Close side-profile photograph of a Kathakali-style performer's face painted green with red and black eye and lip makeup, wearing an ornate gold headdress with red and green jewelled roundels and a white beaded band. The background is dark draped fabric with gold decorative edging. No a person candidate is visible, only the painted face of a performer in costume. - Nithyanandapedia

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July 19 2009

Close-up photograph of a large Kathakali-style character face mask or costume head with a green painted face, red and black eye and facial markings, red lips, and an ornate tall headdress decorated with gold foil, red and white stripes, green bands, pearl strings, and jewel-like red and blue embellishments. A gold-toned decorative panel and dark drapery appear in the background. No physical people are visible; the figure is a costume head or statue.

A close photograph of a Kathakali-style performer in full costume: a green painted face with red and black eye and lip makeup, a yellow and red forehead marking, and a tall crown-like headdress striped in red, pink, purple, green and blue with a golden fan-shaped backdrop. White jasmine garlands hang over a red garment, with layered beaded necklaces and a jewelled gold collar. The figure stands against a stone wall, with a gold ornament at the right edge. No a person candidate is visible; the figure is a performer in a painted mask-like face and costume rather than a person identifiable by the cues required. No physical people beyond the costumed performer are visible.

A large statue of a Kathakali-style figure with a green painted face, red eyes and a red lip, wearing a tall multicolored striped headdress with a golden fringed halo behind it. The figure wears a red and white costume with heavy beaded and jewelled necklaces and a white ruff at the collar. A gold hand raised in a mudra gesture is visible, and a gold ornate staff with a cobra-head top stands at the left edge. The statue is set against a stone wall with green leaves hanging behind. Watermarked copyright text overlays the lower right corner.

Close-up photograph of two life-size painted figures with green faces and elaborate costumes, resembling Yakshagana-style theatre characters or stage figures. The figure on the left wears a tall striped cap in pink, blue, yellow and green with white ruff and red-and-gold necklaces. The figure on the right wears a gold crown with a fan-like golden halo, a red and gold garment, multicoloured beaded necklaces and ornate earrings. A golden kalasha-like object and a gold hand-shaped ornament appear at the left edge, with green leaves and a stone wall behind. These are painted figures or statues, not living people.

Close angled photo of two large painted statues in a temple-like setting. The left figure is a Kathakali-style character with green face paint, red lips, a tall red-and-white headdress with gold and jewelled ornaments, and a red and white garment. Its raised hand has white jewelled sequin-like decoration. Beside it stands a gilded statue with black hair, a jewelled crown, gold necklaces, bangles and a white dhoti with gold border, holding a small object. Gold ornate arch in background. No living people are visible.

A photograph of a Kathakali performer in full costume, made up with a bright green face, red lips and a yellow-and-red forehead marking. The headdress is a tall striped crown in pink, red, green and blue bands, framed by a large golden circular backdrop. He wears a red and white garment, a heavy beaded gold necklace and multicoloured bead strands, with white jasmine garlands draped over the shoulders. His golden-painted right hand is raised in a mudra gesture. The background is a plain stone wall.

Two painted performers in traditional Kathakali-style costume stand side by side before a stone wall decorated with green leafy strands. Both have green faces with red lips and large, dramatic eyes. The figure on the left wears a tall striped pointed headdress in pink, yellow, green and blue above a wide golden fringed halo, a red and white cloth with many beaded necklaces, and holds a golden staff topped with a cobra-like finial in its raised hand while the other hand is open in a gesture. The figure on the right wears a silver crown and a golden fringed halo with pink and yellow rays, a white and red garment and layered jewelled necklaces, and holds a golden hand gesture. The scene is an evening stage presentation with ornate ornaments and costumes in bright red, white, green and gold.

A close photograph of a painted deity murti with a green face, red lips and black-rimmed eyes, wearing a silver crown and a large gold fan-shaped halo edged in pink. It has a multicolour beaded necklace over a jewelled ornament, round floral earrings, and a white dhoti with red and gold borders under a red and gold shawl. A metallic mace or staff is held at the left, and the background shows a stone ceiling with green leaves hanging behind.

A photograph of two large festival figures seated side by side at night. The figure on the left has a green painted face with a yellow forehead mark, a tall multicoloured striped headdress, a gold hooded backdrop, and a red and white robe with a large beaded necklace and white jasmine garlands. It holds a golden staff topped with a cobra-like ornament and raises a gold-painted hand in a blessing gesture. The figure on the right has a gold face, a gold crown, a sheer gold veil and white garment, layered silver necklaces and jewellery, and white flower garlands.

Two performers in Kathakali-style costume stand under a stone-pillared temple pavilion strung with green leaf garlands. Both have green faces, gold crowns and high headdresses; the left figure wears a multicolour striped crown and holds a ceremonial mace-like object, while the right figure wears a gold crown with a red and pink fan-shaped back piece. They are dressed in white pleated skirts edged with gold and red borders, layered beaded necklaces, red shawls and jewelled armbands. Hanging decorative panels in yellow, red and blue flank the scene. No a person candidate is visible.

Close photograph of two large ceremonial figures. On the left, a green-faced figure with red-and-white lips and a tall striped multicoloured headdress with a golden halo, wearing a white collar, colourful beaded necklaces and a red garment, one hand raised in a gesture. On the right, a golden-faced figure in a sheer gold veil and a crown, draped with white and multicoloured jewelled necklaces and white flower garlands. Background is a plain grey wall with green leaves.