Goddess Gajalakhsmi Seated On Elephant Tanjore Painting|Traditional Colour With 24 Karat Gold|With Frame

$705

Glimmering with the regality and powers of Devi Lakshmi, this Tanjore painting with 24 karat gold and a fine wooden frame is a representation of the great Hindu mother goddess in her Gaja-Lakshmi roopa (form), one of the earliest iconographies of Sri-Lakshmi.  While in her usual depictions, the goddess is seated on a lotus flower and flanked by two elephants, this rare and divine Tanjore painting visualizes her as the supreme queen mother, seated on the Gaja-raja (king of elephants), who offers a bunch of Kamala (pink lotuses) to the goddess who is the abode of all kingly virtues and riches of the universe.

Item Code: PAB287
Specifications:
Traditional Colors with 24 Karat Gold
Dimensions 27.00 inch Height X 21.00 inch Width X 2.00 inch Depth
Weight: 5 kg
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade

The goddess Lakshmi Tanjore painting has the Devi housed in a royal palace, following the idiom of the traditional Tanjore paintings, which are located in the interiors of arching and imposing citadels. The arch and pillars of the hall in which Maa Lakshmi is enthroned are decorated with glistening gold leaves, placed over detailed auspicious motifs and red and green glass pieces. In the center of the hall is goddess Gaja-Lakshmi, in a rich red sari, a high-raising Kiritamukuta crown, and glistening gold ornaments. With a mindful use of dark and light shades on Devi’s attire, the artist has delineated its soft folds, highlighting the loveliness of her form. Goddess Lakshmi is in her Chaturbhuja (four-armed) form, elegantly holding two Kamala (pink lotuses) in her hands, which represent purity and the beginning of creation. Devi’s primary right hand is raised in the gesture of fearlessness or Abhaya-mudra, while her left-hand holds a golden pot, full of riches and is in the gesture of bestowing boons (Varada-mudra).


The Gaja or elephant crouching pleasantly is adorned with ornaments wreathed with gold. The elephant in Indian tradition is the mount of kings and royals, who in several regions such as Orissa proudly took the title “Gajapati” (Lord of Elephants), to mark their imperial strength and capability to maintain large forces of elephants. Forever worshipped and surrounded by these majestic animals, the goddess Lakshmi or Gajalakshmi represents the opulence and royalty that are desired by kings. A mystical saffron-hued aura fills the space behind the divine mother, whose face enlivened by beautiful features seems to be the source of the solar resplendence.

Gilded Elegance: Unraveling the Artistry of Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore painting is a traditional form of art in the South Indian style and was started by the inhabitants of a small town known as Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. This gives it another name called “Thanjavur painting”. This painting draws its figures, designs, and inspiration from the time when Vedic culture was prevalent in India. Certain remarkable features of a Tanjore painting distinguish it from other paintings. Some of these are pure gold or gold foil coating on gesso work, the use of rich and vivid colors, and the inlay of cut-glass or semi-precious and precious stones. The subjects of most of the Tanjore paintings are Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and saints. The main devotional figure is portrayed in the central portion of the painting and is usually surrounded by various secondary figures.

The process of making a Tanjore painting

The classic Tanjore paintings are done on wooden planks and hence are also referred to as Palagai Padam in South India (Palagai = Wooden plank, Padam = Picture). Creating a masterpiece is never an easy task but the skilled artists of Thanjavur have been following the tradition of making timeless Tanjore paintings for decades.
The making process begins with preparing the wooden board or canvas. The size of the board depends upon the choice of the patron. The next step is to paste cardboard over the wooden board and then a cotton fabric is stretched and pasted upon it using Arabic gum.
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Now that the cloth is attached to the wooden panel, a rough sketch of the motifs and figure is drawn onto the fabric. After this, a paste of chalk powder and water-soluble adhesive is evenly applied over the base and smoothed.
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Thereafter, the outlines which were made or traced using a stencil are now ready to be beautified and decked with various add-ons. The usual materials for decoration are cut-glass, pearls, semi-precious and precious gems, gold leaf, and laces. 22 or 18 Karat Gold leaves and gems of varied hues are especially inlaid in areas like pillars, arches, walls, thrones, and dresses. In the final step, the rest of the painting is filled with rich and striking colors such as shades of red, blue, and green. Formerly, the artists used natural colors like vegetable and mineral dyes instead of chemical paints. The entire painting is then cleaned and refined to give a flawless finished look.
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Since the making of a single piece of Tanjore painting requires a complex and elaborate process, the artists usually take at least one or two months to complete it. The use of pure gold foil and gems for beautification is a characteristic of an authentic Tanjore painting. Due to this, Tanjore paintings last for generations without getting tarnished and are much more expensive than general paintings. Though the art form has undergone various changes and technique modifications over the years, it continues to attract the hearts of art lovers.
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