Antique Tanjore Thanjavur India Panel Painting of Ra (03/28/2011)...

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Antique Tanjore Thanjavur India Panel Painting of Rama

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Antique Tanjore Thanjavur India Panel Painting of Rama

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Sold Date: 03/28/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Beautiful Antique Tanjore Thanjavur Painting of the Coronation of Rama - the 7th Incarnation of Vishnu.

This Tanjore painting shows the enthronement of Rama after his exile from Ayodhya - a scene from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Sita is seated to Rama's left and below her the great monkey devotee Hanuman. Various attendants offer worship including monkey chiefs and sages Vashishta, Vamadeva, Jabali, Kasyapa, Katyayana, Suyajna, Guatama and Vijaya.

Rama's brother Lakshmana holds the royal parasol over Rama's head. Satrughna and Vibishana each fan Rama with white horse tail fly whisks.

In the ultramarine blue sky celestials pour down offerings of flowers. This joyous scene in the Ramayana is the beginning of Rama-Rajaya. This is an eleven-thousand year period of glorious just rule where virtue, peace and prosperity flourished throughout Ramas kingdom. The Tanjore-style of painting flourished for 200 years and is indiginous to Tamil Nadu in South India.

This Tanjore painting is quite old and not one of the newer versions which are sold today arising from the popularity of the Tanjore paintings revival in the 1960's. It is quite possible this particular painting is as early as the 18th cent., but I am not an expert on this subject and can only go by my research. The detail of the painting is incredible and the wood plank quite aged. It is 20" tall and 16" wide. The photos show all details very well. The back is signed, which was probably the name of an owner of the painting and not the artist, as they seldom signed these great works of art. The painting is decorated with pearls, glass and semi precious type stones. Some of the jeweled decoration is missing, but not really noticeable. You have to look carefully. There are two spots on the painting that show a bit of damage, where the paint is missing, small area - both shown well in photo #4. Otherwise the main body of the painting is in excellent condition and displays very well. The raised gold gilded areas are in good condition and gold gilding is in tact. The outside edges of the panel paint do show age wear, as well as the edges of the wood plank. I believe this to be quite a rare discovery as these old examples are seldom seen and usually within a museum. I welcome comments or information from others with more knowledge on this subject than myself. I do not think you will be disappointed in this rare find. Below is the history of Tanjore paintings. Please ask if more photos are needed. I have many more. Thanks for looking.

Tanjore painting ( Tamil Language : தஞ்சாவூர் ஓவியம் , Thanjavur Oviyam) is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Thanjavur (anglicized as Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu . The art form dates back to about 1600 AD, a period when Nayakas of Tanjavur encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature both in Telugu and Tamil. Tanjore Paintings are known for their surface richness, vivid colours and compact composition. Essentially serving as devotional icons, the themes of most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses, and saints as well. Episodes from Hindu tradition are drawn upon as elaboration to the main figure / figures placed in the central section of the picture. Tanjore paintings are in fact panel paintings (done on solid wood planks ) and hence were also referred to as 'palagai padam'( palagai - wooden plank ; padam- picture) in local parlance. Thanjavur Paintings are made on canvasses. The CANVAS for a Thanjavur painting is usually a plank of wood (originally wood of the Jackfruit tree was used, now it's plywood) over which a layer of cloth is pasted with arabic gum. The cloth is then evenly coated with a paste of limestone and a binding medium and let to dry. The canvas is now ready for painting. The artist then draws a detailed sketch of the painting on the canvas. A paste, made of limestone and a binding medium, is used to create 3D effect in embellishing and ornamenting the theme using a brush. Gold leaves and gems of varied hues are...