Assam, the heart of the seven sister states of the North-East, has a rich history of painting and craftsmanship. Assam also houses a rich legacy of paintings that dates back to the 7th century CE. Renowned for their unmatched mastery of outstanding strokes, the Assamese paintings are the source of inspiration to thousands of art enthusiasts across the globe.
History of Assamese Manuscript Paintings
The earliest mention of Assamese Manuscript Painting was found in the account of Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who had stated about the gifts sent to Harshavardhana, the King of Magadha from Bhaskaravarma, the King of Kamarupa (modern Assam) which included paintings and painted objects on Assamese silk. Other than these, the painted manuscripts of the middle ages had traditional paintings on them based on stories from Hasthividyarnava, the Chitra Bhagawata and Geet Govinda.
Assamese Miniature Paintings on the Manuscripts
The presence of miniature paintings on manuscripts was first discovered from the accounts of Bana, the court poet of King Harshavardhana. In them, he had clearly described the gifts sent to King Harshavardhana from King Bhaskaravarma, the ruler of Kamrup. The gifts included items like a pair of wooden panels which had colour pots with small gourds and brushes attached to one of its sides on Agaru bark (Aquilaria agallocha). These clearly indicate they were used for painting small designs or miniatures.
Themes and Techniques of the Painting
The main theme of these paintings is the illustrations of the stories of Bhagavat Geeta, Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata. This is because they were painted to supplement the text written in the manuscript. Later, the themes of the painting went beyond religious contexts to sermons of Kings or the family tree of a clan, teachings of religious reformers which were known as Charitra Puthi.
Techniques and Materials Required :
Manuscripts were drawn on manuscript leaves which comprise two materials, Sanchipat, made from bark of Sanchi or Aloe tree and Tulapat, made by pressing cotton. The preparation of the leaves involved various steps like curing, seasoning and polishing the raw slices and converting them into folios so that they could retain the ink. The ink, also known as mahi, was prepared from silikha (Terminal citrina), bull's urine, amlaka extracts (phyllanthus amblica), elandhu soot, and barks of certain trees. The quality of this ink is so high that the paintings and writings are still distinct and legible. The different colours used for paintings are indigo derived from indigo plant, harital (Arsenic Sulphide), hangul (Mercury Sulphide), kharimati for white colour and ash of silikha for black.
The Khanikars - The artists or the craftsmen of the manuscripts were known as the Khanikars. They were generally traditional wood carvers who also worked as make-up men during Bhaonas, a traditional Assamese drama form. Hence their familiarity with colours and inspiration from theatrical art helped them to paint parallel pictorial forms in manuscripts and the figurines appeared to be dancing in pictorial space.
The pictorial representation of the manuscripts involves horizontal progression unlike rectangular progression in Mughal paintings. In certain specific schools of art like the Sattriya School of Art, the pictures are drawn in angular progression. Emphasis is given to the contours, symmetry, and movements of the figures and not on the physiology or individuality of the characters. Paintings are done on zigzag or arched panels and the background is generally monochromatic, coloured using red/ blue/ grey or brown colours. The description of the landscape is done by portraying a blue sky, decorative green trees, and flowing water in a basket pattern.
The striking feature of certain manuscripts is that the size of all the illustrations on them are very small, or miniatures. Painting miniatures on manuscripts has enabled many artists to complete the whole storytelling in a single manuscript only. The manuscript painting has also received royal patronage in the court of Kamrup.
Present Scenario of Assamese Miniature and Manuscript Painting
With the passage of time, there has been a gradual decrease in interest in this painting of historical importance. The arrival of the American Baptist missionaries in North-eastern India was one of the main reasons for its decline. But in this post-independence era, academicians, modern historians, and artists have shown a keen interest in its revival and conservation. Their collective efforts have helped in protecting many valuable manuscripts. At present, very few artists in Assam are practicing this ancient style of painting and most of them are self-taught. Auniati Satra was one of the last surviving Khanikars who had managed to train some artists before passing away.
The present artists mainly focus on the aesthetic and cultural value of this age-old art form. Given the lack of availability of Sanchipat and Tulapat, artists are using modern base mediums like canvas and cloth. Other than painting only religious scriptures, many artists also started illustrating welcome notes, invitation cards, or contemporary figures on sanchi barks using the original natural colours which have actually drawn the attention of art lovers as well as common men. Also, there are few existing families who still prefer manuscripts over bound books for religious purposes are customers of these artists. But these artists and their functions are mainly concentrated in Satra Institutions of Assam. They are hoping to get a much bigger platform to propagate their ancient artform throughout the country.
ARTSofINDIA.in is such an online platform who have come forward to reach out to these artists and help them to showcase their products to the world. The artists are also looking forward to a better future for themselves and for their beloved art.
Picture Source: YouTube
