Bird of Paradise

Like a magpie, I am always attracted to shiny, pretty things. Anything beaded and embroidered catches my eye and begs to be touched, and so I particularly love the Indian decorative arts: textiles, jewellery, and miniature paintings.

One must admire the artisans for their skill and patience in the care taken over so much intricate detail. There is so much joie de vivre in these colourful works of art – the visual equivalent of Bollywood films. The landscapes are perfect little jewels of Arcadia: the sun shines gently, the breezes murmur softly through the ladies’ saris, and birds sing sweetly in the lush background.

Although these days I lean more and more towards minimalist fashion, I still cannot resist adding to my collection of sparkly vintage trifles here and there, particularly when I am travelling in exotic countries. They might come out on a special occasion to add pizzazz to an otherwise simple or graphic silhouette.

To create this picture, inspired by Indian miniature paintings, I’ve gathered together an Indian embroidered tunic and skirt (both purchased in charity stores), a silk scarf, a vintage embroidered and beaded belt, new and vintage necklaces, earrings from a local Indian fashion boutique, and beaded slippers, souvenirs from Vietnam.

It was Diana Vreeland who declared in 1962, ‘pink is the navy blue of India’, making the pink silk scarf an apt choice. I do love Indian jewellery too; the jingles only add an extra element of fun, and it is one of the few styles in which I like yellow gold.

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The cloudy background is of a wall I photographed in Tangier, Morocco, and the lawn a picture I took recently in Melbourne’s own Royal Botanic Gardens. The bird in hand comes from here. The dried flower is a Billy Button or Craspedia, a member of the daisy family and native to Australia and New Zealand.