Bomkai
Butidar Bomkai / Sonepur Sari
“A hand-painted tussar silk sari meticulously crafted using the traditional Sohrai painting technique, an art form practiced by indigenous communities across Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal.”
This unique piece was created by skilled tribal women in Odisha, utilizing colours sourced from natural materials. Traditionally, Sohrai art began as an indigenous mural art form that later transcended to fabric as well.
Adorning this sari are intricate borders and an elaborately patterned pallu, each showcasing motifs inspired by the daily lives of the Adivasis. These motifs vividly capture scenes of joy and festivity, likely reflecting the exuberant spirit of the annual Sohrai festival.
Continuity; the rhythm of nature. Identified across the creeping borders of this object.
Open motif entryCosmic order; mathematical harmony in weave. Identified across the woven ground of this object.
Open motif entrySeveral of India's painted-textile traditions descend directly from ritual wall and floor art: Madhubani from the Mithila murals of Bihar, Warli from the Adivasi wall paintings of Maharashtra, Sohrai from the harvest art of eastern India. Applied to silk and cotton with natural pigments and bamboo or twig pens, they carry a graphic, narrative density unlike any woven design.