RURAL COUPLE : CHERIAL MASK FRAMED

The framed dual mask here portrays a typical husband and wife from a rural family. The female mask here is painted with nose rings, earrings and Mathapatti Tikka-  a head ornament set representing the married women in villages. The male mask is painted with a tilak, a long moustache, and a turban on its head as wearing a turban and tilak was considered a concept of dignity in ancient India.

They add a eye-popping splash of colour to a dull corner, brightening it immediately.

This pair of masks is one of the Cherial masks which are a modified version of the Nakashi art, distinctive to the Cheriyal village, of Warangal district in Telangana. Wandering storytellers used painted Cheriyal masks to build intrigue for the gathered crowd in any festival to tell religious stories and folklore. The artistic tradition of making masks, handed down from generations is now a boon to the craftsmen in this Cheriyal village.

These masks very much preserve the Indian art and are painstakingly wrought using a light wood base, tamarind seeds and sawdust.