Monday 11 October 2010

Day 198-Festival Of Dolls At The Tribal House



 I received these wonderful clay bowls Rosanna made me more than a month ago (on 8/9/10-notice 8,9,10?) and it has taken me till 10/10/10 to show them off properly. Of course, it is a case of kismet that I had to wait this long. You must surely expect the mystical by now on this blog! 

  
Rosanna not only made the bowls, she also hand painted each and everyone of them in the primitive theme so that they could be used in this house. I roughed  them up a bit because they were perfect, but only a bit.  It also took me a while to decide where to display the bowls and after that, one shelf that I built for half of them  just would not behave (see lower shelf)- it refused to stay straight and kept drooping down! 

That was why some of the bowls were on the floor yesterday when SuZ came by last night. Now my sister  had insisted that my dad send her to my home straight from the airport because she just had to show everyone (mum, dad and me) what she bought me from Chennai.


I was really excited when SuZ took out the boxes. Although she had shown me on Skype these dolls last month (she was away for 3 weeks), I really wanted to see them up close and personal. I remembered oohing and ahhing already when they were on screen but last night, I fell in love 6 times over. 


I was worried that the dolls were not of scale but SuZ dispelled my fears when she took a look at the tribal house and plonked Mr. Punch, the potter in the room behind these bowls. Look, she exclaimed, he's right at home here. I wanted to protest but Mr Punch looked seriously pleased so I only mumbled  my grumble.  My darling sister then proceeded to place 2 other dolls in the house, stood back and looked just as pleased as Punch!


Nooooo, That's the bedroom! Mr. SS (spice seller) can't be there! Of course, my protest fell on deaf ears. I must say though, Mr. SS with the bedroom eyes also seems pretty comfy where he is. 


Handsome as he is, he sure owns a lousy tool. I must change that scale and maybe repack the food. They look like real food, don't they? To be honest, I can't really tell.


Speaking of food, when I took this picture, I had thought this man was a food vendor. Of course, I had to find out what kind of food so I googled and after 1 hour, I found out from here that this is actually a priest performing puja and that puja is a daily ritual involving devotion by the offering of food, drink and prayers to a deity. 


I also found to my horror that I am missing a piece here  (see the glue stain?) and that I have already thrown away the box. Of course, I went and rummaged through the bin filled with dead leaves, ants and mosquitoes. Badly bitten, I eventually found the box but no missing piece. Guess I will have to make this one  as well. 


These are the three vegetable sellers who make me feel like spewing poetry or break into a song every time I lay my eyes on them .   

Lalala, how do I love thee? 
Let me count the ways ..lalalalala

Firstly. there's the changing expressions
Can you see  how the  chubby  plea to buy ..


...quickly turn into grimaces for help with just a sideward glance?


Then there 's the giant fruits, so easy they will sell!


Love how the clothes are made from real cloth in perfect perfect scale


But most of all, I Love thy hair , 
be it on your heads, 
or in the chests


And most definitely under the armpits!  

Navaratri 2010


To my delight, I found out from some bloggers I visit regularly that Navaratri was on Friday (8/10) . On this occasion, some households display their doll collections  for 9 nights. I hope to take this opportunity to celebrate my own festival of dolls with this display made by SuZ inspired by Rosanna's bowls.  My dear, sweet sister will be celebrating her birthday right in the middle of the Navaratri festival on 13/10 with the people who love her to death, us. 

Thank you, Rosanna , thank you, Suz!

The Beauty of Krishnanagar Dolls

It took me an incredible 5 hours on the net before I found out that these wonderful dolls were the famous Krishnanagar dolls. You know me, I just had to know where they are from or I won't be able to sleep. So although this post started in the afternoon of 10/10/10, I finally only finished past midnight. Actually, it's almost 1.30am now. 

This is what I found out about from here:

The chief patron for  clay dolls was Maharaja Krishnachandra of Krishnagar. His initiative in the late 18th Century kick- started the making of realistically  stylized, clay dolls originating from the state. Krishnanagar clay dolls are a connoisseur’s delight. The themes for these dolls are borrowed from the various societies of India. The social life of the people belonging to different castes and races are depicted in a clear and precise manner. These dolls, a regular feature in various international exhibitions, have won wide acclaim in most parts of the world, especially Europe. 
Krishnanagar dolls are modeled from a special variety of clay found on the banks of the Ganges.It is incredibly soft, and can be moulded easily. The doll makers use tiny iron rods to provide the skeletal structure for the dolls, then work with delicate tools to craft the clay. When they are nearly done, the dolls are baked in a kiln, given a final coat of varnish, painted, and then costumed. Each doll is  one of a kind although the theme may be the same. 

Sadly, I read  from Wiki that these dolls are waning in popularity and that  the numbers of  master doll makers have dwindled so badly that in 2007, there were no more than 10 of them, mostly aged,  living in Ghumi, neighbourhood of Krishnanager and the center for production of clay dolls.

My sister bought these dolls at a craft bazaar in Chennai , India last month. I am still trying to find out which fair it was....

48 comments:

The Old Maid said...

Great dolls! Love their faces and clothes, not sure about their hair ;D Great SuZ and Rosanna! Lucky you Sans!:D

GB said...

You're one lucky duck! Love your dolls and i can imagine your contented face even now. I know you'll have sweet dreams tonight....

Much love,
G

Fiver said...

Oh I love these dolls Sans, you lucky girl you! Rosanna's bowls really do go well with the potter doll!
I like the hair too, LOL! Even under the arms - wow. Makes me wonder if they have hair .....er..nevermind, we won't go there, LOL.

Katie said...

Bah haha... I love your hairy dolls, too! They're perfect! Good job Sister!

Debbie said...

Great Bowls from Rosanna and the Dolls from your Sister look right at home. xxx

Flora said...

So there is hope that something comes ...
Beautiful bowls of Rosanna.
I do not comment on the hair :-)
Mini hugs, Flora

Sans! said...

Ewa, thanks but why not sure ? :):):) Now let me count the ways I can make you you sure.....

Hehe :):)

Sans! said...

G, I really hope these Krishnanagar dolls expand their fan base soon. I will hate to see this art form gone. As far as I am concerned, they are truly wonderful. They make me want to throw away all the 100 over resin ones I have collected except those I have changed. This means I now have 100+ dolls which I absolutely have to bash . Shucks!

Sans! said...

Shhhoot Kristy, you KNOW that I will have to check now, don't you?????

Sans! said...

Love 'em too , Katie :):). Sister says hi :)

Sans! said...

Thank you, Debbie :). 9 nights later, they will have to give the house back to the Rollas but Rosanna's bowls stay. :):) I don't think the Rollas will be acceding to any request fr extension.

I will have to build new quarters for these dolls. Except for the vege sellers, they are best displayed under one roof, I think.

Sans! said...

Flora, no comments ? :):)
But the hair is really nice and prickly, no smell though despite all the sweaty work :):). I wonder if I should create some scent for even more realism....

Glenda said...

With the dolls (great little people, hair included!!) in place in the house it seems like a weird dreamscape :D A spice seller in the bedroom? Did the Rollas eat too much rich food before they went to bed?

Looooove the bowls. Absolutely. :)

Sans! said...

What an idea, Glenda! Maybe this is actually Ro's dream! That explains why Mr Bedroom Eyes is in the bedroom, you think???! :):)

By the way, have you seen the movie, "The Mistress of Spice"? I love it for the colours and the spice shop. :):)

And since I am here, yes, the trees are mangrove and I took the pic when the tide was low :):).

sylvia said...

Great bowls, they are wonderful!
Sylvia

Lorraine Escapita said...

Sans you are so funny! I was smiling as I read this whole post and I swear I giggled a few times (probably at the hair part!).

The bowls are beautiful, the dolls fit in to the scene very well, and I can't beleive how much information you put out on your blog all the time! :) You are like an encyclopedia of whatever crosses your path at the moment, that is such a great quality in a person!

Glenda said...

I did see 'Mistress of Spice' - good movie!

Ascension said...

Que suerte!!!!
Son unos muñecos fantasticos.
Un gran detalle, la cantidad de pelo que tienen......en todas partes? jejejeje
Los cuencos me encantan.
Me he reido un rato con tu post, ademas de atesorar mucha informacion.
Me encanta pasear por tu blog.
besitos ascension

Maria Jose said...

Esos muñecos son perfectos para usted ! Y los cuencos de Rosanna tambien son muy bonitos !

Eva said...

Oh Gosh! What a hairy man ...LOL...They look as the perfect gift righT? together with Rosanna's bowls. Every time your tribal house look more and more "yours". I love it!

Daydreamer said...

Wow Sans! What wonderful dolls! What a wonderful sister to bring them for you! Happy birthday to SuZ! And the bowls from Rosanna are really lovely too... I like the designs she painted on them. (Your sagging shelf just needs the angle brackets to support it!)
As for those dolls, you are definitely going to have to make them all houses now....! I hope those doll makers continue... I love the detail they include.... especially the hairy parts! And each one is so different! And they are made of real clay! I don't know about you, but I always feel as though my polyclay dolls aren't "real" enough, and wish I could do the porcelain doll-making.... maybe someday I will learn how!
Your posts are always magical! That is what we come for!
Kismet for sure!

May said...

Me encanta tu forma e narrar y como vas adentrandonos en la cultura y costumbres.
Los personajes Krishnanagar, son una autentica maravilla y no les ffaltan detalles.
Los cuencos preciosos y quedan muy bien.
Besitos, May

Sound Horn Please said...

This has to be my favourite-est post from last week (Honest!) And I can't believe your sister found these in Chennai! I'm from Chennai and I've never had a chance to lay my eyes upon such gorgeous dolls. I'm ashamed to say I had no clue what Krishnanagar dolls were :( I read up the link you posted- and now I really really want to own one too!

Sans! said...

Thank you, Sylvia :):) Nice to see you again ! :)

Sans! said...

Hey Lorraine, you are too good and giving with those praises.

I tried to re-read my post and imagine me as you deciding which parts I may have giggled.. *giggles. Maybe these parts?:

1. pleased as Punch? (by the way, I once knew an Indian man whose name was Punch Coomaraswarmy (he's long gone, bless his soul) so Punch is not a exactly a made-up Indian name )

2. Mr Spice with the bedroom eyes?

3. Mr Bedroom Eyes and his "tool"? oops ! I wonder how many knew that was a antiquarian word for you know what ...yes Kristy, it is usually hairy!

4. Maybe me trying to sing by typing?

Anyway, re-reading the post, you know which part really made me giggled? I just saw in the pic about the chest hair that the dollmaker had glued chest hair over the string the man was wearing around his neck...hahahhaha..sorry..but THAT is SUPER funny to me ....LOL!!!!!!ROFL!!!ADL (almost died laughing!)

Sans! said...

Glenda, I am not a fan of Dylan McDermott . I thought the pot of chillies in the movie could act better than him!

Sans! said...

Ascensión, No he comprobado si hay pelo en el "saber dónde" todavía. Voy a tener que rasgar los pantalones del pobre, aparte de eso. No creo que eso es una buena idea, ¿verdad? jejejeje

Siempre me gusta cuando estás aquí :):):)

Besos

Sans! said...

María José Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con usted:)

Gracias por visitar el blog:)

beso y abrazo

Sans! said...

Eva, many many hairrrrrry men....ooooooooh! :):) Anyway, I was having a lot of difficulty finding stand alone man dolls. So happy my sis found them for me :):).

Lorraine Escapita said...

Oh yes Sans! You got me right on the mark! I started smiling when your sister kept placing the dolls just the way she wanted... maybe you weren't happy but she sure was! Then I laughed a little at your play on words with Mr. Punch... And then we get to the vegetable sellers :). Enough said, you covered it! Those guys are realistically hairy aren't they :). And I had mostly overlooked Mr Spice, but now I went back and saw him (and his tool) with whole new eyes! ;)

And yes, everytime I see sing song typing I try to get the tune right and sing along... I never quite get it right XD.

Sans! said...

Betsy, I actually have some kind of support for the shelves below but they are not that strong. I was impatient and before the glue could dry properly, I had put the bowls on them . That's why they were sagging. Eventually I had to rip the shelf away, sand off the glue and re-glue it again to the wall. So far so good.

You know, as I am researching more about the craftsmen in India , I found more and more of the dying trade. It is indeed a sad day when plastic toys replace these wonderful clay and ceramic dolls entirely.

Then again, the other day I found a 50 year old doll from Japan that I taught was made of clay but was in fact made of plastic. I will post it on my projects blog shortly.

Sans! said...

Hola May! Me alegro de verte:):) Ha sido un rato, ¿no?

Gracias por los cumplidos:). Me siento muy afortunado de que Rosa me está ayudando de muchas maneras para construir esta casa. Ya hay muchas cosas aquí que son hechos por ella o por su propuesta de que esta es realmente la casa de un Rolla:).

No es fácil encontrar muñecas realistas por los artesanos de la India. Su arte suele ser muy tradicional y religiosa o muy colorido y el juguete como. Tengo la suerte de mi hermana me entiendo muy bien:).

Beso y abrazo

Sans! said...

Divya, I really hope more people will grow to appreciate these dolls and buy them so that the trade will flourish once more.

I have also read that these Krishnanagar dolls are exhibited at most of the handicraft museums of the world. In India, you have a large display of these dolls (hundreds) in the Shankar’s Doll Museum in New Delhi. Exhibitions of Krishnagar dolls have been held in London, Paris and Boston.Ghurni clay models have won medals and certificates at international exhibitions.
So they are really treasures :):).

By the way , I am so happy to know that you were from Chennai. Next time, I have one more person to ask when I travel to India :):).

Sans! said...

Hehe Lorraine!! I am giggling at your every line now!

Neomig said...

I can see why you wowed and Ohhhd when you those dolls . they are so lively! and the hair......
Best
Neomi

rosanna said...

Happy birthday SuZ, best wishes!!
Sans,look into your mail and thank you for the top place for the pots. I do love Mr Punch and Mr Spices...Shall I ever be able to look at him with innocent eyes after yours and Lorraine's comments ? ;o) Have a nice day, Rosanna

Sans! said...

Thank you, Neo :):) You must have some fascinating dolls in Israel as well :)

Sans! said...

Rosanna, you can't imagine how happy and relieve for me to see that you are FINALLY here :):). Ok now I can go back to work in some peace :):)

Mercedes Spencer @ Liberty Biberty said...

Rosanna's bowls are gorgeous! What a clever girl she is.
The dolls are great although that hair is a little gross, lol!
Mercedes

Sans! said...

Mercedes, you know our Rosanna. She can read minds too and knew that I needed some clay bowls :) without me telling her :)

Unknown said...

i nearly died laughing at the armpit hair.

i hope you didn't sniff at the dolls, as you do with your other minis??? (i know i'm not the only one, no way am i sniffing those dolls!! XD XD XD )

Sans! said...

Heh heh, Cindy, now that I know what's the 1st thing I will make you do when you come over :):). I understand that you are suffering a drippy nose? Well now you know where you can wipe your nose? Plenty of hairkechief for you ! haha

bastrota said...

These are really beautiful dolls, Sans. My favorite doll is the potter. Made from clay and working with clay.

You have a very interesting blog. But I have to go to bed now - it is 01:10 and I am very tired.

So I will come back soon and read more and I will have a look on your photos. This won't be my first and last visit.

If you want to visit my blog:
http://bastrota.blogspot.com/
you are very welcome.

For now I say good night and sleep well.

Hugs and greetings from Bavaria, Germany,
Marion

Sans! said...

Marion, it is really good to see you here. I have just been to your blog and saw the most incredible fall colours. :) I will definitely be back to see your creations for your dollhouses. :):)

I hope we can exchange views on each other's work regularly. I will definitely value your opinions on mine :)

In the meantime, "Achtung Baby!" :):) I think Achtung! is the only German word I know :)

bastrota said...

Hello Sans,

thank you very much for your nice comment and be welcome on my blog, too.

The fall colors on my photos are real - not made are changed by a programm. In the meantime we had frosty temperatures at night about 0 Grad Celsius and the leaves lost their fantastic colors.

You think that I have the eyes of an artist? You are right, I am an artist ;-)

That's a great idea - exchanging views on each other's work regulary. I hope, too.

;-) "Achtung" means attention. Where do you know this word from?

Hugs and greetings from Bavaria, Germany
Marion

Sans! said...

Haha Marion :):) I guess I have the eye to spot an artist :).

Have you heard of the band U2? It's one of my all time favourite bands and they have an album called Achtung Baby :):). Plus all the WWII movies of course :) and I think the British comedy Allo Allo :).

The weather here is freaky. It's hazy because of the forest fires in Indonesia and I have been suffering a headache the whole day. Grey is the primary colour here. :) I am going to try and pop by your blog soon to read all your posts :).

asukasakumo said...

LoL at the armpit! XD
I love how you always managed to put everything match perfectly together!

Sans! said...

Thank you Asuka :):) . My boys can't wait to meet you. TOMORROW! :)

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