Nandi Cow Head Wall Art – 6 Deep Colours, Farmhouse Style

How it is made

Each head is cut from a single block of mango wood and shaped by hand before any paint touches it. The painting is the slow part — fine brush line work laid over a base coat by artisans who have been painting this one form for years. The eye, the brow motif, the beaded collar: all freehand. What arrives is one craftsman’s afternoon of work, not a moulded copy off a line.

The six colours

• Dark Navy — near-black blue with deep red horns and an orange and gold face panel
• Black — black body, white line work, red-lined ears
• Teal Green — green body with black and gold horns and red ears
• Dark Grey — charcoal with fine white dot work; the most neutral of the six
• Peacock Blue — bright mid blue with green-tipped black horns and a red collar band
• Crimson Red — deep red with black horns and a green and gold face panel

Where it goes

A single dark head above a console or a bed does more than three bright ones. Also works in the reverse arrangement — one dark head anchoring a group of brighter pieces so the wall has a centre. Hallways, entryways, above a fireplace.

Hanging it

There is a keyhole slot in a flat plate on the back. Drive a screw or a nail with a head into the wall, leave it standing a few millimetres proud, and drop the keyhole over it. At 850 g a drywall anchor is plenty — but a bare pushpin is not enough to hold it. Screws and wall anchors are not supplied.

Care

Dust with a dry cloth. Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight so the colours hold. Do not use water or solvent cleaners on the painted surface.