Handpainted – Kalamkari – Story Roundels in Black and Coral

Provenance

'Story Roundels in Black and Coral' is a Kalamkari painting organised around a central lotus medallion, with panels and roundels of narrative scenes on every side. It reflects the storytelling heart of the Kalamkari tradition, with dozens of small episodes arranged in a strict, symmetrical frame.

At the centre, a red disc holds a group of figures, encircled by a ring of petals each containing a dancing figure. Above and below, rectangular panels show figures with bows, elephants and processions, with narrow strips of smaller figures between them. Twenty-four roundels run around the edge, showing figures among trees, a coiled serpent, an elephant and scenes set on chequered floors, all on a field of coral and rust scrollwork.

Black, cream, coral and rust make a warm, graphic palette, with the red of the central disc as its focal point. The cream linework on black gives each scene sharp clarity, and a patterned outer border of cream and black frames the whole. It is a painting that rewards close looking, well suited to a study or a large living-room wall.