Important Notice

KOHBAR
Signed in Devnagari (lower left); signed again (on the reverse)
Circa 1970
Natural pigments on paper pasted on cloth
38.5 x 82.75 in (97.5 x 210 cm)

PROVENANCE:
Property of a Gentleman, New Delhi

Like most traditional art, locally available materials are used with precision and a deep knowledge of nature. Figures are outlined using bamboo sticks, and colour is applied by tying cotton to the sticks. The use of natural dyes yields a distinctly earthy palette which is literally rooted to its place of origin. Soot and cow dung are used for black, indigo for blue, rice powder for white, sandalwood or kusam flowers for red, and turmeric, pollen and lime mixed with extract from Banyan leaves for yellow. Though the art form has existed for centuries, over time, new materials such as paper and canvas were introduced, and the paintings moved out of the confines of dwellings. It was in the late 1960s that Mithila painting garnered widespread recognition. The Mithila paintings in this catalogue belong to this critical period and their rarity on the market make them essential additions to any important collection.

The present lot depicts the sacred union of the bride and groom. The central motif of the kohbar, or lotus plant represents the female, while the bamboo grove represents the male. Among the Mithila, the lotus and bamboo are considered symbolic of growth and fertility. The painting, densely illustrated with flora and fauna, and encompassed by a betel leaf creeper border includes narrative references to various mythologies of fertility and marriage making the work at once, symbolic and mystical.

KOHBAR
Signed in Devnagari (lower left); signed again (on the reverse)
Circa 1970
Natural pigments on paper pasted on cloth
38.5 x 82.75 in (97.5 x 210 cm)

PROVENANCE:
Property of a Gentleman, New Delhi

Like most traditional art, locally available materials are used with precision and a deep knowledge of nature. Figures are outlined using bamboo sticks, and colour is applied by tying cotton to the sticks. The use of natural dyes yields a distinctly earthy palette which is literally rooted to its place of origin. Soot and cow dung are used for black, indigo for blue, rice powder for white, sandalwood or kusam flowers for red, and turmeric, pollen and lime mixed with extract from Banyan leaves for yellow. Though the art form has existed for centuries, over time, new materials such as paper and canvas were introduced, and the paintings moved out of the confines of dwellings. It was in the late 1960s that Mithila painting garnered widespread recognition. The Mithila paintings in this catalogue belong to this critical period and their rarity on the market make them essential additions to any important collection.

The present lot depicts the sacred union of the bride and groom. The central motif of the kohbar, or lotus plant represents the female, while the bamboo grove represents the male. Among the Mithila, the lotus and bamboo are considered symbolic of growth and fertility. The painting, densely illustrated with flora and fauna, and encompassed by a betel leaf creeper border includes narrative references to various mythologies of fertility and marriage making the work at once, symbolic and mystical.