Chitra-pothi: Illustrated Palm-leaf Manuscripts from Orissa

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Chitra-pothi: Illustrated Palm-leaf Manuscripts from Orissa

Chitra-pothi: Illustrated Palm-leaf Manuscripts from Orissa

By Das, J.P.

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Product Description

An important but little-known art form of Orissa is illustration on palm-leaf that flourished along with the Orissan tradition of copying kavya texts on palm-leaf manuscripts and illuminating them. This art form touched its zenith during the golden age of Oriya kavya literature in the 18th century when a large number of chitra-pothis (illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts) were done.

Chitra-pothi: Illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts from Orissa traces the palm-leaf tradition of Orissa and the development of Oriya literature that provides the basis of palm-leaf art. It throws light on the making of the chitra-pothis and the nature of the texts that were illustrated weaving into the larger canvas the patron, the scribe and the artist, as it goes on to analyse palm-leaf art: as illumination of the text and as an art form.

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CONTENTS

Introduction
Part One
The Tradition
Chapter One: The Palm-Leaf Tradition
Chapter Two: Script, Language and Literature of Orissa
Chapter Three: Patron, Scribe, Artist
Chapter Four: Pushpika
Chapter Five: The Making of a Pothi
Part Two
The Manuscripts
Chapter One: Gita Govinda
Chapter Two: Krishna and Rama
Chapter Three: Oriya Kavyas
Chapter Four: Chitra-Kavyas
Chapter Five: Ragamala
Chapter Six: Shilpa Shashtra
Chapter Seven: Rati-Bandha
Chapter Eight: Yantra, Mantra, Tantra
Part Three
The Art
Chapter One: Illustrating the Text
Chapter Two: Palm-Leaf Art
Endnotes 117
Bibliography 121

THE AUTHOR

J.P. Das is a well-known poet, playwright and fiction writer whose Puri Paintings continue to be a masterly volume on Orissan art. He has also co-authored Palm-leaf Miniatures: The Art of Raghunath Prusti of Orissa with Professor Joanna Williams of University of California, Berkeley. His other publications in English include First Person, Timescapes and Lovelines—collections of poems; Before Sunset, The Underdog and Sundardas—plays; The Magic Deer, The Forbidden Street and Dear Jester—collections of stories.

His plays have been translated into several Indian languages and staged in different parts of India. Before Sunset is considered a classic among modern Indian plays.

Title	Chitra-pothi: Illustrated Palm-leaf Manuscripts from Orissa
Pages	128
Illustrations	193
Year	2007
Binding	Hardcover with dust jacket
ISBN	978-81-89738-06-8