Kathakali headdress worn by Ram Gopal.

Half-headdress with finial extensions to the front set onto bold circular dish, with half 'ball' extension to the back, made of composition part covered with red wool, heavily decorated with gold and magenta foil, 'jewels', beads, long glass beads, 'straw' and stamped metal 'flowers. Within the crown is a cotton lining.

Given by the Trustees of the Ram Gopal Estate

Kathakali headdress worn by Ram Gopal.

Ram Gopal (1912?-2003) and Uday Shankar, were the most important Indian dancers of the 20th century. Gopal built on Shankar's pioneering revival of Indian dance and its introduction to audiences both in Asia and the West, taking it one stage further. He remained faithful to the pure discipline, technique and ethos of Indian classical. but he also started to open out a deeper appreciation of Indian classical dance traditions, shrewdly tailored to Western audiences, using modern theatrical techniques and spectacular presentation. He widened audiences experiences by including music and other folk and classical styles alongside his own pieces. Each item was preceded by an explanation, enabling audiences to understand and appreciate what was, at that time, a very esoteric art form.
For three decades he was a major world star, with a glamour and charisma equal to any other major dance star of the period. He not only raised public awareness of the richness of Indian dance but worked with dancers trained in other dance forms, like Alicia Markova, thus setting a precedent in Britain for the current thriving and creative South Asian dance scene, which mixes classical Indian dance with other contemporary and classical dance styles to create something uniquely itself.
Each of Gopal's costumes was hand made and tailored to his own design. He spent huge sums on his costumes, which could be insured for as much as £25,000. Some were made of cloth of gold, woven and tailored in India; when it became worn, it was sent back to India, melted down and rewoven.

Ram Gopal was one of the most important dancers of the 20th century and certainly one of the most exotic theatre performers. He was a major figure in the revival of Indian dance and his spectacular theatrical presentations introduced it to audiences both in Asia and the West. He was proud of the authenticity of his music, costuming and style, shrewdly tailored his presentations to Western audiences, using modern theatrical techniques and spectacular presentation.
This headdress was worn by Ram Gopal in a Kathakali dance. The term Kathakali is derived from 'kath' meaning story and 'Kali' meaning performance and is a form of dance drama in which the performers do not speak but express the action through complex hand movements, poses and facial expression while the story is told in songs to a musical accompaniment. The 'halo' form is typical of Kathakali and the headdress was clearly made in India following traditional methods. It is a wonderfully theatrical mixture of materials, ranging from stamped metal flowers and artificial jewels to wool and coloured foils, which would have gleamed in the stage lights.

S.117-2004