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Set a tealight behind this hand-painted panel and a shoal of fish begins to glow. This is Tholu Bommalata, the leather shadow-puppet craft of Andhra Pradesh, carried from stage to tabletop. The hide is translucent, so its colour and line come alive only when lit from within.
Fish swim across the surface, each one outlined and then perforated by hand so that light can find its way through the hide and out into the room. After dark, it becomes a little theatre.
See specifications for size, material, and the recommended light.
Keep it away from direct sunlight and moisture to preserve its vibrant colors and delicate craftsmanship. Clean gently with a soft, dry cloth.
Each piece is handcrafted, so slight variations in colour, texture and dimension are natural and celebrate its handmade origin.
This is a light meant to be seen after dark. By day it reads as a painted panel of fish. At night, with a small light set behind it, the colours turn luminous and the perforations scatter soft dots across the wall. Give it a spot where that glow has room to show.
A side table works well. So does a mantel, the edge of a bookshelf, a pooja corner, or a bedside table for a low night-time glow. Keep it indoors, because leather dislikes both damp and direct sun, each of which will fade and warp the hide over time.
Use it with care. Leather is heat-sensitive, so a flameless LED tealight is the safest choice and gives the steadiest, most even glow. If you prefer a real tealight, keep the flame low and well clear of the leather, never leave it burning unattended, and let the heat escape rather than build up inside.
It gives easily as a gift. A Diwali table, a housewarming, a Navratri or wedding corner, all take a small glowing fish panel happily. Do note that it is a leather product, worth a thought if you are gifting someone who avoids animal materials.
Dust it now and then with a dry, soft cloth. See specifications for the exact size and the recommended light.
Tholu Bommalata began on a screen, not a table. Tholu means leather, bommalata means puppet dance. For centuries the puppeteers of Andhra Pradesh told the Ramayana and Mahabharata in shadow, throwing lamplight through painted hide onto a stretched white cloth while the village watched from the dark. This tealight keeps that principle and shrinks it.
The material is the whole trick. Hide, traditionally goat or buffalo skin, is scraped until it turns translucent, then stretched taut and dried. Only translucent leather will glow.
The fish are drawn and coloured by hand, in the bright dye palette the craft is known for. Then comes the sound that names these villages, the steady tap of a small chisel and hammer punching rows of tiny holes along the drawn lines, and it is those perforations that let light pierce the design and throw its pattern outward. Nothing about the glow is printed on.
For the exact hide, colours, and dimensions of this piece, see the specifications. The craft today centres on Nimmalakunta, in Andhra Pradesh.
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Leather Puppetry is a traditional craft from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where painted goat or deer hide is transformed into intricate puppets depicting nature and mythology for vibrant folk performances.
