CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Subject: Painted Pot. This is a papier-mâché pot on which the dashavatara, or the ten primary incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu have been painted - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Jagannatha and Kalki. Papier-mâché is a French word for chewed paper. This craft was probably introduced during the Mughal reign. The surface of papier-mâché produces an ideal ground for painting, which is probably the reason the craft became popular in Odisha with its traditional pattachitra painters. This art in Odisha uses a fusion of paper, cloth rags and straw. It is pulped by hand after softening with water. Additives like multani mitti are added to the pulp as an adhesive and for providing a textured finish.

Subject: Painted Pot. This is a papier-mâché pot on which the dashavatara, or the ten primary incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu have been painted - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Jagannatha and Kalki. Papier-mâché is a French word for chewed paper. This craft was probably introduced during the Mughal reign. The surface of papier-mâché produces an ideal ground for painting, which is probably the reason the craft became popular in Odisha with its traditional pattachitra painters. This art in Odisha uses a fusion of paper, cloth rags and straw. It is pulped by hand after softening with water. Additives like multani mitti are added to the pulp as an adhesive and for providing a textured finish.

Subject: Painted Pot. This is a papier-mâché pot on which the dashavatara, or the ten primary incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu have been painted - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Jagannatha and Kalki. Papier-mâché is a French word for chewed paper. This craft was probably introduced during the Mughal reign. The surface of papier-mâché produces an ideal ground for painting, which is probably the reason the craft became popular in Odisha with its traditional pattachitra painters. This art in Odisha uses a fusion of paper, cloth rags and straw. It is pulped by hand after softening with water. Additives like multani mitti are added to the pulp as an adhesive and for providing a textured finish.

Subject: Votive Horse. The offering of votive horses and elephants to the village deities is a common phenomenon of rural Odisha. Such sculptures are made as offerings to a deity and left untended where they are placed, under a tree, near a pond or river, or in a grove. They accumulate, they decompose, and others take their place. The seven pieces of the horse are made separately on the wheel and then joined together adding the molded ears and tail.

Subject: Votive Horse. The offering of votive horses and elephants to the village deities is a common phenomenon of rural Odisha. Such sculptures are made as offerings to a deity and left untended where they are placed, under a tree, near a pond or river, or in a grove. They accumulate, they decompose, and others take their place. The seven pieces of the horse are made separately on the wheel and then joined together adding the molded ears and tail.

Subject: Votive Horse. The offering of votive horses and elephants to the village deities is a common phenomenon of rural Odisha. Such sculptures are made as offerings to a deity and left untended where they are placed, under a tree, near a pond or river, or in a grove. They accumulate, they decompose, and others take their place. The seven pieces of the horse are made separately on the wheel and then joined together adding the molded ears and tail.

Subject: Votive Horse. The offering of votive horses and elephants to the village deities is a common phenomenon of rural Odisha. Such sculptures are made as offerings to a deity and left untended where they are placed, under a tree, near a pond or river, or in a grove. They accumulate, they decompose, and others take their place. The seven pieces of the horse are made separately on the wheel and then joined together adding the molded ears and tail.

Subject: Dolls. Lac comes from an insect’s resinous secretion. Terracotta and wooden items are coated with lacquer to produce utility or decorative items. A pair comprising of male and female dolls known as joukandhei is a part of the tribal ritual of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha but now most such dolls continue on their traditional form and are used for decorative purposes rather than the original purpose for which they were meant.

Subject: Dolls. Lac comes from an insect’s resinous secretion. Terracotta and wooden items are coated with lacquer to produce utility or decorative items. A pair comprising of male and female dolls known as joukandhei is a part of the tribal ritual of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha but now most such dolls continue on their traditional form and are used for decorative purposes rather than the original purpose for which they were meant.

Subject: Dolls. Lac comes from an insect’s resinous secretion. Terracotta and wooden items are coated with lacquer to produce utility or decorative items. A pair comprising of male and female dolls known as joukandhei is a part of the tribal ritual of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha but now most such dolls continue on their traditional form and are used for decorative purposes rather than the original purpose for which they were meant.

Subject: Fragments of shell bangles

Subject: Dowry Box. Pedis, or dowry boxes are created by chitrakaras and are used to store items of dowries. These are wooden boxes often made of gambhari wood which are covered with cloth canvas and painted over. The boxes may be decorated with scenes from the life of Krishna or they may be decorated with images of musicians and dancers, animals, plants, or other designs. This side shows the scene when Rama and Lakshmana chanced upon a dying Jatayu during the search for Sita. Jatayu was a demi-god in the form of vulture in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Subject: Simha Gaja. This is a simha (lion) trampling a gaja (elephant) carved in wood. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Simha Gaja. This is a simha (lion) trampling a gaja (elephant) carved in wood. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Elephant. This is a painted wooden elephant. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Elephant. This is a painted wooden elephant. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Stucco head

Subject: Stucco head

Subject: Stucco head

Subject: Horse. This is painted wooden horse. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Sepoy with Spear. This figure shows a sepoy with a spear. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Man on Chariot and Tiger. This figure carved in wood shows a man on a chariot and a tiger in front. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Man on Chariot and Tiger. This figure carved in wood shows a man on a chariot and a tiger in front. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.

Subject: Man on Chariot and Tiger. This figure carved in wood shows a man on a chariot and a tiger in front. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used.