Faux Tanjore — The Thanjavur Look, Hand-Painted Instead of Gold-Leafed

EthniiChic's Faux Tanjore collection recreates the visual richness of traditional Thanjavur gold-leaf painting — using fine hand-painted detailing in place of 22k gold foil and inset gemstones — across prabhavali and jharoka wall frames, avatar sets, and name boards. Genuine Thanjavur painting is a centuries-old craft built on real gold leaf laid over raised gesso relief work, traditionally finished with gemstone inlay — a labour- and material-intensive process that makes authentic pieces correspondingly expensive. Faux Tanjore keeps the same visual language — the layered gold tones, the architectural framing, the devotional subject matter — while replacing the gold and gems with skilled hand-painting on wood, at a fraction of the price.

That's a deliberate trade-off, not a shortcut, and it's worth being upfront about: you're not buying gold leaf here, you're buying the same centuries-old visual tradition rendered by hand in paint. For most homes, that's exactly the right choice — the look reads just as rich from across a room, without the cost or fragility of real gold leaf.

How Faux Tanjore Differs From Genuine Thanjavur Painting

Traditional Thanjavur (Tanjore) painting, which originated in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, during the Maratha court period (1676–1855 CE), uses a raised gesso base — traditionally limestone powder and a binding medium — overlaid with real gold foil, with gemstones historically inset into the relief work. It's been GI-recognised craft since 2007–08, and genuine pieces are typically treated as heirloom or collector objects given the cost of real gold and stone. EthniiChic's Faux Tanjore range is hand-painted on medium-density wood to recreate that same gold-toned, richly detailed look, without the raised gesso relief or actual gold and gemstone materials — a considered, accessible alternative rather than an attempt to pass as the genuine article.

What's in This Collection

The range centres on prabhavali and jharoka-style wall frames depicting South Indian goddesses — Kanchi Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Lalitha Devi, Saraswathi, Andal, and others — alongside two large statement sets: the Ashtalakshmi set of 8 (the eight forms of Lakshmi) and the Dashavatharam set of 10 (Vishnu's ten avatars), plus individual Dashavatharam frames, Tanjore-style name boards, and a Gajalakshmi box.
Shop Wall Frames → · Shop Name Boards →

Choosing Where to Start

If you want one statement piece with real visual impact, the Ashtalakshmi or Dashavatharam sets are built for that — a full wall arrangement in a single purchase. If you want something more contained, the single-goddess prabhavali frames offer the same look at a more modest scale and price. If you want the tradition applied somewhere functional, the Tanjore-style name boards bring the same gold-toned detailing to your front door.

Faux Tanjore as a Gift

This collection's devotional subject matter and gold-toned richness make it a natural fit for housewarmings, weddings, and festival gifting, especially for recipients who'd appreciate the look of Thanjavur art without the price or fragility that comes with real gold leaf. Being upfront that these are hand-painted, not gold-leafed, is worth mentioning if you're gifting to someone knowledgeable about the craft — it reads as considered rather than something to gloss over. Every collection ships internationally; write to contactus@ethniichic.com before ordering to confirm rates and delivery timelines for your country — larger sets like Ashtalakshmi and Dashavatharam may need a separate freight quote.