Odisha is an abode to many tribes and their traditional art forms. They show excellent skill and mastery in using alluminium, brass, silver, wood and beads to make their ornamental jewellery. Their jewellery is associative of their ritualistic and religious belief. Some of the jewellery worn by tribal people of Orissa are: Bonda tribal women […]
Shifting political dominance and boundaries within the South East Asian region have left multi-cultural imprints in a number of fields, including art and architecture. This immense diversity of art and architectural forms, corresponding to different periods of Lao history, and its influence can be seen, even today in the graceful Khmer temple complexes, elegant Buddhist […]
The profusion of carved wood in the old Newar towns in the Kathmandu Valley is so great that it almost defies description. Every traditional townhouse, every temple and monastery, and every palace, offers examples of an enormous variety of carved doors, windows, struts, pillars, toranas, and so on – many of these are unique in […]
These special kind of bricks and paving tiles are called chikan appa, implying that they are made of oil. Although no oil is actually used in their making, their smooth and glossy surface appears to have a coat of oil. Specimens of these teliya (tel = oil) bricks and paving tiles – with their characteristic […]
In traditional Nepalese homes and temples, which are roofed with Nepalese tiles, the roof-tops are further topped with a special kind of covering called dhuris. The corners of such roofs are also fitted with specially designed roof-corners known as kuna-pakhas. DHURIS (ROOF TOP COVERS): PROCESS & TECHNIQUE Long elevated slopes of clay that serve as […]
The making of brick and tiles is among one of the oldest crafts of Nepal. According to the Buddhist manuscript Swayambhoo Puran – which deals with the origin of the Swayambhoo Chaitya in the Kathmandu Valley and the founding of the city of Kathmandu itself by Lord Manjusri – mention is made of brick and […]
The oldest type of roofing tile in the Kathmandu Valley is the jhingati, a flat and thick rectangular piece. Jhingatis can still be found on roofs of temples and old buildings. Their durability and strength bear testimony to the quality of workmanship of the artisans. These roofing tiles are now of an average size of […]
Visitors to the Kathmandu Valley will be likely to visit the exquisite terracotta shrine of the Maha Buddha in Lalitpur. It is believed that this shrine was built by the famed artist Abhaya Raj Sakya during the reign of Amar Malla, King of Lalitpur. The various forms of clay used in shaping the different images […]
One particular aspect of the Newari genius stands out against the Katmandu skyline: architecture. The pagoda-style temple, so characteristic of the Valley, may have been the prototype for pagodas throughout eastern Asia, each country modifying the original Newari idea. Arniko, the most famous of early Nepalese architects, was called to Kublai Khan’s court in Peking […]
For centuries houses, palaces, dzongs, temples, bridges and utilitarian items for the home and the field have been and continue to be made with local materials consisting of a combination of stone, rammed earth, bamboo and local timber or wood. Timber is used lavishly in all structures for windows, doors, stairs, balconies, columns, beams and […]