Miniature art
Miniature art includes paintings, engravings and sculptures that are very small; it has a long history that dates back to prehistory. The portrait miniature is the most common form in recent centuries, and from ancient times, engraved gems, often used as impression seals, and cylinder seals in various materials were very important. For example, most surviving examples of figurative art from the Indus Valley civilization and in Minoan art are very small seals. Gothic boxwood miniatures are very small carvings in wood, used for rosary beads and the like. Western paintings in illuminated manuscripts are known as miniatures, even if not very small - this sense of the word in fact has a different derivation, from a Latin word for a reddish pigment. Miniature art has been made for over 2500 years and is prized by collectors. Museums around the world have collections of miniature paintings, drawings, original prints and etchings, and sculpture. Miniature art societies, such as the World Federation of Miniaturists (WFM) and Royal Miniature Society, provide applicable of the maximum size covered by the term. An often-used definition is that a piece of miniature art can be held in the palm of the hand, or that it covers less than 25 square inches or 100 cm². Some exhibits require the subjects to be depicted in 1/6 actual size, and in all paintings the spirit of miniaturisation should be maintained. Miniature Art Societies hold annual shows around the world. The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC, is the oldest miniature art society in the USA. The Miniature Art Society of Florida is possibly one of the largest miniature art shows in the USA. Galleries such as Seaside Art Gallery, The Snowgoose Gallery, and the Ciders Painters of America also hold annual exhibitions where visitors are invited to view the paintings and sculptures under magnifying lenses. Artists known for working in miniature include: Reza Abbasi (Iran) Bashir Ahmed (Pakistan) Andreas Alariesto (Finland) Nikolai Aldunin (Russia) Chrysoula Argyros (South Africa) Neşe Aybey (Turkey) Christian Backer-Owe (Norway) Hans Bol (the Netherlands) Dina Brodsky (US) Moshe Bromberg (Poland) Abdullah Buhari (Turkey) Edward Burch (UK) Louie Burrell (UK) Anna Maria Carew (UK) Joan Carlile (UK) Nihâl Chand (India) Penelope Cleyn (UK) Nusret Çolpan (Turkey) Richard Cosway (UK) Suzanne Crowley (US) Jacques Daliwe (France) Kurchi Dasgupta (India) Saryu Doshi (India) Miss Archibald Ramsay Douglas (UK) Amy Drucker (UK) Mahmoud Farshchian (Iran) Sarah C. Frothingham (US) Fernando García del Molino (Argentina) Aman Singh Gulati (India) Mabel Lee Hankey (UK) Solomon Hart (UK) Joris Hoefnagel (the Netherlands) Gulshan Hossain (Bangladesh) Margaret Hicks (US) Jonty Hurwitz (UK, South Africa)[2] Anatoly Konenko (Russia) Abdulcelil Levni (Turkey) Karen Latham (US) Ludwik Marteau (Poland) Gábor Melegh (Austria) Willard M. Mitchell (Canada) Dust Muhammad (Safavid Era) Mir Musavvir (Safavid Era) Matrakçı Nasuh (Turkey) Nakkaş Osman (Turkey) Peter Paillou (UK) Mallikarjuna Reddy (India) Mir Sayyid Ali (Afghanistan) Gopal Prasad Sharma (India) Elisabeth Barbara Schmetterling (the Netherlands) Hagop Sandaldjian (Egypt) Varunika Saraf (India) Henry Saxon (UK) Suvigya Sharma (India) Graham Short (UK) Kostandin Shpataraku (Albania) Nakkaş Sinan Bey (Turkey) Pyotr Sokolov (Russia) Gunasekaran Sundarraj (India) Magda Szabo (Canada) Waleria Tarnowska (Poland) Sumaira Tazeen (Pakistan) Mohamed Temam (Algeria) Élisabeth Terroux (Switzerland) John Thirtle (UK) Henry Tanworth Wells (UK) Willard Wigan (UK) Members of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers II In India, painting, one of the significant branches of chitra, has a divine origin. It is said to have emerged as a spontaneous act by Vishnu, who unconsciously sketched a portrait of Urvashi on his thigh, enthralled by the ravishing beauty of the apsara. It was then passed on to Viswakarma, who taught the art of painting to the rest of mankind as per Vishnu's wishes. Chitra has several connotations, and forms an important part of the various Shilpa and the Agamas text. The earliest paintings, as per anthropological evidences have been found in the rock-cut shelters such as in Bhim-Betaka in Bhopal. Seven distinct phases of rock art have been discovered here, with the earliest dating back to *10,000 B.C.* Indus pottery defines the next stage of painting where the surfaces of earthen pots became the artist's canvas, these paintings were characterised by geometrical patterns, bright colours, floral themes, etc The two epics Ramayana and Mahabharata provide depict several of the characters engaged in art activities. For instance, in Ayodhya, there was a permanent space designated as chitra-vithi, which was supervised by Lakshmana, the brother of Ram. In Bhagavata Purana, Banasura's daughter, Usha has a friend, Chitralekha, who is a skilled painter who painted Aniruddha, Krishna's grandson, after hearing about Usha's dream about him. The most glorious phase of Indian art spanned from the 4th-7th Centuries as seen in the delicate and exquisite murals at Ajanta Ellora caves, temples, monasteries, etc. Evolution of Miniature Paintings This form of painting, in the Indian subcontinent, emerged during the 10th Century. The earliest known example is the 999 A.D.-illustrated Buddhist text Prajnaparamita, produced on a palm leaf. There are also the Kalpasutra folios which have been discovered during the 10th-14th centuries. The Kalpasutra tradition seems to have continued till 16th Century. These votive portable paintings earned the patronage of travelers, devotees and traders. The Mandu Kalpasutra, for instance, dated 1439 A.D., was rendered for Mandu, a Jain monk. The introduction of paper replaced the palm-leaf and revolutionised the art-scenario post-14th Century. Moreover, new mineral colours and pigments too were introduced in addition to the prior colours. Paper was tougher, smoother, and had a better colour-absorbing surface. Meanwhile, the Bhakti movement increased the demand for votive representations, while simultaneously rulers too began patronising painters to have their artistic styles preserved and reflected on the canvas. Against this scenario, the production of miniatures became profit-oriented, and artists began to carve their own distinctions while competing with others. This also gave birth to various art schools, marking a shift from the religious to secular themes, and feudal lords replaced the traders as patrons. The major chunk of miniatures, and consequent medieval art forms, evolved from the 15th to the 19th century. Essence of Indian Miniatures The Indian miniatures are characterised by a direct expressive quality, and remarkable transparency where lines, colours, forms, etc., synthesize to expose all that is depicted in the canvas. Nothing is concealed and it is this frankness that potentially moves the viewers, emotionally, and generates a transcendental delight in them. Several Indian texts ranging from the Buddhist Jatakas, Jain Kalpasutras, the two Hindu epics, Bhagavata-Purana, Kalidasa's Shakuntala, Rasamanjari, Gita-Govinda by Jayadeva, Rasikapriya, Bihari-Satsai, and Janamsakhi are frequently portrayed in these miniatures. Persian texts like Shahnama, Tutinama, Hamzanama, Mughal memoirs like Baburnama, Akbarnama, etc., folk legends like Bazbahadur-Roopmati, Dhola-Maru, Laila-Majnun, Nala-Damayanti, Panchatantra, etc., are also the staple content of Indian miniatures. Abstract emotions of love, pain and grief; beauty and nature; the Ragamalas, Baramasa, Tantra; history of court and village lives, various festivals and scenes of pleasure too are found in these paintings. Calligraphy played a significant role from the Buddhist and Jain depictions in the medieval age; while portraiture was encouraged by Akbar though only of male royal personages, while Jahangir allowed portraits of royal females such as Nur Jahan. Nature played a very important role in these paintings, and despite the minute space, the expansive detailing seemed to seamlessly unite the world of nature and man on the canvas space. Decorated borders, intricate lines, balanced and perfectly executed compositions, unique shades and colour palettes, scenic depictions, and thematic portrayals depart a mysticism and emotive appeal that characterises the essence of Indian miniatures. Schools and Art Styles The Pala and Jain schools comprise the early miniature styles, while the later schools comprise the Rajasthani, Mughal, Pahari, and Deccan schools. Malwa, Raghogarh, and Orchha-Datia, often grouped under the Rajasthani school, form separate schools of Central India. Depending on stylistic variations, the Mughal miniatures can be further classified into the early, later and provincial Mughal schools, with the last referring to the art styles that emerged in the subas. On the other hand, Kangra, Basohli, Garhwal, etc., form different sub-schools of the Pahari miniature style. The paintings of the Pala school were produced in Bengal and the surrounding areas, and depict narratives, events, and tales from the life of Buddha. These paintings, composed on palm-leaf manuscripts, were created during the 8th-11th Century, under the patronage of Pala rulers. The Jain-Kalpasutra paintings depict the life of the Thirthankara Mahavira and Parashvanath. These paintings of the Jain school are made on palm-leaf or on cloth, and are characterised by short-statured men with deep protruding eyes, angular facial features, pointed noses, bright ornaments, and costumes, painted in gold, warm colours with active lines, connoting a distinct rhythm and vitality of movement. The principal centres of Rajasthani miniatures included Mewar, Bundi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Jaipur, over fifteen smaller states, and thikanas. The Rajasthani miniatures are exceptionally expressive, characterised by primitive vigour, and exude the rich fragrant essence of the soil and the land. Serialised illustrations of texts and legends, depictions of Durbar scenes, festivals, processions, huntings, and harem life, have precedence over portraiture. The image of Krishna-Radha gave the Rajasthani painters an eternal source of sensuous delight, an ideal of the shringara rasa, and a way to transcend beyond the material into the spiritual. Mewar paintings developed a sensitive portrayal of Hindu myths and legends. Sahibdin, a Muslim artist, interestingly pioneered the Mewar idiom. Nathdwara became an important centre of Mewar art. This was the result of the establishment of the Shreenathji shrine here. Soon, the image of Shreenath became a dominant theme in these paintings. The Kotah paintings excelled in the depictions of hunting scenes, realistic portrayals of nature, and human figures. The Bundi miniatures too are superbly composed and reflect both secular as well as religious themes. The Bikaner miniatures are characterised by their affinity to the Mughal style, their portrayals of the Durbar scenes, delicate female forms and robust male figures. Art from Jodhpur, also known as the Marwar style, is defined by large thick eyes on well-defined physical features. The Kishangarh artists championed the Bani-Thani figures, that is the perfect model of womanhood, and were inspired by Raja Sawant Singh. A unique lyricism, elegance and rhythm characterise these masterpieces. The Jaipur style is distinguished by the presence of tall figures, with delicate eyes, ornate background, embellished costumes, etc., achieved by the amalgamation of Mughal and Rajasthani styles. The Malwa miniatures are beautifully composed and emotionally charged, while the Orchha-Datia styles (also, known as the Bundelkhand school) are dominated by episodes from the Ramayana, Bhagavata-Purana, folk narratives, and blue-black shades. The Mughal art style was born in the hands of Akbar, whose liberalism led to the unification of Hindu and Islamic elements of art. His court saw the translations of Persian and Sanskrit texts, and illustrations of the same were carried on simultaneously. Miniatures produced during Jahangir's time testify to his sensitive eye for beauty. The paintings have a poetic fervour, neat lines, life-like portrayals of birds, and animals, etc. The influence of European styles too are visible in the paintings of this time owing to Jahangir's interactions with the Europeans. Portraiture and random depictions gained immense popularity during Shah Jahan's time. Serialisation of romances like Dara Sikhoh and Ranadil were significant in the miniatures of this period. Shah Jahan was a man of romantic and poetic fervour, and the paintings produced under his patronage show a delicate and typical softness. The Mughal miniature artists shifted to the subas with the ascendance of Aurangzeb, under whose rigid rule patronage was suspended, and all art was abhorred. The paintings which developed in the subas were referred to as the Provincial Mughal Miniatures. In Deccan, a fresh art style had started to develop, after areas of Deccan were conquered by Islamic rulers who brought them with their art styles, that mingled with the indigenous art forms alongside the influences from Persia and Turkey. Some of the distinct markers of this school are the exceptional synthesis of colour palette, the comely human figures, rich decorations, and indigenous ornamental patterns, etc. The Pahari miniature style developed at various centres spread across the lower Himalayan regions and Punjab hills. The major centres were Basohli, Guler, Chamba, Mandi, and Kangra, while the minor ones included those at Jammu, Bilaspur, Garhwal and Punjab. Pahari paintings derive their timelessness and emotive quality from the compositional details, rich symbolism, sensitive portrayals of humans, and natural landscapes. They have an unmatched serenity, and picturesque quality. The Basohli style is marked by the indiscriminate use of the lotus symbol, and human figures with large eyes, and broad foreheads. Royal portraits of the Chamba sub-school are well known. It is also noted for its unique technique of mixing colours, and representation of womenfolk. Guler style is defined by rounded faces, refined lines, and a sensitive depiction of nature. Kangra paintings represent the pinnacle of Pahari miniatures, and Himalayan art, characterised by mature technical finesse, and portraitural quality that imparts an almost pulsating softness of music, emotions, and colours. The Radha-Krishna legend forms the primary theme of the Kangra school. III Master artisan and National awardee T.K. Bharani seems to bring to life the poetic imagery of ‘seeing the world in a grain of sand’ in his micro-mini carving and sculpting on single grains of rice and on a sandalwood canvas sized 1 mm. On sandalwood frames less than 6”, unfold images and stories of gods and goddesses. Think of a sculpted Parvati sandalwood mandap, hung with mini thombais, just one and a half inches high, on a half-inch sandalwood space, or a 2” Siva-Parvati seated on a beautifully engraved mandapam bordered with elephants, hamsas and apsaras. A 6” Vishnu dances in yogic abandon, while Ganesha in a floral dhoti sits majestically in a rath driven by four thumbnail-sized mushikas. From Ganesha’s knotted sacred thread to the bemused expressions of the mushikas to the tiny half-mm lotuses, Bharani’s pieces are mesmerising. IV Kōlam festivals are one of the few remaining opportunities to showcase this slowly fading tradition. Paddy Photography/Getty Images <https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mylapore-kolam-festival-high-res-stock-photography/558484465> Taking a clump of rice flour in a bowl (or a coconut shell), the kōlam artist steps onto her freshly washed canvas: the ground at the entrance of her house, or any patch of floor marking an entrypoint. Working swiftly, she takes pinches of rice flour and draws geometric patterns: curved lines, labyrinthine loops around red or white dots, hexagonal fractals, or floral patterns resembling the lotus, a symbol of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, for whom the kōlam is drawn as a prayer in illustration. The making of the kōlam itself is a performance of supplication. The artist folds her body in half, bending at the waist, stooping to the ground as she fills out her patterns. Many kōlam artists see the kōlam as an offering to the earth goddess, Bhūdevi, as well. But the kōlam is not just a prayer; it is also a metaphor for coexistence with nature. In her 2018 book, *feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual and Ecology in India, an Exploration of the Kōlam, *Vijaya Nagarajan, a professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Francisco, refers to the belief in Hindu mythology that Hindus have a “karmic obligation” to “feed a thousand souls,” or offer food to those that live among us. By providing a meal of rice flour to bugs, ants, birds, and insects, she writes, the Hindu householder begins the day with “a ritual of generosity,” with a dual offering to divinity and to nature. [image: Colorful kōlams, such as this one by Godavari Krishnamurthy, are drawn during festivals.]Colorful kōlamsThe word kōlam means beauty. What it also embodies is a perfect symmetry of straight or curved lines built around or through a grid of dots. Nearly always, the grid of dots comes first, requiring spatial precision to achieve symmetry. The dot in Hindu philosophy represents the point at which creation begins—it is a symbol of the cosmos. No tools other than the maker’s deft fingers, and the rice flour, are used. Sometimes the designs are one continuous line that loops over itself, snaking to infinity. Intersecting into infinite figure eights, in a style known as *pulli* kōlam, the kōlam is also believed to be a representation of infinity, of the infinite cycle of birth and rebirth that forms a foundational concept in Hindu mythology. Mathematicians and computer scientists have keenly studied the kōlam. The kōlam is “an unusual example of the expression of mathematical ideas in a cultural setting,” writes Marcia Ascher <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27857597?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents>, a professor emerita of Mathematics at Ithaca College. Citing her ethnomathematical research <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nIMa7Fq0eo> (a field of study combining anthropology and mathematics), Nagarajan adds that “The kōlam is one of the few embedded indigenous traditions that have contributed to the western mathematical tadition.” While the kōlam-makers themselves may not be thinking in terms of mathematical theorems, many kōlam designs have a recursive nature—they start out small, but can be built out by continuing to enlarge the same subpattern, creating a complex overall design. This has fascinated mathematicians, because the patterns elucidate fundamental mathematical principles. Nagarajan writes about how the symmetry of kōlam art, such as the recurring fractals in the design, have been likened to mathematical models such as the Sierpinski triangle <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierpi%C5%84ski_triangle>, a fractal of recursive equilateral triangles. Women have been teaching each other these traditional designs for centuries. McKay Savage/CC BY 2.0 <https://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/2278407131/in/photolist-4tkr4z-5gAe6B-5gAe6P-GM3iYd-98yttJ-ds3Mhi-GVjjhH-4MCT8D-6u1Cq2-9af38Z-6WW9dq-975Bgg-9PY739-n3HXiX-9GfQeb-9mJCzR-bA4oo5-9ZGghv-8R69MT-6HwaBm-2b15zB2-n3KFNW-9PoyUg-79Ud1X-jJQUcu-5gAnpg-ns28FB-5aW843-5gEzNs-2b15A7R-5gAe6R-dsDGUu-4bAb1u-qjav68-pCfUn6-pnyxXX-qj9R3V-cqHy8-frNcY-5gEzPh-6HPu99-5J1kJm-7qFvH6-8Sy4GM-9B4ZAg-q2WqYZ-bVFDn-pnymoV-55yiBJ-7ZmsWL> Computer scientists have also used kōlams to teach computers language fundamentals. Kōlam designs can be studied as a picture language. Quoting Ascher, Nagarajan notes that “akin to natural languages and computer languages, picture languages <https://www.jstor.org/stable/27857597?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents> are made up of restricted sets of basic units and specific, formal rules for putting the units together.” Teaching the computer to draw kōlams gave computer scientists insight into how picture languages function, which they then used to create new languages. “It’s actually helping computer scientists understand something elemental about their own work,” said Nagarajan, in a presentation on the geometry of kōlam <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nIMa7Fq0eo>. Despite the deep mathematical principles exhibited in kōlam designs, practitioners describe the process as intuitive and enjoyable. “It’s easy, especially once you start with a proper grid of dots,” says Godavari Krishnamurthy, who lives in Chennai and has been making kōlams for more than half a century. Krishnamurthy speaks to me over the phone as her daughter-in-law, Kaveri Purandhar, who lives in Ahmedabad, translates. Today, the tradition of making kōlam is wrestling with time, short attention spans, and porch-less apartment living. It is grappling with changing affiliations to divinity, and changing displays of community among women. Kōlam competitions during festivals are now one of the few opportunities to showcase this artistic ritual. Although fewer Tamils are making the kōlam today, the competitions allow for more inclusivity, welcoming all who are interested to participate in this traditionally Hindu ritual. [image: The placement of the dots determines the perfect symmetry of the kōlam.]The placement of the dots determines the perfect symmetry of the kōlam During the festival month of Margazhi on the Tamil calendar, which falls between December and January, Krishnamurthy takes to the street in front of her Chennai home, drawing elaborate kōlams on the main thoroughfare, defiantly taking up the road and stooping low for hours. There is almost an urgency to her work, her need to preserve a disappearing tradition, even as passing cars cover her in the dust of a city pulsating with modernity, with little space for such painstaking, back-breaking pursuits. “It’s a great exercise in concentration,” she says, via Purandhar, “and good for health and for nurturing one’s creativity.” Krishnamurthy learned from her mother, and mothers have been teaching daughters for centuries. “The kōlam is a powerful vehicle for Tamil women’s self-expression, a central metaphor and symbol for creativity,” writes Nagarajan. “It evokes an entire way of being in the world; it articulates desires, concerns, sensibilities, and suffering, and ultimately it affirms the power of women’s blessings to create a desired reality: a healthy, happy household.” Although some men make kōlams, it is historically the domain of women. Krishnamurthy’s immediate family offers wholehearted support, but little inclination to participate. She gives copies of her designs to anyone who shows interest. Little design books for kōlam have been around since at least 1884, writes Nagarajan. Skilled kōlam makers will maintain a ledger of their own designs that becomes a family heirloom. [image: Kōlam designs reflect mathematical principles, such as fractals.]Kōlam designs reflect mathematical principles, such as fractals. Kōlam is meant to be ephemeral: the rice flour pattern gradually fades as day turns to dusk, trodden upon by visitors, family members, the odd bicycle, mailman, or stray animals. Holes appear in the design from tiny ants or nibbling bugs. But as the ritual of making kōlam itself is fading away, perhaps as a counter to this loss, more and more kōlam makers are turning to powders and acrylic paints that will hold the design for longer. The traditional kōlam continues to be made with rice flour and *kavi*, red ochre considered sacred. This is the kōlam drawn within the temple *sanctum sanctorum*, for the eyes of the gods, says Purandhar. But the elaborate kōlam displays entered in competitions and drawn on the streets of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival use a variety of colored powders, to the consternation of traditionalists who rue that kōlam is becoming more like the *rangoli* of North India—similar floor art made with colored rice flour, stone powders, or flower petals that follows a different set of design principles. V Micro-calligraphy and painting on rice grain(s) is an old Indian tradition that predates Turkey. Rice was seen as a symbol of prosperity, abundance and good fortune, and for this reason, it is often thrown at weddings and presented as a gift during sacred ceremonies. It was once thought that having a lot of rice meant you were wealthy since you could feed your family. As a result, rice has a higher value than gold in those days. Rice writing and art grew over time, leading to the creation of rice jewelry, in which the rice grain is contained in a vial with a liquid/oil that amplifies the individual grain, allowing the meticulous and exquisite features to be appreciated. Rice jewelry, such as good luck pendants, charm bracelets, anklets, and earrings, took this a step further. Most of these artisans and painters now have street-side stalls where they may write on rice, messages or names while showing their wares and hard work. The following tools are used by the majority of modern-day rice engravers: Long-grain white rice: This rice is shaped like a flat cylinder. Because it is flat, it provides two large writing surfaces. Sharp utility knife: This is used to lightly scrape the rice to remove ridges and give a smooth writing surface. This scraping technique can also be used to correct small errors. Clay: Some people use a lump of modelling clay, while others use utilitarian gripper clay. The clay is used to keep the rice in place when the writing is done. Technical pen: This is a technical pen with an ultra-fine tip for drawing. The majority of the pens are either.18 (4×0) or.13 (3×3) in size (6×0). These can be bought in several arts and crafts stores as well as on the internet. Waterproof Ink: This technique requires waterproof ink, which is sold alongside the pen required for this procedure. Brush writing on rice is likewise a rare but verified art form. ‘ After using these tools, the rice writing is normally preserved in a little vial of oil once it is finished. Many jewellers use these vials in necklaces, bracelets, and key chains. The World Record for Engraving & Writing on Rice Grain In Jaipur: The Guinness World Record for writing 1,749 characters on a single grain is held by Surendra Kumar Apharya of Jaipur. In addition, he holds the world record for writing 249 characters on a single strand of human hair. Apharya learned yoga to achieve this type of precision writing, and he can even hold his breath for two minutes. Certainly, a proud moment for all Indians. Miniature Rice writing is preserved as an ancient Rajasthani art form where holy sayings were written on rice and gifted to nobles. Today, it is people like Surendra Kumar Apharya who are keeping this age-old art form alive. K RAJARAM IRS 111024 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZooFdBuyb6sdXU7j4eoC7D4GVuPCFR94poiDtPwDVpZy_g%40mail.gmail.com.
