Bhanu Athaiya was India’s first Oscar winner with a career as a costume designer spanning six decades.
Prinseps has been fortunate to have been consigned the estate of the Late Bhanu Athaiya, which includes beautiful antique sarees, woven intricately with gold and silver thread. Bhanu hailed from a family of royal temple priests of Kolhapur. The sarees are her family's legacy, heirlooms that have been worn by her ancestors and lovingly preserved by her. Some of the sarees have been dated by experts to be Circa 1890! They are a true glimpse into Indian culture and an important part of art history.
THE ANTIQUE
Needless to say, her exposure to these textile pieces inspired her creative journey as an artist and later as a designer. In the Prinseps Saree Sale, we bring to you the antique and the contemporary. Well-documented and described historical textile pieces. It should be noted that these Saree sketches are essentially studies – colour, hairstyle, accessories, clothing, etc. They depict different hairstyles, jewellery pieces, silhouettes, and of course the saree design itself.
Stay tuned !
THE CONTEMPORARY
References
Bill Viola Exhibition Setting at Palazzo Strozzi displaying the antique artwork and a contemporary NFT on the facing wall. Similar in sentiment to the upcoming exhibition on Bhanu Atahiya's Sarees.
