Gopika Gopinath – Terracotta- DPTG12216

In the bhakti movement of Vaishnavism, the female, Radha, is sometimes interpreted as symbolizing the human soul and the male, Krishna, as symbolizing God. The love of Krishna and Radha has been given expression in the lyrical poetry of many Indian languages Gopika Gopinath, particularly Bengali. This Gopika Gopinath art portrays their love.

Mostly made of paper pulp and clay, Chhau masks are often huge in size but not heavy since the performers wear them during the show. The clay molds are first hand-made and dried in the sun known as ‘mati gora’. They are then layered with powdered ashes. Masks could also represent the shaman’s spiritual helpers, which he would try to influence in times of need. Sometimes hung in houses to ward off harmful spirits, masks were also occasionally placed with the dead or used in non-spiritual contexts for popular entertainment. Chau masks are made from paper pulp, cloth, and clay and undergo many interim processes before taking the final form. First, a clay model of a mask is made and dried in direct sunlight to make it hard. It is then covered with powdered ash and layers of papers moistened with gum are pasted on this powdered mask.