Kathakali Theyyam Wall Plaque - Hand-Painted Kerala Art devotional gift Bani Thani is sometimes called

Bani Thani is sometimes called "India's Mona Lisa" — a Rajasthani miniature painting from the 18th-century Kishangarh court

No machine touches these dolls – the slight variation from one face to the next is proof of the human hand behind it

its form filled edge to edge with the fine

recognisable piece of Rajasthani miniature portraiture into a home abroad

How do I keep the colours from fading over time

Kathakali Theyyam Wall Plaque - Hand-Painted Kerala Art devotional gift Bani Thani is sometimes calledThis wall plaque splits a single face down the middle to hold two of Kerala's most striking performance traditions side by side. One half is painted in the fierce red and orange makeup and towering crown associated with Theyyam, the ritual performance art of Northern Malabar; the other half carries the green face, white beard like lips, and ornate headdress of Kathakali, Kerala's classical dance drama. The two halves meet exactly at the centre of the