Pichwai for Gopashtami

A lace-net pichwai for Gopashtami, the festival that marks the elevation of Krishna from a young herder of calves to a full cowherd. This pichwai made on a curtain lace machine, features a central large rectangular panel with Krishna playing the flute to a group of ten appreciative cows at the centre, flanked by two small pavilions each containing a pair of seated figures – all beneath the shelter of a large tree filled with pairs of devotees, with an apsara at each top corner. The lower register of the scene comprises a lotus blossom and fish filled pond. The panel is surrounded by two concentric borders of repeated motifs: an inner one of cows and an outer band of peacocks amid a meandering vine. The pichwai is set against a dark red ground for support and effect.

Lace-net Pichwais were made in Europe and popular among the merchant families belonging to Pushti Marg sect.