Gali
Bhujia Bazaar
Tools
Brushes
Products
Wall painting
1 An intricately painted ceiling;the
bands of floral border painted on
the series of arches separate the
various segments of the
composition.At the far end is a
doorway over which are
positioned Krishna and Radha
flanked by two chieftains.
TRADITIONALLY,the Matheran or Mahatma
commmunity were renowned for their mineral painted
elaborate depictions of religious themes on
painstakingly prepared walls of houses and temples.In
some of the temples thus ornamented,images of the
patrons and their families were also included as were
the names of the painters.The paintings of the
matherans also utilize the embossing techniques of the
Usta;thus gold and silver is occasionally used to
enhance a painting.In order temples such as the
Madan Mohan Mandir,the 200-year-old paintings.
2 Frescoed walls at the Madan Mohan
Mandir depict the many patrons of the
temple;the composition of the first
simulates the manner in which members
of court and the royalty are depicted in
Rajasthani miniatures while that of the
second displays a tangible western
influence in the use of perspective devices
and portrait-like rendering of the patrons`
faces.
reveal the aesthetic sensibilities of this community and the religious
context of their work in spite of layers that were later retouched.Today
the Matherans reside in Jodhpur,Mewar and Godvard(in Pali district)
and are known for their skills painting Gangaur idols.
MINIATURE PAINTING
Production Clusters
Bikaner:
Swamiyon ka
Mohalla
Products
Miniature paintings
Tools
Paintbrushes of :
Squirrel hair
Pigeon feather
Aqiq or agate stone -
burnisher
THE ART OF miniature painting gained popularity in
Bikaner in the 15th Century;a phenomenon ascertained
by the influence of Jainism that time.The miniature
artists,usually of the Usta and Matheran
communities,used to paint both specially treated paper
and the surfaces of walls.Today the artists still
practicing,paint exclusively on paper and are known
for their fine brush-strokes and subtle shading.
A woman worshipping the Shivlinga,which is a carved
black stone symbolic of Lord Shiva.
The practice of using natural pigments makes the preparation
procedure considerably elaborate and time consuming;while older
paintings reveal the use of pure colours,in current practice the
colours are usually mixed in order to tone down their
brilliance.Contemporary miniatures are usually based on themes of
Sufis,saints,ascetics,the daily events of life in the village and that of
the romance of Lord Krishna and Radha.
1 A portrait of a Sufi
saint.
2 A musician dressed in
the traditional
angarkha,the landscape
depicted in the elaborate
frame is rendered in a
combination of the
Mughal style and the
indigenous miniature
tradition.