What materials and tools are essential for making Tanjore paintings?
Are you looking at a Tanjore painting or wanting to make a Tanjore painting and getting confused about what materials and tools the artist used to make the Tanjore painting? Here in this article, you will know every detail about the materials and tools used in the making process of Tanjore paintings.
Tanjore paintings are made of the following materials:
Palagi (Wooden plank):
The Tanjore paintings are also called “PalgaiPadam” as it made using a wooden plank and “Padam” means picture. The wooden plank used is made up of pasha Maram (jackfruit) or teak wood. Jackfruit is a well-known type of wood in India. It is also known as the jack tree. Jackfruit is the species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family. Jackfruit is used to make wooden planks because it is compact, finely grained, and easy to work with. It is found in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. The beauty of jackfruit wood makes it a favorite choice for making paintings, musical instruments, and other objects.
Nunga Passe (gum)Gum:
Traditionally Nunga Passe (gum)is used to stick the gold foil to the canvas but today Arabic Gum is a natural gum that is crucial to the creation of Tanjore paintings in order to make muck paste and adhere gold foil leaves to paintings. This needs to be dissolved in water and will be in crystal form.
Chalk Powder for muck preparation:
chalk powder is used in muck preparation. A soft, white, porous sedimentary rock made of the mineral calcite, chalk powder is a type of limestone. CaCO3 is the chemical symbol for calcite. It develops from the progressive buildup of tiny calcite plates (coccoliths) emitted by coccolithophores, a type of microorganism, in rather deep-sea environments.
Brush Set: Painting brushes used in making Tanjore paintings were made of anil Vaal (squirrel tail hair).
Gada Cloth: Gada is the cotton fabric which pasted on the wooden plank. Cotton clothing is used for making the canvas for Tanjore painting.
Stones For Embossing :
Traditionally, diamonds and rubies are used in embossing the painting, but nowadays some semi-precious stones are used.
22 Carat Gold Foil: the main feature of a Tanjore painting is the 22carat gold foil used in the painting. A local gum called Nunga Passe (gum) is used to stick the gold leaf on the painting.
Colors: In ancient times, organic vegetable dyes are used but nowadays chemical paints are used.
Emery Sheet: This sheet is used to smoothen the board after applying the chalk powder.
Glass: Glass is placed over the painting to cover the painting.
Making process Of The Tanjore :
In Thanjavur, artisans prepare a base or canvas for the painting. The wood of the pazham Maram (jack fruit tree) was used as it does not invite termites or rot easily. The basic sketch of the drawing is traced on the board using a carbon sheet. The cut glass, set in lac on a stick is then shaped by rubbing on a stone till it has soft curves. Glass stones are fixed using adhesive on the places where jewels and accessories are drawn.
Chalk powder is poured into a cone to make the designs on the painting. This design is locally called ‘nice Subbal’. The designs are drawn on the borders, jewels, thrown and on other accessories, and kept to dry. Once dried, the gold leaf is cut into the required shape, size to paste on the embossed area, and design. A local gum called Nunga Passe (gum) is used to stick the gold leaf on the artwork.
