Theyyam Head – Hand-painted Kerala Ritual Sculpture South Indian art What is a Thanjavur Bommai

What is a Thanjavur Bommai or Tanjore doll

and it grows into marigold flowers

Dimensions: Total Length : 8 cm

in villages across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

hand-painted to look weathered and organic rather than graphic or ornamental

Theyyam Head – Hand-painted Kerala Ritual Sculpture South Indian art What is a Thanjavur BommaiTriangles, crescents, and circular medallions layer across the forehead of this face in fine orange linework, set against a deep aubergine maroon base and a black eye mask that frames a pair of striking, pale grey eyes. There's no crown, no ornament at the mouth just dense, geometric patterning left to speak for itself, which at this scale is more than enough. Theyyam is among Kerala's oldest surviving ritual art forms, performed across North