Shri Partap Singh Museum
A Collabrative Restoration Project of
UNESCO & INTACH - J & K Chapter
 
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Wall Naqashi

The inner walls of the central bay are covered with decorative painted murals. These murals have been painted over a thin layer of gypsum base locally known as gachh. The gach is in turn plastered over two layers of lime plaster almost 2 inches thick. The painted motifs are in turn mostly based on the same shawl tarah as depicted in the ceiling yet lack the finesse and symmetry that grace the ceiling panels. In fact the statement of Dr Janet Rizvi regarding the Sikh and Dogra influence on the shawl designs can also be said to be visible here. To quote, “Punjabi exuberance was married to the Kashmiri instinct for colour and proportion”.

  
The walls of the minature painting gallery are also covered with decorative patterns mostly depicting birds and a variety of floral arrangements, but the work is markedly inferior to what is exhibited in other rooms of the museum. Intrestingly most of these painted wall panels have a mild steel (MS) holdfast.

The background of these painted panels is generally painted in dull pink, brick red or green colour. With age the murals have faded into a more sombre colour palette, traditionally associated with the Kashmiri preference for the sufiyana rang or the pastel colours.

The wall panels are showing signs of erosion especially up till dado level, due to rising dampness. In addition to the painted murals, the walls of the central octagonal and the adjoining rooms are covered with lime stucco depicting floral and vegetative motifs. The central portion of the flower is mostly raised (convex) and covered with a thin layer of mica or glass, which would have traditionally added to the lustre of the room. Most of these glass or mica pieces are missing.
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