Palampore Kalamkari With Solar Lions And Persian Inscriptions, India, 19th Century

A rare and spectacular Indian Kalamkari palampore, hand-painted and hand-dyed on cotton fabric, featuring an exceptional design that blends Persian and Mughal influences with animal symbolism.

This large vertical tapestry is organized around a majestic central motif derived from the tree of life, lavishly covered with stylized flowers rendered in a limited yet particularly refined palette of reds, blacks, and blues on a cream background.

The wide side panels are populated by a fascinating bestiary consisting of solar lions, sphinxes, birds, facing felines, and fantastical creatures evoking the Persian imagination and Indo-Persian court arts.

The upper section features several cartouches inscribed with Persian calligraphy as well as a procession of lions with solar faces, an emblematic motif found in Persian and Qajar art.

The piece is executed using the traditional kalamkari technique, which involves drawing with a bamboo pen and then applying natural dyes fixed with successive mordants.

This remarkable piece attests to the enduring artistic exchanges between India and Persia. Its particularly rich iconography—combining calligraphy, symbolic animals, and floral motifs—makes it a decorative textile of great visual impact.

Large figurative kalamkari pieces of this quality are becoming increasingly rare on the market today.

India
19th century
Kalamkari technique on cotton
Dimensions: 258 x 135 cm

In good overall condition, with wear and slight irregularities consistent with its age.