Decoration on Indian hilts

Jens Nordlunde · 15th June 2005, 02:13 PM

[img]file:///C:/WIN98SE/TEMP/moz-screenshot.jpg[/img] BI, thank you for the hint, it is most interesting, and I recognise several of the drawings from the tulwar discs.

Rangoli also known as Kolam in South India, Chowkpurana in North India, Madana in Rajasthan, Aripana in Bihar, Alpana in Bengal and by other names in other parts of India, it is the ancient Hindu religious floor art made by the women, and learned from generation to generation. Rangoli/Kolam/Alpana/…. Looks different in the different Indian States, using flour, henna, and petals from various flowers such as oleanders, cosmos, zenia, chrysanthemums, and green leaves which provide the artist the ability to work out various patterns and colours. It is mostly made in geometrical patterns, but can also be made as temples or animals. In some parts of India it is still used daily, being made very early in the morning and being swept away in the evening, but to day it is mostly used at big celebrations.

To make the picture of the hilt complete I should also have shown the upper and lower part of the disc – here are the pictures.

Rick · 15th June 2005, 03:08 PM

Hi Jens , B.I. ,

A possible avenue to explore in the area of interpretation of floral and other Indian decoration may be to study the art of Mehndi in some depth .

This art continues as we all know into the present and possibly meanings and or talismanic interpretations may be found there with a little digging .

Just a thought .

Rick

B.I · 15th June 2005, 03:52 PM

hi rick,
i agree that all aspects of indian art should be thought about, but also feel that there must be a historical benchmark found. as the art of body painting can only be an oral or stylistic transgression, the design taken from current (relatively) trends, it would be hard to use this in dating old weapons, past the 19thC.
my rangoli route is much the same, except that the rangoli designs do appear in old architecture. if they were painted using the style of the time, and we can narrow this time down to decades, as apposed the the 'centuries' normally associated with indian dating, then we can try and transpose this dating into similar styles on other aspects of art ie. weapon decoration.
its all a little loose but these are desperate times :-)
unless we can find a 300 year old body, preserved with its henna tattooing of course

B.I · 15th June 2005, 03:53 PM

btw,
nice photography jens

Jens Nordlunde · 15th June 2005, 04:50 PM

Hi Rick, I think you must have been browsing, but you are right, the different patterns most likely have been unchanged for centuries, and this is very interesting as the same goes for architecture, textiles, pottery, wood cuts and many other forms of decoration – our only problem is to understand the meaning – and we do fail in this respect.

Hi BI, Maybe Ann will ‘bring’ us such a decorated body, or maybe she even knows of one, I would not be surprised. Thanks for the comment on the pictures.

Ann do you know of such a body?

Rick · 15th June 2005, 05:12 PM

Hi Jens , I was not browsing , my Wife does a little of this art and has a few books that cover many many designs .

15th June 2005, 02:13 PM	#1
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	[img]file:///C:/WIN98SE/TEMP/moz-screenshot.jpg[/img] BI, thank you for the hint, it is most interesting, and I recognise several of the drawings from the tulwar discs. Rangoli also known as Kolam in South India, Chowkpurana in North India, Madana in Rajasthan, Aripana in Bihar, Alpana in Bengal and by other names in other parts of India, it is the ancient Hindu religious floor art made by the women, and learned from generation to generation. Rangoli/Kolam/Alpana/…. Looks different in the different Indian States, using flour, henna, and petals from various flowers such as oleanders, cosmos, zenia, chrysanthemums, and green leaves which provide the artist the ability to work out various patterns and colours. It is mostly made in geometrical patterns, but can also be made as temples or animals. In some parts of India it is still used daily, being made very early in the morning and being swept away in the evening, but to day it is mostly used at big celebrations. To make the picture of the hilt complete I should also have shown the upper and lower part of the disc – here are the pictures. Attached Images

15th June 2005, 03:08 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,365	Hi Jens , B.I. , A possible avenue to explore in the area of interpretation of floral and other Indian decoration may be to study the art of Mehndi in some depth . This art continues as we all know into the present and possibly meanings and or talismanic interpretations may be found there with a little digging . Just a thought . Rick

15th June 2005, 03:52 PM	#3
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	hi rick, i agree that all aspects of indian art should be thought about, but also feel that there must be a historical benchmark found. as the art of body painting can only be an oral or stylistic transgression, the design taken from current (relatively) trends, it would be hard to use this in dating old weapons, past the 19thC. my rangoli route is much the same, except that the rangoli designs do appear in old architecture. if they were painted using the style of the time, and we can narrow this time down to decades, as apposed the the 'centuries' normally associated with indian dating, then we can try and transpose this dating into similar styles on other aspects of art ie. weapon decoration. its all a little loose but these are desperate times :-) unless we can find a 300 year old body, preserved with its henna tattooing of course

15th June 2005, 03:53 PM	#4
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	btw, nice photography jens

15th June 2005, 04:50 PM	#5
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Rick, I think you must have been browsing, but you are right, the different patterns most likely have been unchanged for centuries, and this is very interesting as the same goes for architecture, textiles, pottery, wood cuts and many other forms of decoration – our only problem is to understand the meaning – and we do fail in this respect. Hi BI, Maybe Ann will ‘bring’ us such a decorated body, or maybe she even knows of one, I would not be surprised. Thanks for the comment on the pictures. Ann do you know of such a body?

15th June 2005, 05:12 PM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,365	Hi Jens , I was not browsing , my Wife does a little of this art and has a few books that cover many many designs .