Cultural inquiry of Ganjifa cards by EvangelineY

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Ganjifa cards of

Sawantwadi

A study and inquiry of craft as a manifestation of culture by understanding the socio-cultural attitudes that influence the craft, the maker and the user.

Acknowledgement The completion of this module and research project gives us much pleasure and we would like to show our gratitude to all our resource people, our faculty and guest faculty who have mentored us throughout. And of course, to our module guide, Shimul Mehta Vyas who has been a tremendous mentor and has helped guide us with numerous consultations, valuable inputs and feedback. We would like to thank our guest faculty, Moon Moon Jetley for helping us structure the research and guiding us through the process and Gunjan Ahlawat, for his mentorship on document layout and book design. This research project wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been possible without the support of our resource people at our institute and at Sawantwadi.

We extend our gratitude to the Sawantwadi royal family for giving us time and allowing us to visit the workshop, the artisans at the palace workshop, senior artists Ramchandra Ladu Thakur and Ladu Ramchandra Thakur for hosting us at their home, professor Dr Gangadhar Buva and professor Dr Walavarkar for their extremely valuable inputs, Shivnath Kanekar and Rajesh Kanekar for their guidance, and of course the very hospitable locals of the town. We would also like to acknowledge the support and insights our fellow students have provided and thank all those who have directly and indirectly supported us and our study.

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Preface A third-semester module dedicated to documentation and study of a particular craft in India. The class worked in teams of two and three, with each picking a craft of their choice, to study, understand and document under the guidance of Shimul Mehta Vyas. The course was conducted in three phases; the orientation, where the class did an in-depth exploratory study region-wise, to find various craft types that is practised. The craft practices were then categorised under seven macro topics and were expected to be studied and

documented from a particular lens. The macro topics included studying the craft from a Historical perspective, socio-cultural, economic, religious, crafts of nomadic nature, crafts intertwined with social structure, eco-conscious craft practices. The field study; where the teams were off to the location of the craft practice and conducted an ethnographic study of the craft and the craftspeople. Phase three, was back in class, preparing a structure to the study, designing the flow and inking in the content of the document.

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Objective of the module The module is designed to help us understand every aspect and intricacies of Indian craft - from the craft origin story to its current form of practice, from the maker to the end-user and everything in between. The field visit during the course helps empathise with the craft maker, their practice, the socio-cultural values that push the maker to continue their craft practice. To develop a macro understanding of the craft of Ganjifa

cards and study it from a socio-cultural perspective from across three different cultural contexts and periods. The study not only helps us build a greater understanding of craft but also helps us experience craft in its very raw, pre-market phase but, also helps us infer interesting insights, findings and document our interpretation.

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Content 1 Context of research Craft case study Research methodology

4 Ganjifa of today Introduction Getting to Sawantwadi History of Sawantwadi Craft & the royalty Other crafts of sawantwadi The Sawantwadi palace The palace workshop The craft process The craft products The craft community The perception of Ganjifa Conclusion: The decline of Ganjifa Keeping up with culture

& 2 Craft culture Decoding Culture Elements of Culture Idea of ‘play’ Play, leisure & recreation The playing cards

5 Research references Resource people & profile Image source and credit Research references & links

of 3 Ganjifa the Mughals Introduction to the cards Mughal court and culture Akbar’s leadership Art & craft: A manifestation of culture Cultural climate & Ganjifa Court code & Ganjifa Combat culture & Ganjifa Ganjifa: A pan-India phenomenon

The craft & the context Understanding the research objective and the craft case study The craft we chose to study and document is the Ganjifa cards of Sawatwadi in Maharashtra. Ganjifa cards are a set of playing cards that is said to have originated in the Persian mainland and later in history migrated to the Indian subcontinent along with the Mughals. The craft form itself has gone through a multi-contextual transformation from the rise of its popularity during the Mughal period to retaining its relevance throughout a Hindu ma jority regime to its modern-day form – And it’s enticing history is the very reason we centred our study around this craft. In our study, we try to comprehend the overall relevance of craft in culture, society and attempt to decode the aspects of culture that is reflected in craft practice.

The premise of our study is the evolving cultural contexts that continued to sustain the craft form, the card game itself and the apparent culture it reflects. In brief, our study revolves around the cards, craft, culture and community of the Sawantwadi Ganjifa. Some questions we wanted to answer - How and why are crafts a manifestation of a society’s culture. What aspect of culture does a craft practice reflect? Does evolution in the aesthetics and practice of craft imply an evolution of the culture? Why isn’t Ganjifa cards as popular as the other ancient board games are today? What can we learn from the Sawantwadi case study about the importance of localisation, cultural relatability and standardization?

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Research methodology Phase 1: Identifying the craft and articulating the theme of study Secondary research: - Cognitive map of all the indigenous craft practices in India and a horizon scan of crafts based on region, material type, need and purpose, utilitarian value and maker community. - Data structuring: Classifying the crafts under seven macro themes namely; economic significance, cultural relevance, geographical crafts, nomadic craft communities and their practice, crafts that reflect social structures,

crafts of high historical value. - Identifying and understanding what crafts are most relevant for the macro theme of study and reasoning to pursue the study. - Craft selection and articulation of the research objective. Phase 2: Field visit and data collection The research objective: Study of the craft as a manifestation of culture and understanding the socio-cultural attitudes that influence the craft, the maker and the user.

Secondary research: - Understanding the history and cultural significance of Ganjifa cards across different historical and cultural periods from the eyes of various authors. - Mapping the various geographic occurrences of the craft and the reasoning - Studying the craft under two broad contexts: The craft, cards and culture during the Mughal era and of the modern-day Primary research: - Shadowing the city dwellers and residents to build an overall understanding of the town and its culture. - Illustrating â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A day in Sawantwadiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by visiting the local markets, places of cultural importance, eateries and craft shops to help deepen our understanding.

- In-depth conversational interviews with key resource people in Sawantwadi. - Interviews with locals to understand their knowledge and perception of the craft. - Interview with the royal family of Sawatwadi who are also the patrons of the craft. - Ethnographic research of the artisans in their workspace and their homes. Phase 3: Research articulation and documentation: Identifying relevant insights from the field study and secondary research, and articulating our findings under the two macro contexts. We did a thorough inquiry of the craft practice under various cultural contexts and studied the finer nuances it reflects about the society.

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Craft & Culture

Decoding culture Simplifying the social construct Culture can be defined as the patterns of learned and shared behaviour, beliefs and values of a particular social, ethnic, or age group that together, form a people's way of life. One can say that the fundamental characteristic of the humankind is having the ability to adapt to change in a multitude of ways. Culture is one such human-made doctrine that

has helped societies thrive and survive. Civilization through the years has developed principles, tools and techniques based on local values, economic necessities and available resources which have collectively given rise to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ways of doingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; things. Culture is what we call these relationships between people and their communities, people and the places they live in, people and the way they conduct their lives and the traditions that bind it together.

Two sides of the culture coin Material and nonn-material culture: There are many elements and aspects of culture and the concept can be broadly categorized as a material and nonmaterial culture. Material culture includes all the physical things that people create and attach meaning to like clothing, food, tools, and architecture. Interestingly, naturally occurring objects and materials aren't considered to be part

of material culture and it perhaps illuminates that culture, in fact, is a social construct. Nonmaterial culture includes creations and abstract ideas that are not embodied in physical objects. Ideas like religion, societal values, ethics, belief systems and other intangible products that are created and shared between the members of a culture over time. They essentially act as a doctrine for members of a culture and provide norms for behaviour and help interpret the world.

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Chitrakars of West Bengal Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Benbal_Handicrafts_01.jpg

Elements of culture Understanding the significance of culture The concept of culture can be organized along two themes, diversity and change. An individual’s upbringing or culture is what makes them different from other people in society. Nature of the background and thought is what brings diversity. People’s need to adapt and transform to physical, biological and cultural forces to survive encompasses the idea of change. We know that culture generally changes for one of two reasons, selective transmission or to meet changing needs. This means that when a group of people or a culture is met with new challenges they must be able to adapt and change and the way they live.

A close-up of crafts

One can say that the function of culture is in the intersection of learning, sharing, reinforcing and modifying values that a society adopts in order to thrive as a civilization. While historically, the notion of culture has been explicitly normative and been perceived as symbolic, it has its roots in the phenomenon of survival and evolution. There are numerous accounts that believe that the goal of culture is to perhaps overcome barbarity and realize higher values, such as intellectual conscience, reason and to define civility in a civilization. Culture is therefore associated with products which were seen to embody these values like classical music, literature, art and food.

Objects of use. Objects of culture. Objects that are an extension of human creativity. Objects that we call crafts. The humans have made utilitarian goods throughout their existence from tools for hunting and agriculture to products for modern-day needs. The skill and culture of making is very intrinsic to the humankind and has evolved from the means of gathering food and surviving to the means of livelihood, cultural identity and pride. One could say that crafts serve as an embodiment of creativity, a vehicle of culture and is a language of material and making.

‘People make crafts and crafts make people’

In an industrial and digitally forward society, one might question the role of craft but, because ‘making’ is integral to human nature, crafts are far from obsolete. The value of crafts isn’t solely monetary. It keeps its maker and material engaged in a way that beyond visual and cerebral. It ties us to our history, to our culture, makes us more physically aware, and empowers us creatively. Like art and science, crafts are considered to be an important aspect of human creativity. The significance of creation and the elements of craft that enhance well-being can be traced to both the artefacts and the sense of achievement gained in producing them. The big benefits of craft include personal growth and development, learning physical and cognitive skills, and learning to control one's body, thoughts, and feelings, as well as cultural and social awareness. Cards & Culture

Idea of ‘play’ Play is an intrinsic element of human life. But, seems rather unobvious as to why humans have spent so much time on recreation and play, especially when it seems like the survival of the species doesn’t depend on it. Yet, humans of all culture indulge in ‘play’. The idea of play could be viewed as a pro-social behaviour that encourages a sense of community building which was once crucial to the survival of our species. It could also be viewed as a pleasure-inducing phenomenon that drives us to seek certain experiences that are good for our evolutionary future. The innate tendency to ‘play’ has over the centuries given rise to human-driven innovations in this space. Researchers have found the social and evolutionary benefits of ‘play’ including ‘play for the social corporation’, ‘play for learning’, ‘play for social bonding’

‘Games can mirror aspects of human life in an instructive way’ In social cooperative species like humans, play can be used to establish a dominance hierarchy and social ranks. It can act as a great tool to learn social rules, etiquette and other important behaviours which ultimately leads to social cohesion and cooperation. Learning could also include developing cognitive and creative skills. Play as a pastime and managing stress simply because activities that involve social play have proven to lower stress hormones and, in so doing, promote mental and physical health. Play for social bonding; to establish trust, mutual corporation and understanding that helps keep the community together. This perhaps explains why so many cultures place emphasis on ‘play’ and use it as a social tool for recreation and entertainment.

One could easily infer that a substantial amount people’s waking hour is spent playing games and watching others play, games, therefore, form a highly significant aspect of a culture, both because of their importance in people’s lives and because of the degree of creativity and skill that go into playing them and into devising them. Among the variants of games, playing cards have offered the greatest opportunity for artistic talents on the part of those who design and produce them.

Cultural significance of ‘play’ Culture is a phenomenon that moulds civilization and is characteristic of a society. One can say that it is almost an intangible institution that helps the transfer of information. Information that is vital for cognitive, behavioural and emotional development, suggesting that culture is beneficial to survival and has evolutionary purposes. We know that once a species is sufficiently reliant on learning aspects of its behavioural repertoire

from others, cultural constructs can arise. Play is a universally inherent aspect of being human and a cultural 'pathway' for socialization. While play is unarguably a biological phenomenon, the idea of recreation and entertainment are socio-cultural constructs like language, values and believes that are integral to human civilization. We know that play can be instrumental in teaching behaviour, cognition and culture and that culture, in turn, shapes the many forms of play. This reciprocal relationship between ‘play’ and ‘culture’ is apparent in the case of the Ganjifa cards and is the central theme of our study. The cards have lived through dynasties, adapting to various cultures and mirroring the values of the society that designs it.

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A means to engage and educate

Play, leisure & recreation Understanding their evolving contexts in society In many cultures of modern society, recreation is widely believed to shape the brain, open imagination and invigorate the soul. The many forms of recreation are strongly associated with amusement and activities that hold the attention and interest of an audience. Although people's attention is held by different things, because individuals have different preferences in entertainment, People tend to be drawn to the things they relate to emotionally and culturally. Forms of a recreation like storytelling, games, music, drama, dance, and many others exist in all cultures and have lived through history, from

being supported in ancient royal courts, to its more sophisticated modern-day forms. Throughout history recreation has had evolving meanings, while in the Aristotle era, it stood for philosophising and replenishing oneself, today recreation perhaps means de-stressing and stands for a healthy time out from work, suggesting that recreation, like every human activity, is contextual to the civilization, is influenced by culture and the era.

Traditional games can be an authentic expression of a culture which also gives rise to the creation of artefacts of great diversity and beauty. The Indian subcontinent has shown great creativity and boasts a variety of crafted games in terms of sheer number, quality and types of games whether chance or skill based. A natural inclination to mathematics, artistic design, intellectual inquiry and aptitude for ‘play’ have helped influence and craft such experiences. The concept of play is also frequently referenced in various Hindu texts and epics like the Mahabharat and Ramayana. Much like oral history games are instruments of culture and over the years have been used as a teaching, storytelling aid and a means to pass on ideologies, heritage and values to following generations. While some traditional games tend to become obsolete there are plenty of indigenous games that have survived time.

Snakes and ladder for example. The game is a teaching tool whose simple design has been used for centuries, perhaps even millennia, as a way to inculcate and reinforce religious teachings and cultural values. Over the centuries it’s evolved and adopted themes and aesthetics relevant to each culture that played it, from various parts of ancient India to far beyond. The early variant or the Gyan ‘Chaupar’ or ‘Moksha Patamu’ and its various cultural, regional and linguistic contemporaries have existed and been played for years. While the core idea, purpose, and basic design have remained constant, the content, cultural values, visual sensibility and imagery have been modified.

‘Games reflect the society that designs it’

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Princes, Playing cards and patterns

The playing cards Understanding its history and evolution The modern-day deck of playing cards have undergone a radical transformation since their first beginnings several centuries ago. The cards evolved into a deck of 52 with four suits in red and black and with two Jokers by making a journey that took hundreds of years and involved travelling through many countries. In fact, the most significant elements that shaped today's deck were produced by the different cultures and countries that playing cards travelled through in order to get to the present day.

The cards travelled to various empires and the courts that adopted it modified the iconography and imagery to reflect the structures of their courts and match their local aesthetic. The precise origin of the playing cards is unknown but, they seem to have come from somewhere in the East, and may have been imported to Europe by gipsies, crusaders, or traders. The earliest evidence of the playing cards dates back to China from the middle ages. It is quite possible that playing cards travelled from China to Europe via Egypt in the Mamluk period, with decks from that era having cups, coins, swords, and polo-sticks, representing the main functions and interests of the Mamluk aristocracy.

The mamluk cards are one of the first few versions that have suits and imagery representative of their courts. Much like the Ganjifa cards of Persia and India, suits were assigned various powers. The deck consists of court cards that depict the head of the kingdom, wazir cards which are high ranking officials and the pip cards. The nomenclature of the suits, the suit motifs and the imagery on the card panels are a key indicator of the culture that designs the cards. And widely differ depending on the region the cards are made and played in. The mamluk cards and the Italian adaptation have similar suits structures and are perhaps the early renditions of the modern-day 52 deck. The playing cards also make an appearance in many regions of historical Europe. In the 1400s playing cards often appear along with dice games in religious sermons as examples of gambling activities that are denounced. While the suit signs in these first European decks were swords, clubs, cups, and coins much like the iconography on the Mamluk cards, the court cards mirrored the make-up of the European

royalty; king, queen and a knave. It is believed that these cards were hand-painted luxury items found only among the aristocratic classes. But as the popularity of the grew, it trickled down to the commoners, became widely available and consequently cheaper to produce. The playing cards were then adopted by the Germans who introduced their own suits to replace the Italian ones, and these new suits reflected their interest in rural life: acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells. Meanwhile, early in the 15th century, the French developed the icons for the four suits that we commonly use today, namely hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs. But the real stroke of genius that the French came up with was to divide the four suits into two red and two black, with simplified and clearer symbols. This meant that playing cards could be produced with stencils, quicker than the traditional techniques leading to its spread all over Europe, giving us the designs as we know them today. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting is that the characters of the court cards were inspired from mythological and historical emperors of the regions and the common postures, attire, and accessories that we expect in a modern deck of playing cards today find their roots in characters like these.

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Ganjifa of the Mughals

Ganjifa cards An introduction to the ancient playing cards In June 1527 Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty, sent a unique gift to Shah Hasan. It was an exquisite set of the Mughal Ganjifa playing cards, each hand-painted on ivory and inlaid with precious stones. Slowly the game became popular in the 16th century among the courtiers and the commoners.

Ganjifa cards are believed to be the precursor of modern playing cards that originated in the 16th century. The earliest origins of the cards remain uncertain, but Ganjifa cards are believed to have originated in Persia. Rudolf von Leyden suggested that the Ganjifa cards may have been brought by the first Mughals from their ancestral homeland in Inner Asia. A key reference comes from an early 16th-century biography of Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty

The first syllable is attributed to the Persian word 'Ganj' meaning treasure and many historians have believed that the word 'Ganjifa' may have derived from the Chinese chi-p'ai, meaning playing cards. Ganjifa became popular in India under the Mughal emperors in the 16th century. Despite the significance of Persia in the history of Ganjifa cards, the very earliest known card specimens are of the Mamluk era from Egypt. The playing cards are known to have been adopted by Europe and

the west, who later introduced the first iteration of the modern-day French suit. The playing cards have travelled across cultures, dynasties and have survived time. Closer home in India, the evolution of Ganjifa cards reflect the changing cultural and political mores of large parts of the Indian sub-continent from the 16th century into the late 18th century. Image source: Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Link: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder A set of laquered papier-mache circular game cards (Ganjifa) with its box, India, 19th century

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The birth of the Mughal empire

Mughal court & culture The Ganjifa cards grew popular in large parts of the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th century to the era of British India. The cards reflect aspects of aristocratic culture in early modern India, encase rich details about the Mughal military structures, court culture and is a manifestation of the various cultural influences from its era. In this chapter, we study the various adaptations of the Ganjifa cards through the years, Understanding every detail that influenced the creation of the cards and every detail that reflects nuances about its makers, players and purpose.

The Mughal empire which was established by Babur dominated the political atmosphere of the sub-continent for at least 3 centuries. The political glory aside the Mughal dynasty has played a significant role in shaping the region’s cultural endeavours which are now part of India’s identity and rich heritage. Unarguably the era was a golden period that gave birth to many of India’s art, craft, literature, and architectural marvels. Babur was succeeded by his son, Humayun who rose to the throne, spent his early years in exile in the safe havens of the Safavid Empire in Persia. This is an event of significance to our study because it is during this very period that he discovers the artistic capabilities and splendour of the Safavid artisans. He was introduced to the work of the Persian miniaturists, and Kamaleddin Behzad had two of his pupils join Humayun in his court.

Humayun was amazed at their work and invited them to work for him once he regained the sovereignty of Hindustan. Soon enough he gathered a vast army and emerged back to recapture power in Delhi and re-established the foundations of the Mughal empire. His tenure however ended tragically ended with a fall, literally. A young Akbar succeeded his father and grew up to create what historians would call the golden period of the Mughal era and earned him the title, ‘Akbar the great’ The emperor consolidated the Mughal domains, secured the foundation and lead it to its glorious days. He was a master strategist who established a centralised system of administration and created strategic military alliances that led to steady economic prosperity. This period saw a rise of artistic endeavours and is often referred to as the Indian renaissance.

Gouache heightened with gold on card, depicting Timur in a blue tunic flanked by Akbar in green and Humayun in red with a gold overcoat, all seated on raised daises underneath a canopy Image source: Christie’s.

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Akbar’s leadership Understanding the socio-political climate under Akbar’s dominion

The Political climate: Akbar was hailed for his personality as a leader and his capabilities as a general. He was applauded for his strategic capabilities, ingenious policies and administrative efforts. He was especially lauded for his ambition to create a better and more cohesive society. He made attempts to broaden his base of support and create an ethic that would appeal to the native elites and communities He was very strategic and tactful in forming coalitions with the Rajput princes and nobles.

His ingenious matrimonial diplomacy encouraged the Rajput rulers to marry their daughters off to the Mughal princes and emperors. By doing so, the Rajputs anticipated some amount of political support and inclusion in the imperial courts and in turn upheld the Mughal leadership.

The Religious landscape: Numerous accounts convey that young Akbar was brought up in an environment that encouraged liberal religious sentiments making Akbar more appreciative of various cultures, religions and their philosophy. Quite early into his reign, Akbar recognized the socio-political need for religious accommodation

The emperor Akbar holding a jewel Mughal India, 18th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, inscribed ‘Akbar’ below, nasta’liq couplets bordered by illuminated panels above and below Image source: Christie’s.

and prosperity so, he laid the foundation of a system called Din-e-elahi, which aimed to blend the principles of Islam with aspects borrowed from other religions that were followed under his rule. Akbar promoted secularism through the arts and crafts and he aimed to build an empire based on the doctrine of religious tolerance and cultural inclusivity rather than ruling its subjects under coercion. One can very well say that the Mughals did not allow boundaries of religion, culture and faith to deter cultural confluence.

The birth of the bhakti movement: An uprising of co-existence & composite culture

The visible influence of the Sufi and Bhakti movement on the arts of this era An album page: Kabir, the mystical weaver, Amber, North India, second half 18th century Image source: Christie’s.

which either leads to a pleasantly diverse society or communalism. India has been a birthplace of many religions, cultures and ideas and the 16th century marked the beginning of a heterogeneous society that believed in religious tolerance and harmony. This is the period that gave birth to 2 great socio-religious movements, the bhakti movement, Sufism and the Perso-Arabic literary movement. The movements were sort of a social reform that came to be defined as ‘devotion to a personal deity’ All of these ideas heavily influenced Akbar’s court and the many cultural endeavours of this period including the arts and literature. The predominant artistic and literary themes of narration were ‘Love, human or divine’ this perhaps heavily influenced the people and culture of this period.

Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. It’s almost a set of guiding principles that help interpret life and outline norms for behaviour. Most often than not, different cultures reinforce different values and hold different ideas of life

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Traditional Rajput style of painting Sudama Offers a Garland to Krishna, Folio from a Bhagavata Purana Northern India, 1550-1575 Image source: Collections.lacma.org

Art and craft, a manifestation of culture: A glimpse of the Mughal arts and crafts, prevalent themes, styles and iconography:

The visual language and grammar: Mughal Miniature and motifs:

The art and craft landscape of the dynasty was dependant on the emperor's personality, years of their active patronage. Akbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest in the arts could be traced back to calligraphy and painting lessons we took as a young prince. Unarguably the arts and crafts of this era manifest the socio-cultural atmosphere. The very notion that it especially flourished under Akbar, is a testament to the timeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political stability and economic prosperity.

The earliest known existence of the Indian miniature paintings dates back to the 9-10th century and was mostly found in religious texts and manuscripts. Both the tradition of Indian wall painting and miniature painting never flourished exclusively as an elitist activity. The folk and the courtly idioms were intermixed at various phases causing a variety of styles to emerge. Patronage was also not restricted to any specific religious order or social group.

Later in history, miniatures emerge again in the 16th century, in the form of Mughal miniature paintings for the Islamic rulers of the Deccan. These miniatures display a diverse artistic influence - from the Rajput and Mughals in the North, Golconda in the south to Persia from the west. These diverse visual vocabularies have contributed to the variety and wealth of Deccan art and culture. The Mughal are known to have used miniatures to record their political achievements and military exploits. The paintings depict the emperors leading an expedition or a hunt and show them formally holding court. Evidently, they used paintings to reinforce their A Safavid style miniature A youth holding a wine cup. Safavid Isfahan, 16th Century Image source: Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

royal image. Mughal miniatures present situations and human subjects enriched with an extraordinary finish. These works of art were almost meant to evoke an imperial image in all its splendour and majesty. The period that precedes the Mughal establishment also witnessed styles of miniature paintings flourish. This period was characterised by intense religious flavour expressed in devotionalism. It witnessed the blending of two cultural sensibilities, the newer Islamic and the indigenous style which was reflected in the architectural marvels, art, paintings and literature. The popular themes taken up for visual narrations and manuscripts were inspired by the majestic legends of the era.

Pomp and portraiture: Under the mastery of the Safavid artists, the Mughal miniature painting roughly spanned three centuries and marked a colourful phase in Indian cultural history. The Mughal court meant grandeur and aristocratic high culture, it perhaps explains why the arts emphasise on pomp and ma jestic-ness of the emperors. The popular theme for albums was portraiture predominantly, portraits of courtiers and grandees. Most of the artwork represented details of the court, were visual supplements for traveller’s accounts and gifts for dignitaries - all to provide a richer experience of the Mughal court.

Portrait of Sayyid Abu'l Muzaffar Khan, Khan Jahan Barha, Folio from the Shah Jahan Album recto: ca. 1630; verso: ca.1530–50 Painting by Lalchand, Mir 'Ali Haravi (died ca. 1550) Image source: Metmuseum.org

Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar, Folio from the Shah Jahan Album verso: ca. 1615–29; recto: ca. 1540 Bhim Kunwar, son of the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Amar Singh, was given the title of maharaja by Shah Jahan, and was a staunch supporter and ally of the Mughal house. As demonstrated by the inclusion of his portrait in the Shah Jahan Album, Hindu nobility featured prominently in the ranks of the Mughal empire Image source: Metmuseum.org

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Painting and politics:

The Ramayana (Tales of Rama; The Freer Ramayana), Volume 1, Freer Gallery of Art Period: Mughal dynasty, Reign of Akbar, 1597-1605

Akbar made outstanding efforts that encouraged religious harmony and cultural synthesis. His reign saw a number of religious reforms, cultural movements, apparent in the works of literature, art and craft. Although, the Mughals largely commissioned ateliers to work on a lot of military-centric portraitures over imagery of spirituality or elements from the natural world.

Under Akbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dominion, numerous translations of traditional Indian texts were taken up for illustration. The Hindu painters outnumbered their non-Hindu colleagues of the atelier. And were often part of the team that illustration various translations for the imperial library. The front-ranking painters of the studio illustrated the translation of the Mahabharata entitled Razmnama between 1582 and 1586. He also translated a lot of Hindu texts into Persian, like the Harivansha Purana.

Image source: https://asia.si.edu/object/F1907.271.1-172/

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Influence of religion on the visual grammar: Religion is a key factor that influences a visual language. The colours, forms, symbols are characteristic to culture and signify certain values and beliefs. The Islamic principles play a huge role in crafting the artistic language that is displayed in many of the creative marvels.

A Nastaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;liq Quat Rain signed by Mirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ali, Safavid Iran, Circa 1528 AD Image source: Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

The sect considers the realistic representation of humans as blasphemous and figures of animals and people are generally avoided and when attempted, are stylised and lack real mass, so as not to be confused with the real thing. Because, according to tradition, the prophet declared that artists responsible for such images would be

ordered by Allah, on the day of judgement, to breathe life into their figures, failing to do so, they would be condemned to eternal damnation, having tried to usurp god's prerogative in the act of creation. In the Islamic visual language, a characteristic visual treatment is to repeat motifs. No single motif occupies a dominant position or has an emphasis in the composition. The motifs are grouped and the patterns are applied in a repetitive manner, letting go of its individual identity. The design celebrates the overall composition and does not use a subject as the focal point.

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Imagery and iconography Understanding the visual sensibility of the Mughal and Indianised Ganjifa cards The Mughal Ganjifa displays a visual sensibility inspired by the Timurid style and the Persian Safavid tradition. The card panels are embellished with symmetrical motifs and are visually similar to that of the Mamluk cards. The ample use of geometric and arabesque patterns was a feature observed across many art and craft forms of this period. The cards were tweaked throughout the Mughal period especially during Akbar’s era. The Hindu adaptations of the Ganjifa cards are a great example of how crafts manifest hetero-cultural influences. The Mughal and Rajasthani influence is evident in the treatment of the human figures and the cards display an indigenous, folk-like sensibility with a strong colour palette of

dazzling yellows, reds, orange with restrained greens and mauves that reflect the influence of the Rajput school. The rich details, extensive use of gold, as well as the careful craftmanship most likely convey that it was made for the aristocratic class. This is also the era that witnessed an emergence of mythological themes in miniature paintings, iconographic representations of divinities which perhaps explains the religious themes and imagery on the cards. The Hindu artisans on their part brought an indigenous sensibility by introducing native forms, materials and techniques and thereby adding another layer to the Persian-Safavid style. In fact, it is possible that the idea of circular cards was inspired by the playing cards of the Mallas of Vishnupur. Most of the paintings and the panels of the cards have a neo-Islamic sensibility that has retained its Indian essence and Islamic identity while carving out a character of its own, an amalgam that came to be called Mughal aesthetic.

Cards from Northern India, 17th-18th century Varnished and painted papier-mâché Image source: Amirmohtashemi.com

Dashavatara, Sawantwadi, Maharashtra, Late 19th century Image source: IGNCA, Ministry of culture

Maharana Sangram Singh II playing cards in camp at night (c. 1720-1725)

Cultural climate & Ganjifa Ganjifa cards, a reflection of the cultural context of this period The Hindu version of the Ganjifa cards perhaps came into being as part of the efforts that encouraged a cultural fusion. One could say that the political and matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs fostered the exchange of ideas and traditions because the amalgamation of Hindu Rajput and Mughal style, sensibilities and artistic practices is evident in the arts and crafts. For one, the format of the game remains unchanged, the suits and to an extent even the nomenclature.

Image source: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

Apart from the many alliances were with the Rajputs, the Mughal administration and its courts had plenty of Hindu subjects. Therefore, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite possible that they found a need for a Hindu adaptation of the courtly game of cards. A version that resonated with the Rajput courtiers, regional generals and the Hindu community. The precise dates or explanation for the Hindu translation of the Mughal Ganjifa is largely unknown but, we believe that the adaptation could have occurred during Akbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time. And that the Bhakti movement and the wave of

Vaishnavism could have influenced the themes of the Hindu cards. The Hindu adaptations are the Dasavatar cards and the Ramayana cards which portray mythological characters of Vishnu, his Avatars and appear to be thematically similar to the other forms of art produced during the bhakti movement. It's also important to mention that while this era saw a religious tolerance and cultural inclusivity, it is also a period that saw a rampant push for religious homogeneity by some of the Mughal generals like Aurangzeb. The late 17th century saw an unprecedented disruption of the religious

harmony that eventually led to the destruction of religious symbols and oppression. This perhaps necessitated the Hindus to construct inconspicuous ways to help preserve and pass on their religious texts, symbols and values. This prevailing need could have led to the Hindu translation of the Mughal Ganjifa, a way of discreetly staying connected with their cultural roots and passing it to generations. To this day the cards from all over India predominantly display themes of Vishnu and his avatars, with the most popular set being the Dasavatar cards.

Cards & Culture

Court code & Ganjifa Ganjifa cards, a reflection of the Mughal court culture The role of the court has long been recognised as an essential force in the running of the kingdom. The court was not only an organ of the central government but a sociological community with its own ideology and culture, and a place where royal power was both displayed and negotiated. Aristocratic households became not only political centres but also artistic, intellectual, and cultural centres. They acted as hubs for patronage,

international relations and the means of cross-cultural exchange. One could say that the arts, crafts and creative endeavours of a court are essentially branding tools that help position the administration. The Mughal paintings, literature, the many architectural marvels and the themes they portray collectively project the imperial court in an in a certain light. The visual sensibility, the cultural cues, the colours and hues together mould the image of the imperial court.

The Mughal empire was essentially a military state that recognised ‘men of sword’ and ‘men of pen’ as important classes and established guiding principles that helped cultivate, refine and master the skills of ‘sword’ and of ‘pen’. Over a period of time, the court set the standards of etiquette and virtues that the young elites were expected to cultivate. The court patronised literature and arts that promoted these values and reinforced the importance of ‘sword’ and of ‘pen’

Apart from the arts and literature, the many forms of recreation and sport were also embodiments of the court culture. Sport, games and competitions were perhaps used as a platform to learn warrior ethics and strengthen physical capabilities. Hunting was one such popular sport which also posed as a means of gaining experience of horsemanship and weapon handling.

Cards & Culture

Combat culture & Ganjifa Ganjifa cards, a reflection of the militaristic administration of the Mughals The game of Ganjifa cards was perhaps another tactful way to learn, apply and sharpen military strategy. The traditional version of the game includes 96 cards, with 8 suits of 12 cards. But, Akbar is said to have created a version with 144 cards with 12 suits of 12 cards. The description of the cards in the Ain-i-Akbari(an autobiography

of Akbar) outlines every aspect of the cards from its nomenclature to its power. We believe that the game was perhaps designed to appear as a simulation of the imperial administration with each of the suits representing key departments and roles within the administration. Suggesting that Akbar could have used the game as a means to assess ethics and determine the potential of his courtiers as quoted by Abu Fazl ‘His Majesty devises means of amusement and

makes his pleasures a means of testing the character of men’ The other prominent detail the cards indicate is that recreation and leisure were important aspects of the Mughal court culture. In the Ain-i-Akbari, Abu Fazl devotes an entire section for ‘amusements’ and quotes that The autobiography has 3 volumes which collectively illuminate 4 important aspects of Akbar’s administration. Rich details about the Imperial

household, and the army in volume 1. The second volume contains accounts of the imperial administration. The third volume covers details about the general state of Hindustan. It’s interesting to note that the chapter on amusements was not included in the section about the imperial household but, was as part of ‘The Army’. This perhaps conveys that the game of Ganjifa cards was in fact meant for the amusement of his army men and courtiers.

Cards & Culture

Mughals & Ganjifa, a pan-India phenomenon The Mughal empire was at its highest point in the 16th and 17th century and enjoyed a political dominance over the regional powers. This was an outcome of not just war waging but tactful diplomacy, which consequently led to the exchange of cultures between the overarching imperial court and its regional vassal courts.

Considering that the Mughals had various forms of alliances with the courts of Ra jputs, Bijapur, Vishnupur and Mysore, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that these courts assimilated aspects of the Mughal court culture by adapting them to their local sensibilities. Much like the arts, literature and architectural marvels that perpetuated the Mughal material culture, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that the

cards also travelled to the regional vassal courts as part of diplomacy and led to the spread of Mughal court culture. This perhaps explains the existence of the Ganjifa cards in all these regions, a version of Ganjifa thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeals and resonates with the local culture. The cards were also popular among the Telugu Brahmin communities from the Golconda region, the Maharashtrian brahmin communities in Deccan, and the Oriya elites apart from the other local aristocracies that were associated with the Mughal administration. The fine workmanship and use of high-end materials suggest that the cards were meant for the elite and were an embodiment of the aristocratic high culture. The capital of the Mughal successor state,

Murshidabad was an important centre for the production of the cards. The elite customers often included the courtiers and the nawabs of Murshidabad but also high-ranking officials of the East India Company. Lord Robert Clive is said to have been in the possession of a Ganjifa set crafted in ivory. Despite having all but disappeared from the public imagination, traces of Ganjifa still survive in small pockets where dedicated communities of artisans strive to keep the card-making craft alive. Today, some of these regions like Sawantwadi, parts of Orissa, Mysore and Ra jasthan that have historically had coalitions with the Mughals continue to manufacture the Ganjifa cards.

Cards & Culture

A localised Mughal Ganjifa While it is widely believed that the game of cards made its way to the Indian subcontinent with the Mughals, the Hindu adaptation of the cards spread far, wide and beyond the Konkan region. For centuries the craft travelled, evolved and was adopted pan-India, with its basic design and themes serving as a durable template for other regions and cultures that took it up. While the overall theme, gameplay, characters and symbology remain constant, each region that adapted the craft and created a variant of their own. A variant relevant to its people, culture and visual sensibility. Image: Ten Playing Cards (Ganjifa) India, Rajasthan, 19th century Image source: collections.lacma.org

Dasavatar cards, Banamali, Mahapatra, Raghurajpur, Orissa, 1988 Image source: IGNCA, Ministry of Culture

Dashavatara cards, Sudha Venkatesh, Mysore style, 1995 Image source: IGNCA, Ministry of Culture

Dashavatara, Bansori Fouzdar, Bishnupur, W.Bengal, 1992 Image source: IGNCA, Ministry of Culture

The Orissa Ganjifa

The Mysore Ganjifa

The major crafts of Orissa reflect the various religious and social ceremonies linked to LordJagannath. The tradition of painting Pattachitra was first used to decorate unfinished idols and was primarily painted on cloth as souvenirs for the pilgrims.

The fall of the Vijayanagara empire in 1565 AD resulted in the loss of royal patronage for the traditional painters. However, Raja Wodeyar of Mysore helped rehabilitate several families of the painters of the Vijayanagara school in Srirangapattana. The Mysore and Tanjore traditional paintings are off-shoots of the Vijaynagara school and this visual sensibility can be observed in the Ganjifa of Mysore. The colour palettes, the metallic tones have similarities with the Royal Mysore painting aesthetic. The artisans of the Ganjifa enjoyed the royal patronage of the kings of Mysore, Tipu Sultan and later the Wodeyar lineage.

In the late 16th century, Orissa was annexed by the Mughal empire which resulted in a confluence of different cultures and perhaps led to the Indianization of the Mughal Ganjifa cards. The Orissa Ganjapapa cards portray deities and mythological characters popular among its people and display modified character styles, details, motifs relevant to its culture and aesthetic. One could infer this from the characteristic facial features like elaborately tapering eyes, the portrayal of the deity Jagannath of Puri and motifs borrowed from the pattachitra style of miniature work

While the cards carry local cues, themes and aesthetic, the Indian Ganjifa cards predominantly reflect aspects of Vaishnavism and portray characters inspired from the Hindu mythological epics. It is, therefore, possible that the cult of Vaishnavism and the Bhakti movement influenced the themes of the Indian adaptation.

Cards & Culture

Mughal Ganjifa, Kurnol, Andra Pradesh, mid-19th century.

Mughal Ganjifa, Srinagar, Kashmir, third quarter of the 19th century.

Image source: ÂŠ Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Col. pl 5, V&A's collections

Image source: ÂŠ Victoria and Albert Museum, London. V&A's collections, South & South East Asia Collection

Cards & Culture

The many roles the cards played The Ganjifa cards were certainly adapted to suit different needs and played multiple roles throughout history. The iconography, the painting style and the material used are nuances that reflect preferences, ideas and culture of the maker. For example; The heavy use of military ranks and roles as part of the card iconography perhaps suggests that the cards of Akbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s era were used to instil military virtues. The visual sensibility and themes of many regional adaptations like the Dasavatar cards illustrate the influence of local cultural preferences. The portraits of the many Mughal emperors as embellishments on the luxurious ivory sets of Murshidadabad suggests that the cards were used as a reminder of the glorious Mughal days.

The Moghul Ganjifa Deccan c. 17th century.

Northern India, 17th-18th century, The undersides of both cards are decorated with the same Timurid-style quatrefoil central medallion with arabesques in gold over a black ground. The face of one card is decorated with nine musicians wearing long belted tunics and turbans. Image source: amirmohtashemi.com

Eight Yogis, Number Eight of the Ishana Suit, Playing Card from a 32-Suit Dashavatara (Ten Avatars) Ganjifa Set India, Rajasthan, Mewar, circa 1800 Image source: collections.lacma.org

Krishna Preparing to Decapitate King Kamsa, King of the Krishna Suit, Playing Card from a Dashavatara (Ten Avatars) Ganjifa Set, India, Maharashtra, Sawantwadi, mid-18th century Image source: collections.lacma.org

Cards & Culture

Ganjifa of today

Maharashtra Introduction to the history, culture & geography of the region

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Sawantwadi Hanuman temple, Sawandwadi Taluk

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to understand the context of the region to even comprehend the cultural history of the Ganjifa craft in Sawantwadi. And not just where the location pin is dropped but, a panoramic view of the entire region through the years, welcome to Maharashtra, a region of intrinsic beauty, its landscape a mosaic of beaches, mountains, river valleys and plateaus. Maharashtra is the third largest state by area in India and enjoys a long coastline along the Arabian sea, a narrow coastal region Konkan, the high grounds of the Deccan plateau and the tip tops of the Sahyadris. This region is a beautiful heritage blend of the northern Aryans and the southern Dravidians.

Over the centuries the geographical boundaries of Maharashtra have changed with the successive dynasties, each of which has left its distinct imprint on the people, cultural values and identity of the state. Much before this region was fashioned into the single entity called Maharashtra, the region lived through a plethora of cultures under different dynasties and with different backdrops. While each of these dynasties came in one after the other and instilled different political canvases, the many cultural sensibilities lingered through the years, influencing each other and the arts and crafts of each era.

Cards & Culture

Getting to Sawanthwadi

Sawanthwadi

Sawantwadi is at the southern tip of the state of Maharashtra, in the district of Sindhudurg. It is situated on the coastal highway (NH-17) which links Mumbai to Goa. One can easily get to the town via air, road or rail. Back in the day, the town was really a pitstop for travellers en route to Goa or Mumbai, but in the recent years, the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serene, quaint and historical landscape has grown to attract tourists. While road is the most

convenient means to reach the town, the nearest airport is at Dabolim in Goa and the Konkan Railway also has a stop at the Sawantwadi Road station. The town still reminisces its Portugal, Maratha and British influence and is a beautiful cultural confluence which is more than apparent in the local cuisine, the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multilingual capabilities and its people.

Cards & Culture

A day in Sawantwadi Sawantwadi, where the sky is a calming blue, the land is a beautiful shade of emerald of green and the air carries a flavour of a traditional Konkani meal. It is a heartland of cultures, a timestamp of so. It is the largest district in Sidhudurgh, Maharashtra. This place was earlier called Sundarwadi which translates to ‘beautiful place’ and perhaps explains why the locals haven’t let go of this name for their home. Sawantwadi enjoys quite an interesting geography, which makes it all the more scenic. When one looks to the west, they find an endless land of green fields followed by serene farms of coconut trees leading up to the seashore of the Arabian sea and to the east, dense forestland that climbs up to the hilly tops. But, Sawantwadi isn’t all fish meals and visual serenity, it is also the heartland of many people, cultures and historical eras. This region has seen people come from all over the globe, has experienced a symphony of heritage and has

been home for many including some very influential and historically significant clans of royalty. The town of Sawantwadi encircles a lake, called the Moti talav, legend has it that when the European colonizers came to the Deccan region, the Indian royalty hid their wealth in the depths of the lake and years later local residents found reticules of pearls and thereby naming the lake after their finding. A large part of the busy town is around the lake, including the town market, the Sawantwadi palace, hotels and restaurants. Take a leisurely walk around the town and one is sure to spot at least a dozen of Krishna and Hanuman temples, one in every other street that is at least 100 years old. There are a couple of iconic sites that are almost a portal to the region’s history, the Maharaja’s palace, the huge Hanuman temple that overlooks the town, and the remains of a Portuguese church from the 1700s.

Sawantwadi market, Sawantwadi Taluk

Cards & Culture

The history of Sawantwadi A glimpse of the political landscape of the region The townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roots go back to the era of the Vijayanagara Dynasty after which the region soon became a vassal state of the Sultanate of Bijapur. In the late 16th century, a young prince, Mang Savant from the Sisodiya dynastyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revolted and set up their headquarters at Hodowra, a small village about 15 km north of Sundarvadi; the troops sent against them were defeated and Mang Savant retained independence until he lived, but after his death, the successors recognized themselves as feudal lords of Bijapur.

In the early 1600s, the grandson of Mang Sawant, Khem Savant Bhonsle I, restored the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independence and formally established the state of Sundarvadi, he was succeeded by his son Som Savant and later his brother Lakham Savant. During the rise of the Marathas led by Shivaji, Lakham Savant declared Sundarvadi as a vassal state and was confirmed as Sar Desai of all southern Konkan.

After his death in 1665, Lakham Sawant was succeeded by his brother Phond Savant followed by his son, Khem Savant II. Around this time the Bijapur Sultanate was absorbed into the Mughal empire, bringing Sawantwadi in the hands of the Mughals. The presence of the vast Mughal army in the Deccan under the direct leadership of Aurangzeb changed the political canvas in South India. The Marathas remained the only political power challenging the Mughals. Aurangzeb utilized all possible sources to oppose the Marathas, who later is said to have ordered Khem II to send his men to join the Mughal's armies against the Marathas. Sawantwadi is believed to have surrendered to the Portuguese before finally joining hands with the Marathas. Generations of Sawant's and at least a century later in 1838 the royalty at Sawantvadi agreed to transfer the administration to the British while retaining the title and honours.

Major H.H. Raja Shrimant Sir Khem Sawant V Bhonsle Bahadur Bapu Sahib Image source: https://www.royalark.net/India/savant4.htm

The region of Sawantwadi has changed many political hands. Sawantwadi was initially under Bijapur Sultanate until 1686, under the Mughals till 1708 and was parallelly under the influence of the Portuguese until finally siding with the Marathas post 1708. It goes without saying that all the many political influences must have shaped the society and culture of Sawantwadi.

Craft & the royalty Understanding the relationship between crafts and the Sawantwadi royalty Art and craft held a high place in the eyes of the royalty, many of the Sawant heirs took massive efforts to popularise regional crafts. King Khem Sawant III (1755-1803) is known to have had a great interest in the arts, and historians believe that he invited many artists, artisans and craftsmen to his court. It is believed that he was especially intrigued by the arts of the Nizam courts (modern-day Andra Pradesh) and that he invited these craftspeople to decorate the many temples that he had built. These communities perhaps brought along

their craft of the Ganjifa cards and the wooden toys, which is an identity of the region today. Khem Sawant V (1913 – 1937) was praised by many including the political icon, Mahatma Gandhi who called his administration ‘Ramra jya’. He is said to have prioritised his people their education, health and livelihood and believed in an administration that was society centric. He was succeeded by Shivram Savant (1937 – 1948) who was the next Sardesai of Sawantwadi, he and his wife Rani Satwashiladevi are said to have devoted their time to the revival of local arts and crafts and are the reason that the Ganjifa of Sawantwadi is becoming widely popular today.

Sawantwadi palace Image source: https://daryafirasti.com/tag/kokan/

Cards & Culture

Other crafts of Sawantwadi Chitrakatha at Pinguli There exists a community of performing and puppetry artists in a town called Pinguli, about 20 km away from Sawantwadi. Back in the day, this community of artists were considered nomadic and travelled from town to town, village to village with their mobile puppet exhibition and display. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the community of Chitrakathis and they painted snippets from the Hindu epics, narrated and performed the stories to scores of audiences that they gathered. The community has now settled in the village of Pinguli in Sawantwadi but, originally, lived in the upper regions of the Sahyadri Range, and towards the middle of the 18th century, they migrated to Sawantwadi, attracted by the generous patronage of Prince Jayaram Savant (1738-1752)

When we paid a visit to the village and interviewed an artist from the community, he recalled that this craft practice dated back to before the Christian era and in the recent years, it is practised by his family and few other Thakur families in the region. He also did mention that most of the walking exhibitions were efforts of the royalty to keep the village folk in touch with their cultural roots and these storytelling tools helped popularise Hindu epics and tales, especially that of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The visual diction of the content displays vivid colouring, follow the sensibility of the Indian Miniatures and share similar styles with the puppetry from Andrapradesh and Karnataka.

Chitrakathi painting, Image source: Sahapedia, https://twitter.com/sahapedia/status/861875323146706944?lang=en

Cards & Culture

The palace of Sawantwadi The Royal Palace of Sawantwadi was built by Khem Sawant Bhonsle, the ruler of this region during 1755-1803. The palace is a picturesque vintage building that sits by Moti Talav. The arch leading to the palace building is iconic, made of large bricks painted in red and white. Outside the palace building where the royals reside, lies a huge flower garden. Behind the garden lies an arch that leads to the Darbar hall where the artisans sit to make sets and sets of the Ganjifa cards. The Palace Darbar hall is a visual treat, with a magnificent chandelier hanging from its roof, old weapons and hunting trophies mounted on its high walls and a bust of

Queen Victoria sitting by the entrance. Next to the Durbar hall is a museum plastered with pictures of the royal family, their history and a display of the large collection of Ganjifa cards from various regions and periods. The collections of these playing cards reflect strong religious sentiments and the ma jestic lifestyles led by many generations of the royal family. The palace gleams grandeur and demands a visit especially to the craft workshop and store that boasts an overwhelming collection of traditional Ganjifa cards and lacquerware goods. These include sets of furniture, board games, utilitarian goods, home accessory products and of course the cards all hand-painted and handcrafted by the artisans that work out of the palace. The traditional Chitkaris were patronized and groomed by the Ra jmata of the Sawantwadi Royal family, to popularise, modernise and promote the traditional crafts of the region.

Lacquerware furniture, Sawantwadi palace workshop

Vamana Avatar suit, Dasavatar ganjifa cards from the Sawantwadi palace workshop

Sawantwadi is one of the few places in the country where Ganjifa cards are still being made. Up until the last century, several families in the village were employed manufacturing the cards but by the early 1960s when the local Mahara ja decided to revive the lacquerware crafts of the town, only a couple of artisans worked on the playing cards. Today there are at least 10 artisans that work full-time on the cards, contemporary home dĂŠcor products and furniture inspired by the iconic aesthetic. Most of what they make is exported for sale of other parts of the country or abroad.

The sheer amount of time needed to paint a full set puts the cards beyond the pocket of the locals. However, for both international and domestic tourists a set of the Ganjifa cards, elaborate and meticulously hand-painted in vibrant hues of the primary colours makes for an attractive souvenir. The palace puts all of its products for sale in its store by the Darbar hall, products mostly catered for craft connoisseurs, collectors and tourists. Palace artist painting the card borders

Cards & Culture

The palace workshop The workshop at Sawantwadi is a perfect modern-day example of the craft-patronage model, a system that’s existed throughout history. The team at the palace have identified their potential consumer group, have to a certain extent modernised the craft products and have managed to carve a space in the craft market. It’s a perfect example of a historical craft that’s been adapted to suit contemporary tastes. The visual language of the craft products is a perfect balance of traditional and contemporary. Although the craft products display a folk sensibility, the nature of the

products, the design and the intricate workmanship reflect a royal aesthetic, and the vivid colour palette attempts to redefine the hues of luxury. The palace primarily commissions the work of Ganjifa cards to help revive, popularise and sustain the craft practice but, they also invest in product diversification efforts and regularly receive massive orders for customised home accessories, board games and lifestyle products alike. The palace also receives a good inflow of tourists en route Goa and nearby coastal cities and therefore have a good number of smaller souvenir products.

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The craft process

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The workspace The magnificent royal Darbar hall, deep inside the palace estate is the abode of the craft and the workplace of at least 10 artisans that passionately design, hand paint and pack set of Ganjifa cards on a daily basis. Most of the artisans associated with the palace are residents of Sawantwadi and neighbouring towns who have inherited the craft skill from their paternal lineage and continue to practice to this day under the hefty patronage of the royal family. The workspace is designed to be highly ergonomic while also retaining the glamour of the royal Darbar hall, making it perfect for the artisans to work in and for visitors to take a stroll. The artisans comfortably sit on school style

working desks in two columns and rows according to the nature of work and artisan seniority. The scale of production dictates an assembly line operation thereby breaking the lengthy process and delegating artists with shorter tasks. This makes the craft production efficient, faster and the aspect of repetition helps artisans master their task. The seating arrangement is based on the artisansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expertise, type of task and card type. While only the senior folk are allowed to paint intricate details like the deity faces, the beginners are usually assigned simpler tasks like paper cutting, marking borders in pencil and painting the first coat of colour onto the cards.

Materials and tools In the earlier days of the craft practice, the artisans used material that was readily available. The base of the cards was either textiles or thick paper and plant-based, organic and earthen colours were widely used. Kohl for black, (the same ingredient thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used to make kajal) Turmeric for yellow, green from leaves and herbs, powered red sandstone or clay for the red hues. Because the colours werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waterproof, artisans typically coated the paper with a paste of tamarind seeds.

Today, the artisans of the palace use machine-made industrial cardboard, poster colours or similar water-soluble colours, lacquer for water-resistant coating and typically use round brushes of varying sizes (2, 0, 0.2,0.3, 1,2,3) paper cutting tools, measuring tools like compass and scales. For the furniture and non-card products, they use acrylic colours or enamel paint.

Cards & Culture

An artist painting the base of the card The Matsya avatar suit motif

The process Step 1: Measuring and marking the card dimensions on sheets of cardboard paper. The circular cards typically have a diameter of 10 cm.

a paintbrush (pencils are not used) Brushes of size 0.3 and 0.2 are typically used for outlining and borders. Step 5: Painting the intricate motifs in the borders

Step 2: Cutting the circular and rectangular cards out. Step 3: Paining a coat of white/yellow poster colour depending on the card type, letting them dry on the work desk and collecting them in baskets. Cards that have been left for drying before the fine outlines are painted on

Step 4: Marking the trademark Ganjifa card borders using tools like compass and rulers and

Step 6: Drawing out the miniatures and characters directly in paint, filling them in colour and proceeding to paint the black outline once the cards are dry. Step 7: The cards are placed on the benches and left to dry, which is later given a glossy coat of fine lacquer to keep the cards water-resistant and preventing them from sticking to each other.

Cards & Culture

A senior artist painting the intricate motifs, deities and figures of the card

The Ganjifa cards come in sets of various colours; green cards, black, yellow and red depending on the type of cards and the characters. Artisans typically stick to one colour and card type and the senior artists usually paint and lacquer Ganjifa card boxes. The process flow applies to similar non-card lifestyle products wooden trays, pen stands, little jewellery boxes and commissioned projects alike. The products design, surface decoration and miniature painting are handled completely by the

senior artisans, while they tend to stick to the traditional miniature style, some of the younger artisans are typically open to newer, contemporary design ideas. The junior artisans also tend to voluntarily invest time in creating newer products for the palace store and receive complete support from the royal family.

The palace workshop also makes non-card products like board games as shown in the image

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A senior artist painting the floral motifs on the borders of the wooden tray

Mr Kulkerni is a senior artist at the palace workshop and has been making the Ganjifa for atleast more than two decades

The Artisans The palace has a team of senior artisans, junior artisans, hobbyist and students who work together to produce sets of Ganjifa cards, home accessories, board games and products alike. Each artist works on an element of the card/product and is not expected to paint the entire piece. While the more senior artisans paint the card miniatures, the younger artists work on the card motifs and borders. Today, the palace has 2 senior artists, Mr Kulkerni and Mr Thakur who are masters of miniature painting and work fulltime with the palace. They’re traditional artists who work on Ganjifa cards and occasionally on the palace’s contemporary product range.

They have about 6 junior artists (and by junior, we mean age and not experience) Mr Kulkerni’s son and daughter-in-law and Mr Thakur’s son. They typically work on the simpler miniature motifs and borders of the Ganjifa cards, because they aren’t experienced enough to do miniature characters of the cards There is one part-time student who works in the palace after college hours. She tells us that it’s the admiration for art and craft that brought her to the palace workshop. She wishes to continue painting fulltime once she’s finished college and she sees the workshop as an opportunity to pursue her passion.

Cards & Culture

The craft products The products and card types: The Dasavatar card set and the Ramayana set have been the traditional card themes and have been the most popular. The palace workshop has been experimenting and exploring newer themes, and have been painting cards as an educational aid. The newer sets are themed around traditional musical instruments and an Ashtalakshmi set. The artisans also work on various non-Ganjifa products such as home accessories, dĂŠcor and furniture, board games like Ludo, Chess, Checkers, and little wooden buttons as souvenirs for tourists and visitors. They also customise products and take up commissioned projects.

A decade old set of the Navagraha cards

The themes & visual vocabulary It is widely believed that the Ganjifa cards have historically been used as a storytelling tool. In many regions of Maharashtra and Orissa, the cards were considered to be a pastime for the many aristocrats and upper classes of the society. Because of the predominant religious imagery of the cards, people began rationalizing the game as an act of pleasing god and believed that playing the cards was almost a form of religious chant. We came across numerous accounts that indicated that the game was played among smaller social groups like families and was used as a visual narrative aid that told stories about

the many Indian epics and mythology. Many believed that the cards helped people stay in touch with their cultural and religious roots, and enabled them to learn more about these mythological tales. As the game grew in popularity, artisans from various regions began making variations according to their cultural context. In various parts of Orissa, the cards prominently depicted imagery of Lord Jagannathan, other regions began developing sets of Ramayana cards, Rashi cards, Navagraha cards and many more sets inspired from Indian mythology. Today, the cards display themes like classical Indian instruments, zodiac signs, flowers, birds and animals slowing moving away from the traditionally warrior centric and religious imagery to more generic themes. The most popular version of the Indianized Ganjifa cards then and now, are the Dasavatar cards that depict the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The visual diction of the cards portray

systems of icons and symbols derived from age old mythologies and unlike their Mughal counterpart, these cards display a plethora of deities, human figures and Hindu symbols. The arabesque ornamentation were replaced by motifs referenced in the Indian epics like the symbols of conch shell, sacred water pot and weaponry like the bow and arrow, trisula and Vishnu Chakra. The colour palette is heavily inspired from the Indian folk language with vibrant hues, elaborate detailing and ornamentation. This vivid â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Indianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; colour palette has its roots in Hindu mythology, plays an important role in culture, are extremely symbolic and transcend its decorative values. Right from the skin colour of the deities to the ornamentation, every colour has a story to tell and has a significance, making colours an expression of faith and synonymous with various values. Over the years the use of the bright reds, yellows, blues and greens have been predominant and are used according to the theme, deities and the symbols illustrated.

Cards & Culture

The Chitrakathi

The craft community The Chitari community The Chitaris are a semi-urban type of community that is believed to have originally migrated from the Andrapradesh region to modern-day Goa. During the establishment of Portuguese rule, most of them then migrated to Karnataka and regions in southern Konkan. Until recently, the Chitaris existed in small numbers and smaller pockets around the district of Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. The community is known to speak predominantly Konkani while most of them grew to speak Marathi. The Chitaris are a self-employed community and are known for their profession. Their traditional and primary means of occupation is wood carving, engraving and painting on wood. Chitari women are also known

to take an active part in economic activity. They help the men in traditional wood paintings. The Chitari community isn’t particularly known for their folklore and are believed to not have community folk songs or folk tales. Today the Chitari community largely works on the wooden craft, particularly on lacquerware, wooden toys and wooden fruit forms and has garnered quite a large number of consumers. Consumers that are mostly international and domestic tourists shuttling between Mumbai and Goa and visitors that drive down to experience the Sawantwadi palace. This influx of tourists in recent years has partly helped in popularizing the art and craft of the Ganjifa.

The Chitrakathi are known to have acquired an incredible proficiency in narrating the puranic episodes through visual mediums like puppetry, hand-painted illustrations and hence being known as the Chitrakathis. The etymology of the name Chitrakathi refers to two independent words ‘Chitra’ meaning picture and ‘Katha’ meaning a narration. The Chitrakathi are sporadically distributed in a few villages of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg District and belong to the group of the Thakur community. String puppets and shadow puppets are two of the most important items among their crafts which is made up of small leather figures and narration through a series of paintings. The art of Chitrakatha is known for its rich colour palette, style of the paintings, composition and the nature of story narration.

He was generous enough to host us on the weekend and showed us around his workshop and the puppet museum he had built for visitors of the region. He mentioned his association with the Sawantwadi palace and that he used to closely work with the palace artisans on commissioned projects. The community has grown significantly smaller and the nature of work and stories narrated are quite different from what it used to be. Today, he works on awareness projects alongside the government and makes puppetry, illustrations and stories that address modern-day issues and themes. He says that while part of the craft largely remains as is, it’s the theme, content and stories that have evolved to suit the audience of today.

During our field visit to Sawantwadi, we made sure to visit this small town of Pinguri in Sindhudurg. We met with a member of the Thakur community who practices the art and craft of Chitrakatha to this day.

Cards & Culture

The perception of Ganjifa Ganjifa and its craftspeople

Ganjifa and the palace The Ganjifa cards are not foreign to the Sawantwadi royalty or families alike. The cards have been part of their lineage and household as an instrument of recreation and leisure for decades. While it is believed that the game of cards was primarily meant for the members of the courtiers? and the emperors, it eventually evolved to be an all-member family engagement. The sitting Prince of the palace recalls that Ganjifa was a Sunday ritual in the royal household and that he first played the game when he was about the age of 10. He also did mention that his grandmother taught him the ways of the game. He narrated that while the game is intrinsically strategy based, it also tickled his curiosity about the characters illustrated and

thus served as a storytelling tool. One can infer that while the cards display religious symbology, in the context of a household, Ganjifa was recreational, served as an aid to socialising, means of family engagement and held very little religious or ritualistic significance. The card game was a way to embody and reinforce religious teachings and cultural values. The royal family thus perceives the craft as a part of their cultural identity as much as it is the region’s portal to its history and cultural heritage. The royal family thus sees the responsibility of revival and sustenance of the craft practice as its duty and continues the efforts the Rajamata previously led.

The Artisans see the craft as part of their family heritage and tend to inherit the ways of the craft practice from their paternal lineage. To the artisan community, Ganjifa cards have been a source of employment, income, subsistence and work that they worship. The craft’s cultural and historical value not only brings pride but also the motivation to take the craft practice up and continue the legacy of their father and grandfather. During our visit, the artisans did mention that their passion and livelihood revolve around the craft and that they’ve been painting Ganjifa miniatures ever since they learned to hold a brush. While historically artisans worked for the royal courts and the aristocratic patrons, as the popularity and demand faded the Ganjifa artists took to other crafts and occupations.

Today, with the patronage of the palace, the artisans have grown to thrive. While most of the senior and traditional Ganjifa artists only paint miniatures and cards, the newer artists have swerved to design more contemporary products and take up miniature painting as a hobby rather than a fulltime commitment. There are also new age artists who have joined the bandwagon purely to satisfy their passion for art and view the cards as a means to reminisce the craft’s rich history.

Cards & Culture

Ganjifa, the merchants and the locals Interestingly, while the Sawantwadi town is lauded as an abode of the intricate miniature craft, during our visit we experienced an undertone of disconnect between the residents and the craft. It was fascinating to note that most locals we interacted with were quite unaware of the craft practice, did not know of its legacy and didn’t seem to be proud of the historical craft form existing in their backyard. It was almost as if they didn’t relate to it or didn’t consider it as their own. It took us a few days to understand that the local residents mostly considered the game of cards inaccessible and viewed the craft as the possession of the palace, and exclusive for tourists, collectors and the elite. Many locals expressed that back in the day, the game of cards was exclusively made for and played by the royal courtiers and that the game didn’t sufficiently percolate the masses. We met a couple of local residents that had played it in their younger years and had seen their

grandparents play. But, neither the game nor the craft is widely known or celebrated as much as we thought it would be. Many of the market store owners state that the cards started losing its popularity and demand among the locals, led to artists’ migration and drew the path of its decline. The lack of sales and the sheer amount of time needed to make each set discouraged the local craft shops from making their own versions of the cards. The palace soon employed the Ganjifa artists and dissuaded them from making low-quality variants. Pushing the remaining Chittaris to work on the lacquerware products. Today, the local craft market mostly make and sell lacquer goods and wooden fruits. And the Ganjifa cards are exclusively made and sold at the palace. This perhaps explains the disconnect and the consequent perception of the craft among the city dwellers.

Ganjifa and the consumer While the craft has no local or average-everyday consumers, the biggest buyers are collectors, craft connoisseurs, and international tourists. Because the game really doesn’t have a considerable number of active players or audience, the game of cards became an item of prestigious possession, mostly because it’s a languishing craft, displays fine workmanship and holds immense historical value. A box of Ganjifa contains 120 cards and in the town, craft stores are priced at 4-10 thousand rupees, depending on the type of cards, number of cards, workmanship and the year of creation.

The locals perceive the craft as uber elite, work of fine art but, find it neither useful nor aspirational enough to buy a set. A good number of Domestic Tourists that are en route Mumbai or Goa tend to buy the smaller collectable products the palace store sells. The palace also receives non-card product orders from their affluent and international clients. A one-off piece like hand-painted board games, furniture and gift articles.

Cards & Culture

The palace as patrons Today, Sawantwadi is one of the last few places that preserve the ancient craft practice, making it one of the most important cultural centres in the country. While the status of ‘languishing’ still looms over the craft, the palace has taken commendable efforts to shed that image. And under the patient and determined patronage of the royal family, Ganjifa is slowly emerging from obscurity We, unfortunately, were not able to meet the late Rajmata, Satwashila Devi Bhonsle but, we were privileged enough to meet her wonderful family and understand their passion for the ancient craft. The Rajmata is said to have been fond of art since her early days and is known to have learned miniature painting from the Chitrakars themselves.

The family recalls her fondness for painting butterflies and miniatures on wooden coasters. It’s perhaps this sheer passion and inclination towards art that led her to actively pursue the revival of the craft. Today, the palace has all of her works displayed in the palace museum alongside the many royal artefacts including vintage sets of Ganjifa cards from all over the country.

Rajmata’s revival efforts It is believed that during the 1970s, the town was left with its last traditional Ganjifa artist and that the falling demand for the cards led many artists to migrate to the bigger cities. As part of the ambitious revival efforts, the Rajmata is known to have employed artists and encouraged them to work out of the palace. She wanted to build a palace workshop to help groom the artists and

allow them to practice the traditional art of the cards. The royal family believes that patronising the artisan community will help streamline quality and popularise the craft, raise the value of the craft and consequently uplift their community. Today, there are about 8 artists that work exclusively with the palace and paint products beyond the traditional Ganjifa cards. Apart from exhibiting these craft marvels in many international exhibitions, the royal family has also used the cards as an article of gifting for the many dignitaries.

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Decline of the Ganjifa

A Rashi(zodiac) themed mini card set

Ganjifa, common manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game to collectorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; artefact The game was so popular in regions of the middle east, Iran, Nepal and many parts of India. But, today, the survival of the ancient game is heavily dependent on its aesthetic value and the intricate craftsmanship, and without its players, Ganjifa has been reduced to a piece of an art form. Today, very few traditional Ganjifa artists continue to make the cards. The elaborate illustrations and imagery have been replaced by simple brush strokes and motifs. Most artists are diversifying their product range, painting products that have demand and have taken up secondary sources of income to ensure their economic sustenance. The cards were

mostly exported and are sold in melas that attracted domestic and international tourists. But, now, sets of hand-painted Ganjifa cards are becoming increasingly scarce and are now mostly consumed by craft connoisseurs and collectors - marking the beginning of its decline. We believe that the cards were pushed to its current state of a rarity because of various local and global influences. It is possible that the cards were officially on the path to decline when the British took over the Indian administration and introduced the European version of the playing cards.

We think the key reasons that led to the decline of the ancient craft form is standardisation, lack of relatability and reproducibility Standardisation: The culture of playing cards trickled to every corner of the world, which consequently gave rise to card manufacturers, industries and monopolies. In many countries, state monopolies were established to control imports and production. Such monopolies standardised card designs and making production much faster. Relatability: The imagery and the iconography of the cards reflected the local culture and resonated with the native folk. While the cards did

spread far and wide, it did not travel across cultures. Moreover, the Ganjifa cards were less suited to western card games such as Euchre, Bridge, Poker, and Rummy. In India, the European style cards were introduced during the colonial period, with demand coming from the wealthier classes. Some cards were imported, some were made by hand using traditional techniques, and others were made by Indian industrialists Reproducibility: The simplicity of the designs, improvements in printing techniques and machinery allowed manufacturers in Europe to improve their output and further expand their export of playing cards.

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Craft revival on the cards? People often question the need for preserving vanishing craft, arguing that as cultures evolve, traditional practices get inevitably replaced by newer ones. However, the revival of the historical game of cards, Ganjifa, shows how intricately linked craft, market, culture and community are. It illuminates the need of breathing new life into the age-old craft practices that are grappling to survive throughout India. While revival is definitely on the cards, the nature of revival is fully dependent on the market, the patrons, the artisans and the following generation.

We believe there are some directions that can lead to the preservation of the craft practice and craft form • Reviving and popularising the game • Modernising the Iconography and the content • Improving product diversity and design • Identifying an alternative application of the art While the complex gameplay has decreased its popularity, the cards over the years have transitioned from a game of play to a form of art. The cards have been re-discovered as an intricate piece of art that is now considered to be a valuable collectible item.

Keeping up with culture We believe that games are not entirely designed to be won but help teach and inculcate values or are simply meant for engagement. Games, therefore, need to incorporate themes and aesthetics appropriate to the time, culture and expectations of people in order to stay relatable, rejoiceful and relevant. This perhaps illuminates why the Ganjifa cards aren’t as relevant today. It was not innovated upon to keep up with new cultural contexts and the re-defined ideas of recreation.

Moreover, the predominantly religious imagery of the Indian Ganjifa cards prevented it from being used during a gamble, or in other games of cards like Rummy or Poker and gradually faded away when the more acultural French suits were introduced. Soon enough the Casino culture adopted the playing cards that we know today and has made them more global and universal. Thus, making the royal game of cards, as irrelevant as ‘royalty’ in modern-day society.

There are however plenty of games that have survived the tests of time. Some board games have come a long way through its various adaptations that were contextually relevant. We believe that its perhaps the design simplicity, the cultural adaptability and the ease of reproduction that helped the snakes and ladder survive time. Today, there are innumerable board games inspired by the design and ideological template of the snakes & ladder. Games like ‘Life’, ‘Monopoly’ replicate the core idea of having a participant

‘Games reflect the society that designs it’ travel a linear path of life, engaging in activities along the way, getting rewarded for good actions and getting imprisoned for the bad. These modern-day games typically illustrate a consumeristic society that allows you to watch movies, buy beach houses, shiny cars and garner success. And perhaps reflects the society that’s designed it.

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Bibliography Resource people & profile Research references Image source and credit

Resource people and profile

The Sawantwadi royal family - Ra ja Khem Sawant VI, the Ra jwada of Sawantwadi, Shubhada Bhonsle, Yuvra j Lakham Bhonsle, Yuvrani Shraddha

Harsha The expert on Ganjifa cards who works closely with the Royal family

Ramchandra Ladu Thakur Senior artist working with the palace. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been working on the cards for more than 2 decades.

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Dr. Walavarkar Art professor at Shantiniketan school and expert on the Ganjifa cards

Dr. Gangadhar Buva Professor & Coordinator at the YCMOU study center, Sawantwadi, President - Chitamani Sahitya Sahakar, Sawantwadi. Expert on Cultural studies and author of a book on the culture and history of Sawantwadi, which includes chapters on the Ganjifa cards.

Shivnath Kanekar Art shop owner and an market expert on Ganjifa cards, Sawantwadi wooden toys

Mr Subhash Localite, Ganjifa card collector, head of Art studio based out of Sawantwadi

His brother, Mr. Rajesh Kanekar co-owner of the very popular traditional wooden toy and souvenir store in Sawantwadi. Their store is atleast 65 years old and is known to have had artisans that made and sold Ganjifa cards.

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Image source and credit Ganjifa cards:

The Safavid, Mughal and Ra jput paintings:

The Victoria and Albert Museum https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O479213/box/ https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O479216/box/ Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/ayouth-holding-a-wine-cup-safavid-6229681-det ails.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=6229 681 https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-set-oflacquered-papier-mache-circular-game-578187 8-details.aspx https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/the-mug hal-dynasty-deccan-central-india-mid-5551107details.aspx https://www.amirmohtashemi.com/artworkdetai l/811920/17920/two-playing-cards-ganjifa

https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/the-emp eror-akbar-holding-a-jewel-mughal-6211918-det ails.aspx https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-albu m-page-kabir-the-mystical-weaver-5803819-de tails.aspx https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manu scripts/a-nastaliq-quatrain-signed-by-mir-ali-6 099338-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intOb jectID=6099338 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/sear ch/451265?searchField=All&amp;sortBy=Relevan ce&amp;ft=mughal+painting&amp;offset=20&a mp;rpp=20&amp;pos=35 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/sear ch/451294

Pal, Pratapaditya. The Classical Tradition in Ra jput Painting. New York: The Gallery Association of New York State, 1978. Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Painting, vol.1. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1993.

http://ignca.gov.in/online-digital-resources/digit al-images/ganjifa-cards/ganjifa-079/ http://ignca.gov.in/online-digital-resources/digit al-images/ganjifa-cards/ganjifa-101/ http://ignca.gov.in/online-digital-resources/digit al-images/ganjifa-cards/

https://collections.lacma.org/node/248064 https://collections.lacma.org/node/205503 https://asia.si.edu/object/F1907.271.1-172/

Sawantwadi Images: https://www.royalark.net/India/savant4.htm https://daryafirasti.com/tag/kokan/ https://twitter.com/sahapedia/status/8618753231 46706944?lang=en

Ganjifa cards from India: http://ignca.gov.in/online-digital-resources/digit al-images/ganjifa-cards/ganjifa-003/ http://ignca.gov.in/online-digital-resources/digit al-images/ganjifa-cards/ganjifa-067/

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Online resources:

Research references Books: - Handmade in India, MP Ranjan and Aditi Ranjan - Ganjifa, the Playing Cards of India Paperback by Rudolph Von Leyden - Maharashtra, Marg publications - India’s Jewish heritage - Indian’s Culture – The state, the arts and beyond – Balmiki Prasad Singh - Aspects of Indian History and Culture by Ray Sudipa - Indian’s Culture – The state, the arts and beyond – Balmiki Prasad Singh - Akbar and his India by Irfan Habib - Persian Painting by Sheila R Canby - Indian Miniature Painting by Anjan Chakraverty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_card#Desi gn_and_use - The tsars and the east – gifts from Turkey and Iran in the Moscow kremlin – Alexy Konstantinovich Levykin - Mahara ja, the splendour of India’s royal courts by Anna Jackson and Amin jaffer. - India’s art and culture 1300-1900 - Ain-i-akbari – volume 1 – page 308 - Pageant of Indian Art – Marge publications - The arts of Persia – Edited y R W Ferrier – pg – 252, Laquer arts - When jewellery speaks by Shimul Mehta Vyas. - Indian folk art – Alpine 745 - A theory of craft by Howard Risatti - The historian and her craft – religion and society – the chaper on patronage and the community. - Indian miniatures from the James Ivory collection

http://www.dsource.in/sites/default/files/resourc e/ganjifa-cards-sawantwadi/downloads/file/gan jifa_cards_sawantwadi.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Rheinfeld en https://jducoeur.org/game-hist/seaan-cardhist.h tml https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/histor y-playing-cards-modern-deck#:~:text=Some%2 0scholars%20believe%20that%20playing,aroun d%20the%209th%20century%20AD.&text=Som e%20have%20suggested%20that%20the,part% 20of%20the%20games%20themselves. https://blog.jaypore.com/2015/03/23/ganjifa-16t h-century-traditional-playing-cards-of-india/

https://persian.packhum.org/main?url=pf%3Ffile %3D00702051%26ct%3D0 http://www.beprimitive.com/blog/a-suit-of-hear ts-ganjifa-playing-cards https://collections.lacma.org/search/site/Ganjifa %2520cards?f[]=bm_field_has_image%3Atrue https://www.christies.com/features/Collecting-g uide-Classical-Indian-Painting-7378-1.aspx https://www.instagram.com/sawantwadilacquer wares/ https://web.archive.org/web/20070121015805/ht tp://www.bhashaindia.com/Patrons/LanguageTe ch/Marathi.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mahara shtra https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/bea stly-behavior/201705/why-play-is-important

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Project by the students of the Lifestyle Accessory Design department, batch of 2018 Project mentor: Shimul Mehta Vyas

Srinidhi Chandrasekar

Evangeline Y

Ravindra Chaudary