Peacock

The octagonal Wedding Hall (Kalyana Mantapa) of the Mysore Palace in South India has a stained glass ceiling of geometric patterns featuring peacocks and floral mandala.  The floor has four large tiled panels also showing peacocks (a symbol of fidelity) of which the postcard shows a detail.  The Wedding Hall and its complex patterns took 2 years to complete involving the Maharaja, the architect, the executive engineer and the tile manufacturers chief designer, all that and then the numerous craftsmen needed to create and install.   The Mysore Palace was built from 1897-1912 after fire had destroyed the original.

A reproduction of one of the peacock panels also graces the entrance hall of the Jackfield Tile Museum because this was once the tile factory of Maw & Co who manufactured these particular ceramic encaustic or inlaid tiles and exported all over the world. 

I went looking for a photograph of the Wedding Hall but discovered that all picture taking is forbidden inside the Mysore Palace however it didn't stop this couple sneaking in the palace to create a video for their upcoming wedding, they got into a whole lot of trouble but I think it was worth it. See here

Postcards for the Weekend theme - Patterns and Prints - the Linky Party is at Connections to the World