Sacred Textiles of India


Book Description

A captivating exploration of the sacred and mystical underpinnings of Indian textiles, illuminating their deeply rooted religious, philosophical, and ceremonial significance.




The Fabric of India


Book Description

"Published to accompany the exhibition The Fabric of India at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, from 3 October 2015 to 10 January 2016"--Title page verso.




Patterns of India


Book Description

It’s the trip of a lifetime—a textile-based tour of colorful Rajasthan, India featuring more than 200 lush photographs depicting everyday life in one of the most vibrant regions in the world. ”Get lost in the beauty of the photographs in Patterns of India, a striking journey through the colorful Indian state of Rajasthan.”—BuzzFeed Patterns of India is a visual experience that offers intimate insights into the diverse and richly hued Western Indian culture. Color is the thread that binds the vast country together, defining every aspect of life from religion and politics to food and dress. Organized by the five dominant colors royal blue, sandstone, marigold, ivory, and rose, this book explores how deeply color and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship and are woven into every part of the culture. For instance, the fuchsia found in the draping fabric of a sari is matched by the vibrant chains of roses offered at temple, and the burnt orange spices in the marketplaces are reflected in the henna tattoos given to brides and wedding guests. While every color is imbued with meaning, it is often within the details of patterns that the full story comes to light. Photographer and writer Christine Chitnis spent over a decade traveling through, getting to know, and falling in love with the intricate patterns of everyday Rajasthani life. With history and culture-based essays woven throughout the more than 200 stunning photographs of architecture, markets, cuisine, art, textiles, and everyday goings-on, Patterns of India captures the beauty and essence of this unique part of the world.




Textiles of India


Book Description

This magnificently illustrated and deeply researched volume takes the reader on a journey throughout the Indian subcontinent to explore the history and traditions of its textiles. India's rich and vibrant textile tradition boasts an enormous range of techniques and extraordinary level of artistry. Drawn from one of the world's finest collections of Indian textiles, this book presents a fascinating overview of several centuries of artistic production from every corner of India. Each section examines a different region to reveal its distinct textile traditions, patterns, and processes: Patola silks from Gujarat, lampas weaves preserved in Tibetan temples, mordant resist dyed cottons exported to Indonesia, silk saris from Murshidabad and embroideries from rural Bengal and Punjab. The book also delves into the roles that textiles have played in daily life over the centuries, from household and dowry textiles to devotional pieces and exquisite materials crafted for rich patrons. Each object is photographed from multiple angles and reproduced in meticulous detail. Many of the antique pieces featured here are exceedingly rare, which makes this book an invaluable resource. Gorgeously illustrated, this volume makes a stunning gift for anyone interested in the history and craftmanship of one of the world's oldest textile traditions.




Cloth that Changed the World


Book Description

Published in conjunction with the exhibition originally scheduled to be held at the Royal Ontario Museum from April 4, 2020 to September 27, 2020.




Jewelled Textiles


Book Description

Textiles embellished with gold and silver have been desired and cherished worldwide since Antiquity. In the Indian subcontinent, too, the use of metal to enhance the value and beauty of cloth is part of an ancient tradition. Jewelled Textiles: Gold And Silver Embellished Cloth of India presents a rich selection of textiles and dresses ornamented with precious metals—gold and silver. These luxurious and often opulent textiles have always been associated with wealth, beauty, supremacy, ceremony and divinity in the subcontinent. Gold and silver embroidery in India is remarkable for the manifold styles in which the threads are manipulated to produce results on cloth surfaces, enhancing and ornamenting the character of the textile. The raw materials, techniques of surface application, and the final effects thus created are unique to different regions in the country where the embroidery techniques and printing with precious metals are classified by the local terminology. Techniques by which metals are applied to textile surface like Kamdani or Badla in Lucknow, Tilla in Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Western India, Danka and Gota Patti in Rajasthan, Zardozi and Vasli in Bhopal, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Delhi and other centres in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, Mukke Ka Kaam in Rajasthan and Gujarat and Varak from different parts of the country are described in detail in the book. These techniques are illustrated with examples of skillfully executed pieces from museums and private collections. A veritable collector’s pride.




The Art of Cloth in Mughal India


Book Description

A richly illustrated history of textiles in the Mughal Empire In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a vast array of textiles circulated throughout the Mughal Empire. Made from rare fibers and crafted using virtuosic techniques, these exquisite objects animated early modern experience, from the intimate, sensory pleasure of garments to the monumentality of imperial tents. The Art of Cloth in Mughal India tells the story of textiles crafted and collected across South Asia and beyond, illuminating how cloth participated in political negotiations, social conversations, and the shared seasonal rhythms of the year. Drawing on small-scale paintings, popular poetry, chronicle histories, and royal inventory records, Sylvia Houghteling charts the travels of textiles from the Mughal imperial court to the kingdoms of Rajasthan, the Deccan sultanates, and the British Isles. She shows how the “art of cloth” encompassed both the making of textiles as well as their creative uses. Houghteling asks what cloth made its wearers feel, how it acted in space, and what images and memories it conjured in the mind. She reveals how woven objects began to evoke the natural environment, convey political and personal meaning, and span the distance between faraway people and places. Beautifully illustrated, The Art of Cloth in Mughal India offers an incomparable account of the aesthetics and techniques of cloth and cloth making and the ways that textiles shaped the social, political, religious, and aesthetic life of early modern South Asia.




Indian Textiles


Book Description

"The production of textiles in India continues to flourish just as it has for many centuries. The interactions of peoples - indigenous tribes, invaders, traders, explorers - through history has built a culture legendary for its variety and colour. From the Rann of Kutch to the Coromandel coast, from city and village, handloom weavers, block printers, painters, dyers and embroiderers are all creating the most extraordinary textiles." "This all-encompassing survey of textiles from every region of the Indian subcontinent runs the gamut of commercial, tribal and folk textiles. The authors first place them in context by examining the cultural background: the history, the materials and the techniques - weaving, printing, painting and tie-and-dye. They then give a detailed region-by-region account of traditional textile production, including chapters on Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. An array of images provides an unsurpassed visual representation of the textiles, while a detailed reference section with further reading, museums and information on technical terms completes this essential guide."--BOOK JACKET.




Fabric Art


Book Description

Of All The Indian Handicrafts, Textiles Form A Class By Themselves Over Which The Rest Of The World Went Into Ecstasies From Time Immemorial.With An Enormous Store Of Myths, Symbols, Imagery And Inspiration From Other Art Forms Indian Textile-Craft Never Faced A Slump Or Stagnation. On The Other Hand It Transcended From A Craft Identity To The Status Of An Art.With Shades Of Classicism, Folk Tradition And Regional Flavour The Rich And Unrivalled Fabrics Of India Have Rightly Been Called Exquisite Poetry In Colour .Indian Fabric Art Can Be Classified Into Three Broad Categories Woven, Painted Or Printed And Embroidered. Within This Broad Outline The Present Study Pinpoints The Historical Background Of Some Representative Forms Each Unique In Its Distinctiveness.A Search For Any Linkage With Allied Art Forms As Well As Their Socio-Cultural Significance Also Provides A New Perspective.Though Apparently Widely Dispersed In Contents, They Form A Composite Tapestry Of Indian Fabric Art Tradition And Call For More Scrutiny Before Our Precious Heirlooms Are Totally Submerged In The Tide Of The Synthetic Era. The Book Is Enriched By Illustrations Of Rare Specimens Of Historical Art Fabrics Collected From Different Museums In The Country. Coupled With Extensive References This Volume Spotlights A New Facet Of Indian Art Heritage Which Will Fascinate Both The Social Scientists As Well As The Connoisseurs Of Indian Art And Culture.




The Sacred City of the Hindus


Book Description