Indian paintings

Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh

• Indian paintings provide an artistic continuum that extends from the early civilization and culture to the present day.
• From being essentially religious in purpose in the beginning, Indian painting has evolved over the years to become a fusion of various cultures and traditions.
• The Indian painting was exposed to Greco-Roman as well as Iranian and Chinese influences.

Classification of Indian Paintings

• Indian Paintings can be broadly classified as the mural paintings and miniature painting.

1. Murals are huge works executed on the walls of solid structures, as in the Ajanta Caves and the Kailashnath temple. They are also called as wall paintings.
2. Miniature paintings are executed on a very small scale on perishable material such as paper and cloth.

Famous Tangkha Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh

• Tangkha painting is one of the most artistic craft; it is prevalent mainly in Buddhist dominated area like Tawang, West Kameng and Upper Siang Districts.
• The motif of the painting is mostly religious subject along with traditional value.
• It is a traditional form of Tibetan Buddhist art. Learning this craft can take three years and is part of a monk’s education.
• Monks who have left monastic life can continue painting Tangkhas in craft centers like in Bomdila.

Weaving Pattern in Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh

• It is not known when the people of Arunanchal Pradesh learned the art of weaving. According to one of the legends, the art of weaving was learnt in a dream from the goddess Podi Barbi.
• A Galo song narrates a full story of how the cotton is grown, plucked, spun and how it is woven with cotton yarn in a loom.
• The song, which is sung with the dance by the village girls, narrates that in the olden days when the cotton was not grown and the people had not enough clothes, they started the cultivation of cotton.
• Thus weaving among the people of Arunachal Pradesh is as old as the story itself. The people knew of clothes as a means of protecting themselves against the rigours of the climate.
• The women of this area are good weavers and they have a good colour choice and artistic designs of their own.
• The colour and design have their symbolic meaning among some of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The use of certain kinds of clothes and ornaments is often associated with a family’s social position and achievements in the fields of hospitality and war.
• Though there has not been much external influence on the designs of the fabrics in Arunachal Pradesh there has been some borrowing of motifs from the neighbouring areas.
• The motifs, designs and patterns, however are quite complex and their symbolic meaning and usages are rather significant.
• The elaborate processes of spinning, dying and finally weaving remind us of the rich discoveries of the women, who were supposed to weave respective clothes for their families.

Common Feature of Tribal Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh

Wall Painting

• The tradition of wall paintings has been passed down from pre-historic times to today.
• As society moved from forest dwellings to agricultural-based communities, the art of painting continued as a part of their life, tradition, culture and to transmit their traditional beliefs through their art.
• Wall painting forms part of the universal culture of most agricultural societies and forest dwelling societies.
• Paintings are done on walls to invoke the gods to bless the soil, keep animals healthy for work in the field, grant a family healthy progeny after marriage, and bless a newly constructed home.
• Paintings found on the walls of religious buildings depict a human quest to understand a larger universe, natural life and power

Wood Carving Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh

• Wood carving is a tradition with some of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Monpas, Khamtis, Wanchos, Phom, Konyak tribes occupy significant place in this art.
• Wood carving like in the case of Nagaland finds expression mainly under three categories;firstly, with head hunting, secondly with the decoration of the morungs or men`s youth dormitory and thirdly, the funerary images erected for warriors and other important person.
• In carving of the human figure, special attention is paid to the head. The features are carved in low relief and are fairly realistic.
• Usually the image depicting a warrior is decorated with special cowerie belt and several other artefacts.
• The top of the head is rounded and usually has some indication of hair-cut. Tattoo marks are carefully represented, and most figures are dressed up with little bits of cloth and even ornaments with tufts on head or beads in the ear.
• Wancho woodcarvers have deep sense of proportion, despite their pre-occupation with the head.
• Of late departure from the traditional fixed form is noticed in many carved figures. Symmetrical postures are replaced by assymetrical ones, relief works are experimented in various themes.
• The Monpa wood carver make beautiful cups, dishes, fruit bowls and carve magnificant masks for ceremonial dance and pantomimes.
• The Sherdukpen The Khampa and the Monpa make masks which appear almost like real faces, while other represent birds and animals and some represent apes and men twisted mouths, women with goire to drive away the evil spirit.
• The masks are made of a single block of wood hollowed inside; holes are usually but not always, made for eyes and mouths; most masks are painted, but the older ones are generally found dark and discoloured.
• Women never wear the mask which are used only by men and boys.

Carpet Making Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh: 

• The Carpet Making is one of the important occupations in the districts of Tawang, West Kameng, Changlang and Upper Siang. Carpet making is the specialty of the Monpas.
• They weave lovely colorful carpets with dragon, geometric and floral designs. Carpet weaving has today become a major occupation of the womenfolk and with an increase in demand; production of the carpets is now being undertaken on large scale.
• The Arunachal Pradesh’s carpet has been acclaimed to be of National & International repute by considering the quality of carpet weaving in different motive and design.
• The items produced are wall hanging, cushion pad, telephone pad, floor covering, etc. These are being promoted through Government Craft Centre with provision for training.

Pottery Crafting Paintings of Arunachal Pradesh: 

• Pottery is another area which finds artistic expression in the life of the Arunachalis.
• Some brilliantly designed products like vessels, vases and earthenware, which are a collector’s item, can be found in the state.
• The craftsmen also use multicolored beads, feathers of birds and wings of the green beetles in many of the crafts as an embellishment.
• Dafla women are skilled in this craft.
• The legend is that Abo Takam was the first Dafla potter and from him the art passed on to the women.

Ornaments: 

• Ornaments making is another craft widely practiced in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Besides heads of various colors and sizes blue feathered wings of birds and green wings of beetles are used in decoration.
• The Akas make bamboo bangles and ear ornament which are sometimes decorated with pucker work design.
• The Wancho girls particularly are very excellent in beads work. Various ornaments of colored glass beads hold a special fascination for the people of state.
• Silver ornaments are a specialty of the Mishmis.
• The Idu Mishmi women wear silver fillet necklace with lockets and beautiful earrings. The Sherdukpens and the Khamptis at one time were also renowned for silver work