Tantra painting on palm leaf odisha artwork

About this item
Pattachitra Art On Palm Leaves From Odisha
Old Antique collectibles pattachitra leaf painting —

Tala-Pattachitra (Tala – palm, pattra – leaf, chitra – illustration) is one of the most ancient art forms of Odisha as well as India. It is believed that it originated from times when written communications began (5th century B.C.) and has become a very delicate art in itself. The theme of Patta Chitra is mostly mythological and religious.

PROCEDURE:

DRYING OF THE PALM LEAVES

First palm leaves are cut into different sizes according to the artist’s need (for a bigger painting, the leaves are sewn together). Then the leaves are semi-dried and put in swamps for almost a week.
Then the leaves are treated with a solution of turmeric for the longevity of the painting.
Finally they are dried in shade for 1-2 weeks and then are ready for carving and painting.
ETCHING ON THE PALM LEAVES
The painting on the leaves is a very unique process because the artists cannot directly paint on these using colour. Instead, they use an iron stylus with extreme care, to etch the drawing on the leaves. After the drawing is inscribed, they rub lamp black over it and clean, giving fine black color to the carvings. The rest of the surface gets cleaned.

THEME OF THIS PIECE : Tantra paintings

Size: 10 x 10 inches