• May include: A black and cream colored sari with a colorful, intricate design. The sari is draped over a chair and the design features a variety of animals and floral motifs.
  • May include: A colorful hand-painted fabric depicting a scene from Hindu mythology. The fabric features multiple figures in vibrant colors, including blue, red, yellow, and green, against a dark background. The figures are depicted in a traditional Indian style, with intricate details and flowing lines.
  • May include: A dark blue fabric with a cream-colored border featuring a colorful fish design. The fish are outlined in black and have yellow, red, blue, and green details.
  • May include: A dark blue cotton saree with a colorful border and intricate hand-painted designs featuring figures and animals. The saree has a traditional Indian style.
  • May include: A black cotton saree with a colorful border featuring intricate designs of people and animals. The border is made of a yellow, red, and white fabric.
  • May include: A traditional Indian sari with a dark gray background and a colorful border. The sari is decorated with intricate patterns of fish, flowers, and paisley designs. The border is a vibrant mix of red, yellow, blue, and green.
  • May include: A close-up of a fabric with a hand-painted design. The fabric is beige with a dark blue, red, and yellow pattern of fish and other motifs. The fabric has a frayed edge.
  • May include: A close-up of a fabric with a traditional Indian design. The fabric features a colorful pattern of fish, flowers, and leaves. The background is a dark blue color.
  • May include: A dark gray fabric with a repeating pattern of colorful fish. The fish are stylized and have intricate details. The fabric has a slightly textured surface.
  • May include: A colorful hand-painted fabric with a detailed depiction of a deity in a traditional Indian style. The deity is adorned with intricate jewelry and a crown, and is holding a snake in its hand. The fabric is a rich brown color with vibrant hues of red, yellow, blue, and green.
  • May include: A black and cream colored sari with a colorful, intricate design. The sari is draped over a chair and the design features a variety of animals and floral motifs.
  • May include: A colorful hand-painted fabric depicting a scene from Hindu mythology. The fabric features multiple figures in vibrant colors, including blue, red, yellow, and green, against a dark background. The figures are depicted in a traditional Indian style, with intricate details and flowing lines.
  • May include: A dark blue fabric with a cream-colored border featuring a colorful fish design. The fish are outlined in black and have yellow, red, blue, and green details.
  • May include: A dark blue cotton saree with a colorful border and intricate hand-painted designs featuring figures and animals. The saree has a traditional Indian style.
  • May include: A black cotton saree with a colorful border featuring intricate designs of people and animals. The border is made of a yellow, red, and white fabric.
  • May include: A traditional Indian sari with a dark gray background and a colorful border. The sari is decorated with intricate patterns of fish, flowers, and paisley designs. The border is a vibrant mix of red, yellow, blue, and green.
  • May include: A close-up of a fabric with a hand-painted design. The fabric is beige with a dark blue, red, and yellow pattern of fish and other motifs. The fabric has a frayed edge.
  • May include: A close-up of a fabric with a traditional Indian design. The fabric features a colorful pattern of fish, flowers, and leaves. The background is a dark blue color.
  • May include: A dark gray fabric with a repeating pattern of colorful fish. The fish are stylized and have intricate details. The fabric has a slightly textured surface.
  • May include: A colorful hand-painted fabric with a detailed depiction of a deity in a traditional Indian style. The deity is adorned with intricate jewelry and a crown, and is holding a snake in its hand. The fabric is a rich brown color with vibrant hues of red, yellow, blue, and green.
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Kalamkari saree hand painted tussar silk sari painted by Gurappa Chetty

CordeliaDonohoe  
5 out of 5 stars

Item highlights

  • Dimensions: Length: 6 Yards
  • Vintage: From before 2007

Seller's description

This is an absolutely stunning work of art! Handpainted on silk with vegetable dyes by one of India's masters of this art, I present this gorgeous tussar silk sari - 6 yards by 50cms.
by Padma Shri J. Gurappa Chetty. Master kalamkari artist, scholar, researcher and prolific writer of his art form. His father played a pivotal role in the revival of Kalahasti Kalamkari.
This sari is all about FISH. Each of the many fishes on this sari has its own individual handpainted face and character.
The blouse piece, attached to the end of the sari pictures lots of smaller fish on a black ground, each with their own individual face. The body of the sari has a border with more individual fishes, again with charming faces.
The story illustrated is from the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
On the 'pallu' of the piece, ie the part on the end (which on a sari hangs over the shoulder behind) is a story cycle in the centre of which shows the suitors of a princess spearing a fish from its reflection.
Sadly since I bought this piece Mr Chetty has passed. His work is becoming very valuable. This has never been worn.
The technique of hand painting with vegetable dyes began to die out with the introduction of machine-printed textiles, and now only a small number of artisans practice the craft in centres in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Chief among these are Srikalahasti and Masulipatinam. Both centers have a distinct style of Kalamkari.
This is not block pattern, not a mass produced item. This is a hand painted one off master art-work. It is a joy to behold.

Contours are drawn with a point in bamboo soaked in a mixture of jagri fermented and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes. After applying each colour on to the motif, the Kalamkari fabric is washed after drying. Thus, each fabric can undergo up to 20 washes. Various effects are obtained by using cow dung, seeds, plants and crushed flowers to obtain natural dyes.
The laborious process involved with each painting takes around 40 days; the designing takes about four days and the entire process of painting takes 30-35 days depending on the climatic conditions. Most of the raw materials are gathered from forests and processed by traditional methods.
It is 6 yards of silk with the blouse piece joined to the end -

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“Perfect Rose of Mogador bracelet. Absolutely love it. Fast shipping with good packaging. Lovely seller. Recommended.”

MELISSA

26 days ago

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Price:$558.63

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Shipping & return policies
  • Get it by
    Nov 12-17
  • Cost to ship
    $97.76 to United States, 43215.

Seller's description

Specifications

May include: A black and cream colored sari with a colorful, intricate design. The sari is draped over a chair and the design features a variety of animals and floral motifs.

This is an absolutely stunning work of art! Handpainted on silk with vegetable dyes by one of India's masters of this art, I present this gorgeous tussar silk sari - 6 yards by 50cms.
by Padma Shri J. Gurappa Chetty. Master kalamkari artist, scholar, researcher and prolific writer of his art form. His father played a pivotal role in the revival of Kalahasti Kalamkari.
This sari is all about FISH. Each of the many fishes on this sari has its own individual handpainted face and character.
The blouse piece, attached to the end of the sari pictures lots of smaller fish on a black ground, each with their own individual face. The body of the sari has a border with more individual fishes, again with charming faces.
The story illustrated is from the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
On the 'pallu' of the piece, ie the part on the end (which on a sari hangs over the shoulder behind) is a story cycle in the centre of which shows the suitors of a princess spearing a fish from its reflection.
Sadly since I bought this piece Mr Chetty has passed. His work is becoming very valuable. This has never been worn.
The technique of hand painting with vegetable dyes began to die out with the introduction of machine-printed textiles, and now only a small number of artisans practice the craft in centres in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Chief among these are Srikalahasti and Masulipatinam. Both centers have a distinct style of Kalamkari.
This is not block pattern, not a mass produced item. This is a hand painted one off master art-work. It is a joy to behold.

Contours are drawn with a point in bamboo soaked in a mixture of jagri fermented and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes. After applying each colour on to the motif, the Kalamkari fabric is washed after drying. Thus, each fabric can undergo up to 20 washes. Various effects are obtained by using cow dung, seeds, plants and crushed flowers to obtain natural dyes.
The laborious process involved with each painting takes around 40 days; the designing takes about four days and the entire process of painting takes 30-35 days depending on the climatic conditions. Most of the raw materials are gathered from forests and processed by traditional methods.
It is 6 yards of silk with the blouse piece joined to the end -

Delivery details and policies

  • Get it by
    Nov 12-17
  • Ships from
    United Kingdom
  • Cost to ship
    $97.76 to United States, 43215

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Meet your seller

CordeliaDonohoe
Cordelia Donohoe
CordeliaDonohoe ·

London, United Kingdom

We calculate this number using a recency-weighted average of all ratings, with a rating's value decreasing by half each year to best reflect the current experience. 5.0
·
1.4k sales
·
12 years on Etsy

Usually responds in a few hours

Smooth shipping Has a history of shipping on time with tracking.

Speedy replies Has a history of replying to messages quickly.

Rave reviews Average review rating is 4.8 or higher.

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Listed on Sep 3, 2026
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