Hunting Coat
ca. 1620-1630 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place Of Origin |
This splendid coat was made for a man at the Mughal court in the first half of the 17th century. It is embroidered in fine chain stitch on a white satin ground, with images of flowers, trees, peacocks, lions and deer. The area around the neck is left free of embroidery, as a separate collar or tippet, probably of fur, would have been attached. Chain-stitch embroidery of this type is associated with professional, male embroiderers of the Gujarati Mochi community, and they were employed to embroider fine hangings and garments for the Mughal court, as well as for export to the West.
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Indian embroidery
Our collection of Indian textiles ranges from rare courtly pieces to archaeological fragments, to everyday garments and fabrics, dating from the 14th century to the present day. Embroidery remains one of India's most recognisable and most prized textile traditions. Discover eight of the mo...
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The arts of the Mughal Empire
The great age of Mughal art lasted from about 1580 to 1650 and spanned the reigns of three emperors: Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Hindu and Muslim artists and craftsmen from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent worked with Iranian masters in the masculine environment of the r...
object details
| Categories | |
| Object Type | |
| Materials and Techniques | Embroidered satin with silk |
| Brief Description | Man's hunting coat of embroidered satin with silk, India, ca. 1620-1630 |
| Physical Description | Hunting coat of embroidered satin with silk in fine chain stitch in blue, yellow, green, gold and brown silk. All-over pattern of hillocks, flowering trees and plants, peacocks, storks, ducks, butterflies, insects and animals including tigers, deer and rabbits. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery Label | RIDING COAT
This 17th-century man's coat is one of the finest surviving examples of Mughal dress. It was stitched by professional male embroiderers from Gujarat, using a needle and hook (ari). The cosmopolitan court drew its influences from across Europe and Asia. The landscape derives from Chinese imports. The life-like daffodils and poppies are taken from European prints brought to the Mughal court by missionaries and traders.
Silk (satin weave) embroidered with silk
Probably Gujarat, 1620-5
V&A: IS.18-1947(03/10/2015-10/01/2016) |
| Object history | Stitching of the kind used here was particularly associated with Gujarati craftsmen. The style of the coat and the cool palette of the colours of the design suggest Iranian influence. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This splendid coat was made for a man at the Mughal court in the first half of the 17th century. It is embroidered in fine chain stitch on a white satin ground, with images of flowers, trees, peacocks, lions and deer. The area around the neck is left free of embroidery, as a separate collar or tippet, probably of fur, would have been attached. Chain-stitch embroidery of this type is associated with professional, male embroiderers of the Gujarati Mochi community, and they were employed to embroider fine hangings and garments for the Mughal court, as well as for export to the West. |
| Bibliographic References |
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| Collection | |
| Accession Number | IS.18-1947 |
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| record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |