Hand-moulded by a national award-winning Cheriyal artist from Telangana, this pair of decorative wall busts continues a tradition rooted in the Kakatiya and Vijayanagara dynasties. Cheriyal mask-making grew out of the same Nakashi artist lineage that once narrated the Mahabharata and Ramayana through painted scrolls — here, reimagined as a striking pair of folk faces for the home, set apart by their rich emerald-green finish, a distinctive variation within the Cheriyal palette.

Each bust is shaped using the ancient five-step Cheriyal process — moulding, drying, decorating, smoothing and hand-painting — from a mix of tamarind seed paste, rice starch, khadi cloth and white mud. The male figure wears a red-and-yellow dotted turban with sandalwood tilak markings and a bold moustache; the female figure is adorned with an ornate black-and-yellow patterned headdress, nose ring, bindi and delicate flower earrings — both finished against the deep green base in mustard, red, black and white detailing.

No factories. No machines. Ever. Being entirely hand-painted, each face carries small natural variations — its own quiet signature of being made by hand. Designed with a hanging loop at the back, ready to mount as a striking pair on any gallery wall, hallway or shelf.