Headdress for Sri V P Dhananjayan's dance drama Return of Spring, Academy of Indian Dance, 1986, designed by Shanta Dhananjayan.

High conical headdress with smaller domed top ending in an open-topped 'finial', of perforated gold foil ribbon, trimmed with gold and red sequins. At the base is gold open braid on blue ribbon. Above this an inverted 'u' band of gold interwoven with silver braid, within which, up the front, is a band of red ribbon trimmed with sequins. The 'finial' is of looped gold cords bound with plaited gold thread and topped with red set with gold sequins.

Given by Akademi

Return of Spring was choreographed by Sri V P Dhananjayan for Academy of Indian Dance (Akademi) in London in 1986. It was adapted from an episode in Kalidasa's famous Sanskrit poem Kumara Sambhavan (Birth of Kumara), which had frequently been adapted into drama, dance and film in India. To fulfil the aims of the Academy, V P Dhananjayan had to create a work accessible to both western and eastern audiences while keeping the choreography within the abilities of the performers. Kathakali and Bharata Natyam were used for the divine characters and rustic folk style for the humans. T V Gopalakrishnan's music used both south and north Indian melodies and percussions. The designs by Craig Givens were imaginatively executed, especially the headdresses, the bases of which were punched metallic ribbon; these were inexpensive to make and light to wear, but gave the impression of richness.

S.9-2003