Vrikshachari Pichhwai (Temple Wall Hanging) Vrikshachari Pichhwai (Temple Wall Hanging)
Mid 18th century CE
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS)
Mumbai, India
A stylized Kadamba tree in full bloom is shown in the centre of the pichhwai. The scene symbolically represents the legend of Chiraharana lila when Krishna steals clothes of the bathing gopis and hide amongst the branches of a Kadamba tree. Krishna the Vrikshachari or tree–dweller is not seen here but surely present as gopis have gathered around the tree. They are holding aarti (lamps), vinjhana (fan), chauris (fly-whisks) and morchhals (peacock feather fans). The pichhwai delightfully depicts a variety of flora and fauna. All the trees are in full bloom with various birds on them.
Masulipatanam in Golconda was a famous centre of textile printing from the 17th to the 19th centuries, supplying the western market with huge curtain backdrops and other materials created by a combination of wood block-printing and hand painting. The present piece is an excellent example of Masulipatnam work in textile printing in tinsel.
Tinsel work comprises the use of an adhesive substance which is printed over the textile and subsequently dusted with colouring matter.
A stylized Kadamba tree in full bloom is shown in the centre of the pichhwai. The scene symbolically represents the legend of Chiraharana lila when Krishna steals clothes of the bathing gopis and hide amongst the branches of a Kadamba tree. Krishna the Vrikshachari or tree–dweller is not seen here but surely present as gopis have gathered around the tree. They are holding aarti (lamps), vinjhana (fan), chauris (fly-whisks) and morchhals (peacock feather fans). The pichhwai delightfully depicts a variety of flora and fauna. All the trees are in full bloom with various birds on them.
Masulipatanam in Golconda was a famous centre of textile printing from the 17th to the 19th centuries, supplying the western market with huge curtain backdrops and other materials created by a combination of wood block-printing and hand painting. The present piece is an excellent example of Masulipatnam work in textile printing in tinsel.
Tinsel work comprises the use of an adhesive substance which is printed over the textile and subsequently dusted with colouring matter.
- Title: Vrikshachari Pichhwai (Temple Wall Hanging) Vrikshachari Pichhwai (Temple Wall Hanging)
- Date Created: Mid 18th century CE, Mid 18th century CE
- Location: India, India
- Type: Painting Wall Hanging, Painting Wall Hanging
- Medium: Cotton with block printing and tinsel, Cotton with block printing and tinsel
- Region: Deccan, Deccan
- History of Style of Technique: <i>"I’ve painted my body red, I’ll paint my mind all red Kabir says I’m off to my wedding, I’m marrying the Imperishable One"</i> There is an array of religious textiles with equally varied meanings and usages across different religions in India. These include the temple and domestic shrine decorations, devotional offerings, banners, ritual costumes and narrative scrolls. Large painted textiles have often been used to narrate stories and exploits of deities, saints and heroes to the common folk. One such textile is the Pabuji no Phad (painted scroll of Pabuji) which is used by the Bhopas of Rajasthan to narrate the story of Ramnarayana or Pabuji. In Andhra Pradesh, the kalamkari (painted cloth) is used to narrate the story of gods and goddesses. They are also used to decorate temple walls as well as rathas (temple chariots) at the time of a procession. In Gujarat Mata ni Pachedi (painted and printed cloth depicting the Goddess) is used to create an enclosure for the shrine.
- Accession Number: 63.34, 63.34
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