Mica Paintings
Mica paintings were produced as souvenirs in Murshidabad, Patna, and Benares in eastern Indian and Trichinopoly in South India. Mati Art has a collection of about a hundred mica paintings in its collection. The majority of these paintings are produced in sets and popular subject matters include Hindu gods and goddesses, religious events, and trades people of the Indian subcontinent. They imitated paintings on glass which were popular in Europe during the time.
Mica is a transparent mineral composed of complex mixtures of potassium silicates. The variety of mica used most commonly is Muscovite, which is found widely throughout south India. Mica can be cut into sheets due to its laminar structure consisting of many interlocking platelets. Due to its smooth surface, the medium presents many problems as a support and provides very little key (roughness) to adhere to. The pigments used were mixed with many various binding medium and applied with a brush. To increase opacity, the paint was applied to both front and back of the surface giving it a three-dimensional appearance.
