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H: 18 Inch · Leather
Estimated Delivery in 2 weeks
Takes approximately 1 week to handcraft
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This striking Tholu Bommalata artwork by Sindhe Siva depicts an asura from the demon armies of the Ramayana, rendered in the traditional idiom of Tholu Bommalata, the shadow puppet theatre of Andhra Pradesh. Unlike the epic's named antagonists, the Ghatika represents a stock figure of menace and muscle that puppeteers deploy in battle sequences to populate the stage with the sheer scale of Ravana's forces.
Tholu Bommalata, whose name literally translates to "the dance of leather puppets" (tholu meaning leather and bomma meaning puppet), is an ancient performance tradition with roots tracing back to around the third century BCE. Historically sustained by wandering communities of puppeteer-artisans and patronised by successive royal courts, it flourished as the primary medium through which the Ramayana and Mahabharata reached village audiences across the Deccan for centuries before cinema and television. The puppets are cut from the treated, translucent hide of goat, deer or buffalo, hand-painted with vibrant natural dyes, and finely perforated so that light streaming from behind a cotton screen turns each figure into a glowing, jewel-toned silhouette.
In this piece, the Asura stands in the characteristic profile pose of Tholu Bommalata figures, its body rendered in a warm orange-tan skin tone throughout. The face is unmistakably demonic: bulging round eyes, a hooked and swollen nose, small curling horns, and a wide mouth baring sharp fangs beneath a thick painted moustache, all conveying the ferocity expected of an asura. The torso is muscular and broad-shouldered, wrapped in necklaces and circular armlets as a bell hangs across his body, while the lower body is draped in a dark indigo-blue loincloth patterned with small dotted motifs and finished with a jagged, feather-like fringe. In its raised hand, the figure grips a long curved sword, its blade drawn diagonally across the composition in a pose of imminent attack, while the other arm bears heavy bangles and ends in sharply clawed fingers.
These demons are essential to the performance's storytelling grammar: their exaggerated fangs, horns and weapons instantly signal moral opposition to the divine and heroic figures on stage, allowing audiences to read the unfolding battle at a glance even before a word is spoken.
Taken as a whole, this artwork is a fine example of how Tholu Bommalata renders even its lesser, unnamed characters with the same craftsmanship, colour intensity and perforated detailing lavished on its gods and heroes. In doing so, Sindhe Siva's Asura preserves not only the visual grammar of a centuries-old performance tradition but also a reminder that the epic's grandeur rests as much on its foot soldiers as on its named protagonists.
Each of our artworks are hand painted by master artists across India. We provide a digital authentication certificate with this artwork signed by the artist which will be sent over email after 3-4 days of delivery of the artwork.
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We offer replacements or repairs if your artwork arrives damaged or has a quality issue. As each artwork is handcrafted, we do not accept returns or refunds for orders received in the expected condition.
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This artwork will be Made to Order and will take 1-2 weeks to be made and shipped.
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All MeMeraki artworks are hand-painted. In rare occasions, artist may face delays due to weather, health, prior commitments or force majeure. Our team will reach out to you with revised timelines in case of such delays. We appreciate your understanding and patience in such situations.
All artworks on the website are hand painted from scratch by our master artists. This makes every artwork absolutely unique and the actual colour and overall artwork may vary slightly from the artwork image posted here.
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