தஞ்சாவூர் ஓவியம் · Authentic Tanjore paintings, straight from Tanjore
Gold that remembers. Tanjore paintings, made by hand.
Real gold foil, raised gesso relief and hand-set stones on seasoned wood. Every painting in our collection is one of a kind, made the way it has been made in Thanjavur for four centuries.
Navaratri collection 2026
Every piece below is in stock and ready to ship. Tap a painting to see it larger, with its size and framing.
மரபு
Four hundred years in the making
Tanjore painting grew up in the temple town of Thanjavur, under the patronage of the Nayak kings and later the Maratha court, whose ruler Serfoji II was among its great supporters. It was an art meant not only to be seen but to be revered. These panels hung in shrines and palace halls, where lamplight caught the gold and the stones and made the deities seem to glow.
What sets the style apart is relief. Ornaments, crowns, arches and pillars are built up in a paste of chalk and gum, then covered in gold foil, so the painting rises off the board. Colours are deep and flat, the backgrounds often a midnight blue or temple red, and the deity sits at the centre, larger than everything around them.
Not décor. An heirloom, meant to be handed down.
A recognised craft
Thanjavur painting carries a Geographical Indication tag, which marks it as belonging to this region and its makers. A genuine piece is made by hand, in stages, over weeks. Nothing is printed and nothing is rushed.
How a painting is made
Six stages, done in this order by hand. A classic 15 × 12 in piece takes several weeks; the grand Perumal panels take months.
The board
A plank of seasoned wood is wrapped tightly in cloth, which gives the painting its foundation and keeps it stable for generations.
The gesso
Layers of chalk paste and gum are spread, dried and polished until the surface is smooth enough to draw on.
The drawing
The artist sketches the deity by hand, following proportions passed down through families of painters.
The relief
Crowns, jewellery, arches and pillars are built up in raised chalk paste, line by line, so they stand off the board.
Gold and stones
Gold foil is pressed over the relief and coloured stones are set in place. This is what makes the painting shine in lamplight.
Colour and the face
Colours are filled in, and the face of the deity is painted last, with the most care, before framing.
கைவினைஞர்கள்
Why KSS Arts exists
Many of the painters who keep this tradition alive work from small home studios, far from the buyers who would value their work. We bring their paintings to you directly, so more of what you pay reaches the hands that made them.
Fair pay for slow work
A painting that takes weeks deserves a price that honours those weeks. Buying direct keeps that value with the artist and their household.
Skills kept alive
Steady orders mean a master can keep an apprentice learning. That is how a 400-year-old craft stays in living hands instead of museum glass.
Made by a person
Each board carries the hand of the person who made it. No two are identical, even when they show the same deity.
From our customers
Gifts that last
Our 5 × 5 in miniatures and gold-relief trays make lasting gifts for weddings, housewarmings, festivals and corporate occasions. Ask us about quantities and personalised pieces.
Caring for your painting
- Hang it away from direct sunlight and damp walls to keep the gold bright.
- Dust the glass and frame with a soft dry cloth. Keep water off the painting.
- Leave the frame sealed. The glass protects the gold foil and the stones.
Bring one home
Prices are shared on request. Message us with the catalogue number of the painting you like, and we will reply with the price, shipping and delivery time. We also take commissions for custom deities and sizes.