Kalighat Icons - Paintings from 19th century Calcutta 2 April 2007 The ‘Kalighat’-style paintings at Amgueddfa Cymru were brought over from India at around 1880. They represent a popular Indian art form that had died out by 1940. They are the work of professional artists called ‘patuas’ in Bengali and were sold for the equivalent of a penny each at markets and fairs in and around Calcutta, mostly at the gates of the famous temple at Kalighat, from where the style gets its name. Storytelling For centuries in Bengal, travelling professional artists known as &;lsquo;patuas’ or ‘chitrakars’ painted pictures or ‘pattas’ on cloth or handmade paper. These pictures were sewn together to make long scrolls of images. These artists toured rural villages, unrolling the images as they recited or sang the story. Patua families living in rural areas near Calcutta continue the tradition to this day. Patuas move to the city By 1806, some patuas had moved to the Calcutta – the biggest bazaar in Bengal. This new urban market had huge potential. In addition to residents, seasonal visitors to Calcutta wanted affordable souvenirs. With cheap machine-made paper and manufactured paints, the essential characteristics of the style emerged. Designs were kept simple, to be repeated as often as required according to the popularity of the picture. As demand increased, the detail in the scrolls was abandoned. Traditions and religion Certain Hindu traditions guided the painter. Each Divinity had a particular meditational formula – dhyan mantra – which the painters attempted to produce in line and colour. The traditional stories relate the appearance and actions of the gods and goddesses with their complexions, poses, mounts and weapons, which all had to be drawn correctly. Hindu images and Muslim festivals As Calcutta was extremely cosmopolitan, in addition to the Hindu images, the important Muslim festival of Muharram is also represented. It is possible that many Kalighat artists accepted beliefs from both the Hindu and Muslim faiths, as many of the scroll painters still do, having two personal names, one from each tradition. The origin of the Kalighat Collection The origin of the collection at the Museum is unknown before 1954. Assuming they form a single group, it is likely that they were acquired in Calcutta some time around 1873. The original owner was possibly French. A collection now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, was purchased between 1860 and 1870, and contains similar images. The collection is also similar to the seventy-three items in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acquired in India between 1865 and 1893. The fall of the Kalighat style 1870 seems to have been the time when the popularity of these paintings reached its peak. To speed production, some families tried using a lithographic outline during the 1840s, but did not survive many years. It was the chromolithograph, capable of even brighter colours and a huge print run, which ultimately undercut the hand-painting families and took over the market and by the 1930s this popular art form had died out completely. Sadly, very few of the thousands of Kalighat pats produced during the nineteenth century survive in India today, either in museums or private collections. They were never bought by the rich, who considered them unworthy of the name of art. In the poorer homes, the lack of protection from both the humid climate and physical damage soon destroyed the inherently weak cheap paper on which the patuas had worked their art. Further reading W. G. Archer, Kalighat Paintings, London 1971 Balraj Khanna, Kalighat – Indian Popular Paintings, London, 1993 Hana Knizkova, The Drawings of the Kalighat Style, Prague, 1975
Celtic Art - Origins and Myths 2 April 2007 The Celts The Late Iron Age harness piece from Alltwen Study of 'Celtic' art styles on metalwork helps us to understand the peoples of the Iron Age in Europe. La Tène art, as it is more properly known, was used across Europe, from the late 5th century BC onwards. This was a form of art uniquely different from that of the classical Mediterranean world, employing natural forms in a free-flowing style. Early La Tène styles were thought to have been made by the Celts, a people who shared common languages, societies and similar pagan religious beliefs. Recently, this view has been challenged; experts today believe that similar metalwork styles show that this art form was passed on across cultures and not necessarily retained within one common ethnic identity. Wales has many fine metalwork discoveries decorated in La Tène art styles, examples of which are housed at National Museum Cardiff. Glass enamels Analysing the samples using an Scanning Electron Microscope A technique mastered by British metalworkers from the 3rd century BC onwards was the application of red 'enamel' to decorated metalwork. It is in fact a type of glass applied by cutting pieces to shape; the pieces were then carefully heat softened and finally pressed into the metalwork. A specimen decorated with La Tène art, with red enamelling, has been discovered at Alltwen near Pontardawe (Neath Port Talbot) and purchased for Amgueddfa Cymru. The discovery raises questions about Welsh enamelled and decorated artefacts from the Iron Age. How similar (or different) were the metal and glassworking traditions in north and south Wales? Did the Severn Estuary act as a barrier, or as a cultural focus for metalworkers between south Wales and south-west England during the later Iron Age? How do these 'enamels' (glasses) decay? Removing samples for analysis Crystals of cuprite within the glass matrix The items chosen for the study include a piece of horse-harness from Cardiff, the Snowdon Bowl (Gwynedd) with its cat-like motif, and selected horse equipment from the Seven Sisters Hoard (Neath Port Talbot), in addition to the Alltwen find. Tiny samples of enamel were taken from the artefacts; these were mounted and polished on microscope slides. Analyses of samples were conducted using a Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray analysis. Additionally, the structure of the enamels was studied, through transmitted and incidental light, using a polarising light microscope. Results from the analysis show 'soda-lime' glass, containing large amounts of lead and copper. These are responsible for the brilliant red colour and the opacity of these glasses. Their manufacture is technically advanced and can only be produced by careful control of both the ingredients of the glass and the furnace conditions. Results show that enamelled artefacts from south Wales match reasonably well with those from south-west England; however the enamel on the Snowdon bowl from north Wales is markedly different from the others. This suggests differences in the manufacture of these glasses across different regions of Wales.
When the Vikings invaded North Wales 2 April 2007 Historical records tell us of a series of terrifying attacks by Viking invaders on the coasts of Britain, France and Ireland in the last decade of the 8th century. Archaeological evidence show that these invaders may not have been as brutal as records claim. The first recorded raid on Wales occurred in 852, and we know of attacks by Vikings on Anglesey and Gwynedd from 854 onwards. Rhodri Mawr, ruler of Gwynedd (844-78), led resistance to these early onslaughts, killing the Danish leader Gorm in 855. In 903 Vikings came to Anglesey after being driven out of Dublin. According to both Irish and Welsh records they failed to gain a foothold in Wales, and sailed on to Chester. Again in 918, Anglesey was ravaged by Vikings. Frequent attacks occurred on the island during the second half of the 10th century on the island; Olaf of Dublin built a castle known as 'Olaf's Castle' or 'Castell Bon y Dom' about the year 1000. This one-sided historical record of Vikings terrorising the land has now been transformed by archaeology. Viking contact was certainly hostile and brutal at times, but often opportunist. In some areas, they rapidly settled as peaceful farmers, and archaeology has provided evidence for them as colonisers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen. The nature of Viking settlement in Wales remains one of the mysteries of early medieval archaeology, none more so than on Anglesey. This is emphasised when the Viking measurement of 'a day's sail' is plotted from the Isle of Man, Dublin, Chester and the Wirral, for they all intersect in Anglesey waters. 10th-century fragments of silver ingots and arm-rings The Vikings name Anglesey Physical evidence of the Vikings in Wales is even less definite. Certainly, we know that the Vikings were familiar with Anglesey because of the place-names of Scandinavian origin which have been given to prominent coastal features as navigational aids: Onguls-ey itself, traditionally thought to incorporate a personal name - presumably a Viking leader, The Skerries, Piscar, Priestholm (prestaholmr) and Osmond's Air near Beaumaris, from Asmundr & eyrr, a gravel bank near the sea. Uncovering evidence of Vikings in Wales For a more realistic picture of Viking Wales, we have to turn to archaeology. Most Viking silver found in Wales has been discovered in coastal areas. St Deiniol's monastery in Bangor has produced two hoards, one dated to around 925, and a small group of coins deposited about 970. The Bryn Maelgwyn hoard of coins near Llandudno was deposited in the mid-1020s, and may be Viking booty rather than local savings; and a remarkable hoard of five complete Viking silver arm rings of were found in the 19th century at Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey. The Viking Age settlement at Llanbedrgoch One of the most intriguing archaeological sites belonging to the Viking period is to be found at Llanbedrgoch , Anglesey and research by Amgueddfa Cymru has helped reveal the nature of Viking Age life which has puzzled scholars for decades.
Fine fresco wall painting removed for conservation 30 March 2007 Watercolour by F.G. Newton, 1905 Removing one of the panels In 1988, archaeological excavations of the council chamber in the basilica (assembly hall) of the Roman town at Caerwent revealed a fine wall painting that has since been removed for conservation and display. The painted plaster or fresco, 5m long and 1m high, was still attached to the south wall of the chamber. It had been previously recorded in watercolour by F. G. Newton in 1905, and had been covered over again. The fresco shows an architectural perspective, with yellow pillars above a brown veined pink dado. A dark brown area in the central pillar may be part of a decorated panel, possibly containing the torso of a man. It was decided to remove the fresco to prevent further deterioration as the plaster was extremely fragile. After carefully covering the delicate artwork with muslin and glue, the painting was cut into five panels. Each enclosed in specially-designed boxes. A variety of saws and chisels were used to separate the painted plaster from the wall. Since access to the back of each panel was restricted to its top edge and one side, this process was difficult, needing extreme patience and ingenuity. It took a total of nine days to remove the painting, with the subsequent conservation and rebacking taking several years, the fresco is now conserved and stored at the National Museum, Cardiff. Background Reading: Caerwent Roman Town by R.J. Brewer. Published by Cadw (2006).
A Fistful of Dollars 30 March 2007 Silver 8-reales, or 'Pillar Dollar', Mexico, 1741. While the Museum's numismatic (coin) collections contain mostly coins from Britain, it also includes representative groups of overseas coins, which helps put the evolution of British coinage in its international context. The dollar, today one of the world's dominant currencies, has its origins late in the 15th century. New discoveries of silver and developments in mining technology increased European output of the metal dramatically and central European states started producing large coins in silver which were equal in value to the gold coins of the day. The name 'dollar' derives from the St Joachimsthaler Guldengroschen struck by the counts of Slik in Central Europe around 1520. As 'Thaler' became the generic name for crown-sized silver coins of the German states, the English term 'dollar' had started to appear by the early 17th century. The enormous numbers of Spanish dollars produced in their colonies of Mexico and South America ('pieces of eight') came to be traded all over the world, and they set the standard for the silver currencies of many emerging nations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
