The roots of the Thanjavur Paintings may be traced back to the 17th century rule of the Nayaks and the Marathas in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Serfoji, a Maratha king and an art enthusiast was no longer interested in gifting traditional offerings to other kings and kingdoms, so he decided to create a new and unique form of painting which involved the use of gold plate and diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. The use of gold and gems retained the monetary value of these royal gifts while the innovative idea made it much more appealing and exclusive to those who received them. Today this craft is patronized by the Maratha descendant His Highness Sri Babaji Bhonsle of Huzur Mahadi Palace of Thanjavur.

Creating this unique form of paintings involves several different processes; the fist being the preparation of the plywood, which involves pasting a layer of cloth on the plywood and then covering this with a paste of limestone. After this the basic concept of the painting is sketched on the plywood. The idea could cover absolutely anything in terms of art, but the craft originated mainly to represent the Hindu pantheon and hence is focused towards the religious. Semi precious stones are now fitted on to the board according to the demands of both artist and the client. Next clay like material made from gum Arabic and limestone is used on various sections which give the painting a 3D effect this process is also known as muck work.

The kings enjoyed the use of gold and diamonds. Today, 24 carat gold foil is used to cover the embossed portion and the piece painted with poster colors. A certain degree of specialization typifies the process with artisans having a specific expertise in particular processes of the Thanjavur paintings. This includes sketching muck work, gold foiling, coloring and framing.

K10Arts, is proud to be associated with this elegant Indian art form and brings you exclusive paintings directly from the place of its origin – Thanjavur. With the constant endeavor to be associated with nothing but the best, every painting that you buy from us is specially certified by His Highness of The Huzur Mahadi Palace.