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A Large Vintage Cotton Kalamkari Pen Painting from Panagal in Srikalahasti
Signed C N Raja
Completely freehand drawing using a bamboo kalam (pen) and the traditional 23-step process and natural ingredients (like milk, rust, and pomegranate) to produce the colours.
Depicting scenes from the Mahabharata
Central Scene depicts Lord Krishna as the divine charioteer.
The dense narrative formatting, multi-tiered panels, and custom Telugu script borders indicate it was commissioned for a specific temple backdrop or an elite home, rather than tourist trade.
"All India Handicrafts Board stepped in during the 1950s and established a dedicated production-cum-training center at Panagal. This center became the foundational hub for training subsequent generations of artisans in the precise, 23-step freehand pen-painting technique (Srikalahasti style). Today, Panagal Road in Srikalahasti remains the central commercial and artistic marketplace for authentic Pen Kalamkari work."
Dimensions:
292 x 123 cm approx.
Condition:
Good vintage condition: The natural black outlines (traditionally made from fermenting iron filings and jaggery) have oxidized into a soft, deep charcoal-sepia tone, and the cotton backing has mellowed into a characteristic warm cream-beige color. This level of gentle, even patination develops over several decades of exposure to air and light.
Provenance: Private UK Collection: Purchased on location in the early 1990s
***In the summer of 2013 our shop featured in the BBC series Antiques Road Trip; we have also worked with prop-masters and costume designers in the film industry, supplying jewellery and antiques for productions such as Mr Holmes (with Ian Mckellan), Viceroy's House (directed by Gurinder Chadha), the upcoming Disney production Maleficient II, and the TV series Downton Abbey.vi