Kalamkari and Traditional Design Heritage of India

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Temple origin. 3. The folk idiom. 4. Historical perspective. 5. Painted and printed textiles. 6. Design vocabulary. 7. Kalamkari artist. 8. Colours from nature. 9. Future of an ancient art. Glossary.

"The art of Kalamkari painting is one of the oldest among the traditional arts of India. Drawing upon a repertoire of well-loved epics, Kalamkari is full with richness of colour, simplicity of narrative and precision of detail in its presentation, that remains unparalleled by other art forms of this genre. In this book, the salient features of this fine art of Kalamkari are interestingly explained. It also details how this ancient textile craft which was deeply rooted in religion has adapted itself to the social changes and political upheavals while evolving into a secular craft in order to conform to changing cultures and trends through the ages.

Written in lucid style, the book explores the origin of the beautiful craft and other traditional design forms and documents their evolution as well as carves a road-map for the future." (jacket)