Gond Wall Plate by Master ArtisanHireman Urweti
SIZE: 11 inch (diameter)
MEDIUM: Natural Colours on Handmade plate
MAKING OF THE PLATE: The base plate is a cotton canvas pasted onto a moulded plate using tamarind paste. A mixture of chalk powder and multani mitti is applied, dried, and smoothened with stone for a polished canvas. To prevent insect damage we use crushed neem leaves. With multiple layers of coating, drying, and finishing, the complete plate-making process spans three full days.
NATURAL COLOURS: This Gond plate glows with red from hingloo, orange from sindoor, yellow from pewadi and hartaal, and green from malachite. The colour blue of the deer is derived from neel which is indigo.
Under the Mahua Tree
In a quiet forest, a blue deer often rested beneath a tall Mahua tree. Two little birds visited every day, perching on its branches and chirping happily. The deer would sometimes share stories of hidden streams, blooming flowers, and trees that bore the sweetest fruit. The birds listened closely, returning again and again. Over time, the three grew close. They didn’t need many words, just being together under the Mahua tree felt calm and safe. As the seasons changed, their friendship deepened, steady and natural, growing quietly like the forest around them.