Decorations on mughal Bows
I was looking at some Kashmiri papermache handicrafts and could not help but notice the similarities between the artwork on these decorative items and the bows,trying to find out the tecnique of the work was not very difficult,The process is done with paper being pulped and soaked for 40 days and then being placed in a thin layer on a mould,after drying 2 seperate pieces are joined together to make different objects,example a vase which although made of paper is capable of retaining water for up to 10 hours without damage.once the object is dry the decoration and waterproofing begins with a solution of sugar syrup is applied ,then the design is drawn and then painted with gold/silver paint along with the regular colours,Once the paint dries it is given a light varnish and then polished with a tool similar to tool used for applying/polishing gold leaf,the object is given as many as 12 to 20 coats of varnish and polished between each coat resulting with an extremely light and highly decorated and waterproofed object,I could not help but think that if this same process was used on bows the result would be a highly decorated,functional bow that was waterproof for a considerable period of time,Has anybody tried this and is there any evidence that such a process was used on mughal bows?Would this process work on rawhide?
I would appericiate any information and comments by members who have examined bows more closely than I.
Thanks,
Pawanjit
I would appericiate any information and comments by members who have examined bows more closely than I.
Thanks,
Pawanjit
Thank you for those creative ideas.
With bows, the decorated limbs of the bows will be bent and unbent (the latter violently) many thousands of times. Would the decoration be able to withstand this treatment?
To me, the best way would be to apply the traditional decoration on the top of thin leather (like Morocco leather on book bindings, which are still beautifully done in S. Asia today) and then apply a flexible lacquer.
With bows, the decorated limbs of the bows will be bent and unbent (the latter violently) many thousands of times. Would the decoration be able to withstand this treatment?
To me, the best way would be to apply the traditional decoration on the top of thin leather (like Morocco leather on book bindings, which are still beautifully done in S. Asia today) and then apply a flexible lacquer.
Pawanjit, your conclusions are right on. I did quite a bit of research on methods of decoration of Mughal, Persian and Middle Eastern bows and wrote an article about it in JSA-A a few years back (more in the book I have published recently). The bows are indeed decorated with very similar paints and varnishes as other items. Actually the universal name of the varnish for all these objects was "bow varnish"! This varnish was a combination of a drying oil and resin(s) boiled together and thinned with petroleum oil or turpentine.
The bows, depending on origin, were normally covered first with bark or leather, although the Mughal bows were usually painted rigt on the surface of sinew, coated only with thick glue. The paints were for the most part based on the same varnish mixed with pigments, but other media, such as glue-based paints (gold or silver among others) were used as well. The polishing of gold was possible if the support had some "give", as in the case of leather (or paper pulp for other items as you say), but could not be done on the hard-dried glue alone.
The decoration was then coated with clear varnish for protection. I have used such bows in rainy weather with no problems. The coatings are also flexible enough so there is no cracking in use.
Adam
The bows, depending on origin, were normally covered first with bark or leather, although the Mughal bows were usually painted rigt on the surface of sinew, coated only with thick glue. The paints were for the most part based on the same varnish mixed with pigments, but other media, such as glue-based paints (gold or silver among others) were used as well. The polishing of gold was possible if the support had some "give", as in the case of leather (or paper pulp for other items as you say), but could not be done on the hard-dried glue alone.
The decoration was then coated with clear varnish for protection. I have used such bows in rainy weather with no problems. The coatings are also flexible enough so there is no cracking in use.
Adam
Thank you for your observations Mr.Karpowicz,It only frustrates me that I am now located in Ohio and now back in Agra where there are still artisans using the old techniques.I knew quiet a few of them when i was living in India,some of the old men were only too happy to share their knowledge as they were frustrated that none of their new generation was interested in learning their trade or learning what they knew,I am still trying to find horn,hopefully should have some soon enough to start a bow.
I saw some documentation of painting from Jaipur by Stuart Cary-Welch, but would be wonderful if you found a way to save these techniques.
Dear Pj,
I wonder whether you could get some of the old artisans interested in the idea of decorating some reproduction Sindh bows to sell as luxury items. I am thinking of the bows that Csaba Grozer makes. I could offer one or two as samples and send them to a contact of yours in Agra, if that would work.
If your people did a deal with Csaba to supply the 'blank' bows, got them decorated locally, and sold them to tourists, that could develop into a nice line for the local economy.
S
I wonder whether you could get some of the old artisans interested in the idea of decorating some reproduction Sindh bows to sell as luxury items. I am thinking of the bows that Csaba Grozer makes. I could offer one or two as samples and send them to a contact of yours in Agra, if that would work.
If your people did a deal with Csaba to supply the 'blank' bows, got them decorated locally, and sold them to tourists, that could develop into a nice line for the local economy.
S
I also greatly appreciate these Central Asian/ Persian type designs. You can imagine my joy at going to madrassas in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and discovering dozens of artisans trained in this ancient skill. the work was amazingly affordable. The work is figurative as well as geometric. Most is based on ancient prototypes. Here are two examples of things I bought there. I had no problem finding people who would put these decorations on whatever was wanted.-j-
Mr Selby,I am sure the artists would dfinately be able to do the decorations on the bows as you mentioned,I am already contacting some people I know in india to work out the details.
The painting on the Tashkent box are typical of the decorations on the different objects and decorative items in Kashmir,The second picture is also typical of some of the examples of mughal miniature paintings i have seen in india,I recall having a neighbour in Jaipur who was a master painter who specialised in doing miniature paintings on plaques of ivory,this was in the early 80's before india joined the ivory trade ban.
The painting on the Tashkent box are typical of the decorations on the different objects and decorative items in Kashmir,The second picture is also typical of some of the examples of mughal miniature paintings i have seen in india,I recall having a neighbour in Jaipur who was a master painter who specialised in doing miniature paintings on plaques of ivory,this was in the early 80's before india joined the ivory trade ban.
I am bringing this topic back up as I have sone some research in to the pigments and the process and would like to share my findings.
The surface was prepared by initally rubbing it smooth with an egg shaped stone weighing app half a pound and then painting the surface with rice water or eggwhite or thin hide glue.
The paints were produced by using different pigments.
BLACK-this was produced by burning oil,wood and then collecting the soot which was then seived several times with a fine muslin cloth and then mixed with binders such as gum arabica and sometimes sugar water was added.
WHITE-lead white,zinc white and chalk,processed in the same way.
RED-ochre from iron oxide vermillion and mercury oxide.
GREEN-copper filings mixed with vinager(this was highly caustic)and by mixing stable yellow and blue pigments.
ORANGE-Orpiment mixed with red pigments.
YELLOW-Orpiment(arscenic derivitive)and from certain soil pigments from different regions.
BLUE-copper sulphate
MAUVE-mixture of red,blue,white vermillion and indigo.
GOLD AND SILVER-hand pounded to extreme thinness and still easily available and traditionaly known as waraq(still done by hand in Agra India)
The brushes used were made with squirrel fur.
The composition for the polish I am still trying to find out.
The surface was prepared by initally rubbing it smooth with an egg shaped stone weighing app half a pound and then painting the surface with rice water or eggwhite or thin hide glue.
The paints were produced by using different pigments.
BLACK-this was produced by burning oil,wood and then collecting the soot which was then seived several times with a fine muslin cloth and then mixed with binders such as gum arabica and sometimes sugar water was added.
WHITE-lead white,zinc white and chalk,processed in the same way.
RED-ochre from iron oxide vermillion and mercury oxide.
GREEN-copper filings mixed with vinager(this was highly caustic)and by mixing stable yellow and blue pigments.
ORANGE-Orpiment mixed with red pigments.
YELLOW-Orpiment(arscenic derivitive)and from certain soil pigments from different regions.
BLUE-copper sulphate
MAUVE-mixture of red,blue,white vermillion and indigo.
GOLD AND SILVER-hand pounded to extreme thinness and still easily available and traditionaly known as waraq(still done by hand in Agra India)
The brushes used were made with squirrel fur.
The composition for the polish I am still trying to find out.
Good doing PJ. There are lots of illustrations of good old crab bows in the ATARN Image Album (above).
Now I just have to get a bow ready to try all this on,am working on finding the process of zardozi that was used to decorate the quivers now.
some interesting paintings