Lion vahana, mount of Goddess Durga Polychrome wooden sculpture, 20th century, Tamil Nadu, India  We […]

Nagaland has a strong warrior tradition and headhunting was a significant part of its culture for many years. Strict rules surrounded the practice of headhunting. For example, heads would […]

A brand new book from the collaborative Vernacular Furniture of N-W India project, Sahaj: Vernacular Furniture of Gujarat, the first book of its kind. Co-authored by our Collection Curator, Ben Cartwright, alongside Mitraja Bais, Jay Thakkar and Samrudha Dixit. The Gujarati term Sahaj can mean either ‘inherent’ or […]

In July this year, The South Asia Collection received a donation of 142 Rabari textiles, originally […]

Here, at The South Asia Collection we are big believers in the need to be […]

This courtyard scene was painted by the Scottish watercolour artist Nancy Jane Burton, who travelled widely through Kashmir, Pakistan (which would have been northern India in the period Nancy was there, before Independence) and Afghanistan between 1932 and 1936. 1936. This painting is currently on display as part of the new exhibition, Nancy Jane […]

The Object of the Month for June 2018 is the tinted lithograph, Ancient Temple, Pundruttun, by Mrs H. Clark, which is currently on display at The South Asia Collection. It was printed by J. Needham on behalf of Day & Son as part of a set […]

Kalamkaris originated in Persia (present day Iran) where qalam meant pen and kari 
meant craftwork. Originally the design was hand drawn onto the cotton cloth using a bamboo pen. But during the 19th century when demand and exports increased, block printing techniques became […]