King Charles and Queen Camilla wear Sabyasachi elephant masks for Animal Ball 2023

By Daphne ClaranceKing Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted the Animal Ball 2023 in London on June 29. Indian designers Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra and Anita Dongre represented the country by creating masks for the guests at the conservation charity ball.

King Charles and Queen Camilla complemented their outfits with elephant masks created by Sabyasachi. The designer shared an Instagram post and explained that the Royal couple wore Shola masks that paid homage to Bengal’s heritage and culture.

“The Shola masks have been made by hand using age-old artisanal techniques and materials, as a collaboration between the artists from the Sabyasachi Art Foundation and the master craftspeople of Bengal,” Sabyasachi wrote.

He added, “The masks celebrate the continuity of one of Bengal’s most treasured heritage crafts that is practiced by about 5,000 artisans. Shola is the craft of carving sholapith, the spongey cork from the aquatic plant that grows in the marshlands of Bengal. The Shola Masks are made in homage to Bengal’s living heritage and culture.”

At the London event, the King and Queen dressed in custom Anna Valentine outfits that presented two Elephant Family awards – the Mark Shand Award and the Tara Award – to recognise contributions to protecting Asian wildlife.

This year’s annual Animal Ball is a celebration of indigenous communities, hosted by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust, as per Daily Mail.

While Sabyasachi created the Shola mask for the Animal Ball, fashion designer Manish Malhotra created the Maharaja mask that symbolised the lion.

“The Maharaja mask, our majestic Indian lion, is a symbol of strength and a paragon of protective leadership. Framed by ethically-sourced feathers and topaz crystals, the mask is a testament to preserving craftsmanship like how a lion safeguards its territory, with the same tenacity and devotion we hold towards the Indian art and artisans,” Manish Malhotra wrote.

Anita Dongre designed the Panchhi Mask for the Animal Ball. “Our Panchhi Mask pays homage to the lush habitats of the forest and has been meticulously hand-painted in Pichhwai, a 400-year-old technique that master artisans lovingly carry and create to this day,” she wrote.

The Pranchhi mask was crafted with cruelty-free plant leather and featured the parrot with zardozi and golden thread embroidery.